UNHCR Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) May 2012
InterWorks conducted a five-day Emergency Team Leadership Programme (ETLP) Workshop in Villars, Switzerland for 12 participants from several IASC partner agencies. The 12th ETLP workshop of its kind covered elements of emergency team leadership for organizations working in international humanitarian assistance, disaster coordination and response.
The first ETLP was launched in 2006 to respond to a need for a leadership development programme with inter-agency participation focused on developing individual team leadership competencies and fostering effective, efficient and professional leadership in humanitarian emergency settings.
Participants for the May 2012 workshop were emergency staff from FAO, the Lutheran World Federation, International Organization for Migration, OHCHR, UNHCR and UNICEF. The course blended learning programme consists of a pre-workshop self-study module, a 4.5 day residential workshop and a post-workshop self-directed personal action plan.
The course focused on key competencies and skills for emergency team leadership, such as situational leadership, effective communication and feedback, decision-making, teambuilding, negotiation skills, coaching techniques and other elements associated with being an effective team leader. The course trainers covered these topics with short presentations in conjunction with scenario-based hands-on exercises, role-plays and simulations in which each of the skills covered would be further explored and give an opportunity to use these skills in a risk-free, open environment. The core exercises and case studies used were based on submissions from current and past participants and therefore reflected actual, real-life situations that emergency team leaders have faced or may face in future emergencies.
This course has indeed opened me up. There are things I do every day without realizing the importance and impact (on) team cohesiveness.
– Workshop participant
I really liked the many participative activities which kept the energy going and engagement (of the participants)…I also liked the (Personal) Action Plan idea.
– Workshop participant