EPN 4

Other files: Summary report

Coventry, UK, 26 - 28 June 2002

Key points:

• Short contracts are overused, leading to high staff turnover and loss of programme quality. Programme managers in particular should be offered longer contracts from the outset.
• Training budgets are often inadequate, and lack a coherent training policy endorsed by the Board.
• The cost of poor HR practice. Greater measurement of HR performance would show the cost to programmes, in quality and in financial terms, resulting from HR problems.
• Many staff retention ideas are available. Agencies facing a shortage of field managers should make much more use of these ideas.
• Mandatory security training is now needed for all new relief workers, before their first assignment to an insecure country, as a standard policy. Mandatory security briefing should also be required for all personnel, however experienced, travelling to an emergency area.
• Board-level endorsement and support of an explicit and detailed HR strategy is necessary if agencies are to have the human resources to perform well in emergencies.