NOHA Training on Armed Actor Engagement - February 6th, 2027 in Nairobi Kenya

The one-day training is part of a concerted effort to implement the Inter-Agency Standing Committee’s (IASC) 2016 Policy on Protection in Humanitarian Action by strengthening collaboration across organisations and sectors to reduce the risks of violence, coercion, and deprivation that people face in humanitarian settings. One resource that is often underutilised is that of humanitarian actors with responsibilities for engaging with armed actors. This training aims to address this gap by raising awareness of the role that these actors play in supporting risk reduction.

Course Summary:

The training will enable participants to:

Gain a deeper understanding of protection risks and strategies to implement the centrality of protection and achieve protection outcomes.
Gain an understanding how the skills, knowledge, and relationships of humanitarian actors with responsibilities for engaging with armed actors can contribute to achieving protection outcomes.
Gain insight into the key processes that contribute to the achievement of protection outcomes.
List at least three ways in which humanitarian actors with responsibilities for engaging with armed actors can support protection outcomes.

Formulate a protection outcome relevant to humanitarian actors with responsibilities for engaging with armed actors.

Mode of delivery:

This is an interactive training split between a PowerPoint presentation and exercises.

It is encouraged for participants to share the wealth of experience they have and actively participate in the training.

Course length: 1 day (8 hours)

Dates and location: 6 February 2027 in Nairobi, Kenya

Audience: This course has been designed for humanitarian professionals working on protection, access, and those with responsibilities for humanitarian-armed actor engagement.

Organisers:

The NOHA Network on Humanitarian Action is an international association of universities that aims to enhance professionalism in the humanitarian sector, by promoting humanitarian values and providing certificated high-level courses.

This course is part of the work of the Consortium for Civilian Safety and Security, consisting of NOHA, ODI Global, and Nonviolent Peaceforce, supported by Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Training facilitator:
Katherine Kramer has 25 years’ experience in armed actor engagement for protection outcomes. She worked at Geneva Call for 17 years where she led the organizations’ engagements with non-State armed groups in Asia. At InterAction, she held the role of Senior Manager - Protection of Civilians where one of her main responsibilities was to convene and facilitate member engagement with the U.S. Department of Defense. In addition, she has a wealth of experience in designing and facilitating trainings for humanitarians, civil society and armed actors. She authored the training module on Optimizing Armed Actor Engagement for Protection Outcomes.

Training content:

Welcome and introduction
Key concepts
How to achieve protection outcomes
Shifting challenges into enablers
Evaluation and closing

Training assessment and evaluation:

Knowledge will be assessed through a self-evaluation at the end of the training. Practical skills will be assessed through participants work in the exercises. Participants will receive feedback and guidance throughout the course which will enable them to make progress and develop their confidence and practical skills.

HOW TO APPLY:
Candidates should fill in the registration form on the NOHA Website here. Upon registration candidates should also upload their CV and motivation statement indicating how the intend to use humanitarian mediation tools and skills in the future.

Maximum 24 participants.
Prospective students are responsible for their visa arrangements and all their expenses for attending the training (e.g. travel and accommodation).

Key dates:

Application until: January 8th, 2027

Selected applicants will be notified on a rolling basis

Final payment deadline: January 15th, 2027

Registrations will become effective only after payment of the course fee.

Course Fee:

Course fee (inclusive of all course materials): €120.00

Fees will cover training material including printed documents and digital documents, as well as coffee breaks and lunch.

Cancellations:

The fee will be fully reimbursed for valid reasons if requested before January 15th (a 50% cancellation fee will be retained from onwards).