• View Emergency Simulations Guide
• Download Simulations Materials
• Simulations Case Studies
• ECB Consortia Share Learning Highlights
• IASC Facilitator Training
• Goma Joint Emergency Training

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By simulating a disaster humanitarian staff can practice responding to an emergency and collaborating with diverse colleagues in an intense emergency context.

The ECB Project published a guide to coordinating both multi-and single-agency simulations, which includes a methodology that enables staff to test (self-assess) their performance.

The simulations generally last for two days. Partners from the United Nations (UN), government offices, donors, international media and national NGOs are invited to participate.At the end of the simulation, a debriefing session allows participants to analyze their own performance and that of others.

Disaster simulations were an important topic at the ECBinter-active conference in Niger, held in January 2012. See Simulations and Staff Capacity for a summary.

The ECB Project's new Case Study: Simulating the worst to prepare the best: a study of humanitarian simulations and their benefits, pulls together experience from six major actors involved in implementing simulations in the humanitarian sector. Download now in English.

The first ECB Project Simulations Case Study outlines the valuable role that simulations play in building staff capacity, and includes recommendations for implementation. Download now in English, French and Spanish.

Where can I find more information?

• Read about the highlights and learning from simulations in five ECB consortia countries.
• Read the simulations guide in English and Spanish.

An Oxfam simulation teaches learners how to save lives in a flood. © Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam

How was the ECB Simulation Package developed?

The training materials were first developed by piloting a single-agency simulation in Ethiopia based on a flooding emergency scenario and a multi-agency simulation in Sierra Leone focusing on coordination during a simulated response to an influx of refugees from conflict in a neighboring country.

A total of 87 staff from ECB agencies and partner organizations took part in these pilot simulations. An additional 32 staff participated in training of trainers workshops in Phase I of the ECB Project.

Since these pilots, simulations have occured in all ECB consortia countries between 2009-2013 - testing both specific emergency response scenarios and field staff learning from the ENHAnce national staff development programs. Staff training on core humanitarian skills and managament and leadership skills were tested in all ENHAnce simulations.

These materials are translated into Spanish. Please contact us for materials in Portuguese and draft materials in French.

The latest ECB Simulation occured as part of a Kenyan government preparedness planning exercise before the March 2013 elections. Read the report here.