The Sphere Project P. O. Box 372 1211 Geneva 19 – Switzerland TEL: (41 22) 730.4501 FAX: (41 22) 730.4905 E-MAIL: info@sphereproject.org www.sphereproject.org
Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response
SPHERE PROJECT BOARD
WORLD VISION INTERNATIONAL CHAIR ACBAR (AGENCY COORDINATING BODY FOR AFGHAN RELIEF) ACTIONAID INTERNATIONAL (ICVA) ACTION BY CHURCHES TOGETHER (ACT) AKTION DEUTSCHLAND HILFT (ADH) CARE INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF VOLUNTARY AGENCIES (ICVA) INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION RED CROSS RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES (IFRC) INTERACTION
INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE (INTERACTION)
Geneva, 22 January 2009
To any agency or network interested in joining the new Board of the Sphere Project: Dear NGO colleagues, I am writing to invite NGO families, networks or federations that are interested to support the future of the Sphere Project, to apply for membership of the Sphere Board. The Sphere Board has a few vacant places at present and therefore decided to reopen the application process as from 23 January 2009. The closing date for applications is 15 April 2009. Board membership is open to NGO (non governmental organization) networks or families that are committed to the effective use and promotion of Sphere, and that fit the criteria as listed in the information on Sphere’s governance structure (document 2. below). We expect the NGOs to designate a representative who is able to attend meetings of the Board. Full details are given in the membership package (http://www.sphereproject.org/content/view/469/32/lang,english/): 1. 2. 3. 4. This letter of invitation from the Chair of the Sphere Board Sphere Project Governance Structure, January 2009 Terms of Reference of the Sphere Board Chair, January 2009 An application form.
LUTHERAN WORLD FEDERATION (LWF) OXFAM INTERNATIONAL ( INTERMÓN) POLICY ACTION GROUP ON
EMERGENCY RESPONSE (PAGER)
SALVATION ARMY SAVE THE CHILDREN ALLIANCE PROJECT OFFICE ALISON JOYNER - PROJECT MANAGER VERÓNICA FOUBERT - TRAINING MANAGEMENT ANINIA NADIG – MATERIALS AND
PROMOTION MANAGEMENT
Applications should be sent by email to: hani.eskandar@ifrc.org, by fax to + 41 22 730 4905, or by post to The Sphere Project, Box 372, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland. Initial receipt of applications is being handled by the Sphere Project, but all decisions on membership applications will be taken by the Sphere Board. Background information on the Sphere Board Since April 2005, the Sphere Project has in place a new Governance Structure, based on consultations held during 2004 to determine the future of the Project (see http://www.sphereproject.org/content/view/99/68/lang,English/ for details). As a result, the previous ‘Sphere Management Committee’ was replaced by the ‘Sphere Board’, with an emphasis on broadening geographical representation and on extending the practical experience of implementing Sphere in different contexts. The Board now includes NGO networks based in Afghanistan, as well as international networks and families based in Europe and in North-America. The wider group of agencies brings a more global
HANI ESKANDAR - KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT LYDIA BEAUQUIS – ADMINISTRATION & FINANCES LAURA LOPEZ-BECH – TRAINING & PROMOTION SUPPORT
perspective to the field-level realities of crisis response, and additional areas of expertise and know-how. We are convinced that this expanded, more diverse, Board is vital to the aim of driving the project more firmly into the heart of humanitarian action. In addition, the Sphere Board is committed to contributing enough financial resources to run a small 'core' office. This forms the bed-rock of the project, while donor funds are sought for additional staff and activities. This means that the Project is sustainable independently of donor contributions, through the commitments of those agencies and networks that oversee it. This is a demonstration of our on-going conviction that quality and accountability continue to be key priorities for the humanitarian sector We recognize however that this financial independence implies a significant burden on many agencies. As a result, in June 2006 the Board agreed to introduce a multi-tier system of payments, ranging from USD 2,000 to 18,000 per year depending on the annual turnover of the organization concerned. This system is designed to allow even very small agencies to be members of the Sphere Board (see Sphere Project Governance Structure, January 2007, for full details). On a practical note, I should point out that all Board meetings (two per year) and communications are conducted in English. Unfortunately there is currently no provision for translation/interpretation facilities for Board representatives, who therefore need to be able to operate in English. I wish you well in your deliberations on your potential role in the Sphere Project's future. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss your application for membership of the Board, please don’t hesitate to contact me (Ton van Zutphen, Chair, Sphere Board ton_van_zutphen@wvi.org, tel: + 41 22 798 41 83) or Hani Eskandar, the Sphere Project Senior Officer Knowledge and Information (hani.eskandar@ifrc.org, tel.: + 41 22 730 4887). With best regards,
Ton van Zutphen World Vision International; Chair, Sphere Board