CHS Revision consultations starts: organisations have your say
Standards need to be reviewed regularly to adapt to a changing environment, drawing on learning and new developments and innovations. The CHS is no exception. This is why in May 2022 CHS Alliance, Sphere and Groupe URD launched an 18-month process to consult with multiple stakeholders for their views on how to update and improve the standard.
The revision is an opportunity to hear from individuals and organisations across the world on how to make the standard a more user-friendly tool to drive better quality and accountability.
The CHS Revision now enters the first consultation phase to make the CHS more accessible and relevant for crisis-affected people. It will take engagement from across the aid system to create a strengthened and improved Standard that better supports fair, equitable and accountable relationships between vulnerable people and communities, local, national and international actors.
The first phase of the CHS Revision consultation will collect organisational stakeholders’ and experts’ perspectives and experiences on the current CHS. It will look at what works well and what could be improved in terms of content, structure and presentation, as well as how emerging issues and new developments could be better reflected. If you work for an organisation that uses or advises on the CHS, we need to build on your wealth of experience and practice in applying the Standard around the world. This initial phase of the consultation will run till the end of 2022.
To conduct a consultation with members of your organisation, use the CHS Revision consultation guidance and template to facilitate discussion and capture your ideas. These supporting documents offer different consultation methods and formats, a set of guiding questions and a reporting template to submit inputs to the CHS Revision Managers. Your consultation reports will provide guidance for the drafting of the updated Standard early 2023. These documents will also be available in French and Spanish shortly on the CHS Revision portal.
To make sure the CHS stays relevant, the revision process is designed to be as accessible, inclusive and participatory as possible. To ensure we hear from people whose lives are affected by how the CHS is updated, we are working on a second set of consultation guidelines. These will focus on how to conduct focus group discussions with affected people and communities, the people at the heart of the CHS Revision process. To receive these guidelines, make sure you’re signed up to the CHS Alliance’s monthly newsletter.
The full text of the CHS is also available in an online platform, for individuals’ direct comments. These can be made confidentiality.
Let us know when you have planned a consultation with your organisation, consortium, network or Community of Practice, so that we can it to the If you organise an open access event, this calendar will let others know how they can join. You can also see open consultations near you if you would like to attend.
To add an event to the calendar, or help developing a consultation get in touch with the CHS Revision Managers Phillip Tamminga and Aninia Nadig at CHSrevision@chsalliance.org.