Introduction to Relief and Emergencies
Public Health in Relief and Emergencies
Management in Relief and Emergencies
Field Communications and IT in Relief and Emergencies
Nutrition in Emergencies

Contact Merlin for further details:
Dave Heed
Merlin
5-13 Trinity Street
London SE1 1DB
or email: training@merlin.org

Introduction to Relief and Emergencies

What defines an emergency? Who are the principle relief agencies in the UK / Europe and what are their respective mandates? What lessons have agencies learnt from past relief efforts? What preparations would you make for an assignment? How would you safeguard your personal safety and health in the field?

This is a three-day non-residential course run by Merlin aimed at people who lack recent field experience for a relief agency. The course aims to give an overview of the relief sector and to equip participants with realistic expectations of the personal and professional challenges that they would face working in a relief environment.

By the end of the course, participants will have:

* Reflected on their own motivations and expectations of relief work
* An understanding of the main risks to personal health and well-being in the field
* Reflected on their own behaviour within teams, how this may affect team dynamics and the key issues of working with local staff and counterparts
* Identified their personal preparation needs
* An understanding of disasters and emergencies and the roles and remits of the main agencies involved
* An understanding of ethical issues, of the groups most affected by conflict, and of the factors which affect levels of vulnerability within a community
* A general understanding of agency's security policies including the inherent and specific risks of working in conflict / insecure environments
* Basic understanding of the common forms of field communications equipment

'Provided an excellent insight into the relief environment and how I can best prepare myself for my firs overseas mission' KA, Nurse

Location: London (non-residential)
Dates: future dates to be confirmed
Fees (including tuition and refreshments):
Individuals £150
Members of Merlin's register £100

Nutrition in Emergencies
In conjunction with International Health Exchange

In emergency situation, relief workers are frequently required to respond to the nutritional needs of populations. This course provides relief workers with the technical knowledge and contextual information necessary to deliver nutritional support services to those affected by humanitarian emergencies.

Participants

This is a three-day course aimed at both experienced relief workers and those intending to work overseas.

Course Topics

* Social and political factors affecting food security
* Types of malnutrition
* Causes of malnutrition
* Anthropometric surveys and measurement techniques
* Response strategies
* General ration distribution
* Supplementary feeding
* Therapeutic feeding
* Food security intervention

Location: London (residential)
Dates: 5 - 7 November 2001

Fees:
Individuals £225
Individuals with institutional support £275

Management in Relief and Emergencies

This is a five-day residential course run by Merlin in co-operation with the Management Centre, a training consultancy for the not-for-profit sector. The course aims to equip both desk managers and field co-ordinators with the skills to be more effective in all aspects of the management of disasters and emergency relief work.

By the end of the course, participants will be effective in the following:

* People management including motivating, delegating, maximising performance, resolving conflict and providing feedback and appraising with both individuals and teams
* Strategic planning
* Project management
* Cross cultural communication skills, including interviewing and influenceing techniques
* Personal stress management
* Workload and time management

The course will be very participative in style, with many practical exercises as well as an exploration of the particular challenges of management in international aid work. Participants will be introduced to several tried and tested management tolls, which they can apply immediately in their work.

Participants

This course is suitable for participants working or intending to work in emergency relief at programme co-ordinator or senior management level including desk officers and in addition will provide the managerial and organisational skills required to co-ordinate medical and relief programmes in the field.

'It was one of the best courses I have ever been on' - RB, Senior medical co-ordinator

Location: Holmbury St Mary, Surrey (UK)
Dates: 11 - 16 November 2001

Fees:
Individuals with institutional support £700
Individuals £600
Individuals (claiming benefit) £500

Field communications and IT in Relief and Emergencies

This is a 4 day non-residential course held in London.

How would you set up and programme an HF radio? How would you transfer data without a fixed telephone line? How would you protect and care for electronic equipment in harsh tropical conditions?

By the end of the course, participants will:

* Understand the characteristics and limitations of VHF and HF radio and satellite communications
* Be able to set up and operate communications equipment commonly used in the field
* Be able to protect and care for electronic equipment
* Be able to establish and manage IT systems commonly used in the field
* Understand the limitations of their knowledge and know how and when to seek support

Course Outline:

HF

* HF radio theory and HF aerial theory; different configurations, different results
* Key points for HF radio installation
* How to programme and use a CODAN 9360
* HF radio practical exercises: Selcall, Installation exercise, Data transfer

VHF and Sataphone

* VHF radio theory and VHF aerial theory including repeater stations
* Setting up and using a sataphone including health and safety
* Care and transport of satapones and computers
* C-sats and data transfer
* Radio protocols and security

IT (Assumes basic familiarity with the use of Word, Excel and e-mail)

* Introduction to key software applications (Excel, Word, Mpower, cc ail)
* Re-configuration and trouble shooting hardware and software problems
* Lap linking
* Backing-up systems
* Updating / changing software versions
* Virus checks and solutions and accessing assistance remotely

Location: Central London
Dates: 25 - 28 September 2001

Fees:
Individuals £200
Members of Merlin's register £100

Public Health in Relief and Emergenciesc
In conjunction with International Health Exchange

How would you set about controlling a serious epidemic of cholera? How would you vaccinate 10,000 children against measles in just 6 days?

This is an eight-day residential course which aims to address these and many other vital issues faced by health care workers in disasters and emergencies.

Rationale and aims of the course

The demands placed on overseas medical personnel working in disasters and emergencies are formidable. Most workers find that their training and experience within the UK does not fully equip them for work in such a challenging and complex situation. This course aims to facilitate the transfer of health workers' professional skills to the relief environment and enable participants to develop and strengthen the technical, managerial and interpersonal skills required to work effectively in the relief environment.

The course will cover a number of key issues, including:

* The relief environment
* Public health approaches to health care in emergencies
* Water and sanitation
* Epidemiology and control of disease, including vector control
* Nutrition
* Vaccination programmes
* Vulnerable groups including women and children in emergencies
* Needs assessment
* Evaluating programme activities
* Health centre and drug management
* Health promotion and community mobilisation

The course will also address relevant ethical and social issues and will encourage participants to question their beliefs and assumptions about aid and its beneficiaries.

'This course has proved essential for me - I can't believe I would have thought of going overseas without it' MM, Midwife

Location: Holmbury St Mary, Surrey (UK)
Dates: 1 - 9 September 2001

Fees:
Individuals with institutional support £500
Individuals £400
Individuals (claiming benefit) £300