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Humanitarian Programme Cycle

The humanitarian programme cycle (HPC) is a coordinated series of actions undertaken to help prepare for, manage and deliver humanitarian response. It consists of five elements coordinated in a seamless manner, with one step logically building on the previous and leading to the next. Successful implementation of the humanitarian programme cycle is dependent on effective emergency preparedness, effective coordination with national/local authorities and humanitarian actors, and information management.

The HPC elements are as follows:

  1. needs assessment and analysis
  2. strategic response planning
  3. resource mobilization
  4. implementation and monitoring
  5. operational review and evaluation.

A graphical representation of the Humanitarian Programme Cycle appears here

Aims and objectives

This approach, agreed by IASC Principals as part of the Transformative Agenda, is based on innovations that have become good practice in the field and aims to achieve the following results:

  • stronger emphasis on the needs of affected people;
  • improved targeting of the most vulnerable;
  • increased funding for humanitarian priorities; and
  • greater accountability of humanitarian actors and donors for collective results

Background

For protracted crises, most of these elements previously formed part of the consolidated appeal process (CAP). However, the CAP – both as a process and document – became too ‘heavy’ in an attempt to include all the programme cycle elements. Henceforth each response operation shall prepare two distinct but connected processes and products on a new and slightly expanded timeframe. Mid-year reviews of the CAP will be replaced by more regular, less labor-intensive response monitoring based on an agreed IASC framework.Separate guidance applies to sudden onset emergencies and will be included on the website in due course.

Access to HPC products

All key documents produced by Humanitarian Country Teams as part of the programme cycle are available on this site, along with many other documents produced as part of humanitarian response. For ease of reference, the following links provide each discrete type of HPC document only:

In addition, this page provides direct access to the Global Humanitarian Overview and associated documents on humanitarian financing.