All Humanitarian Standards Partnership (HSP) handbooks are available for free – in multiple languages – as downloadable PDFs, online via the Interactive Handbook, and on your phone using the HSP App.
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Handbooks
Some HSP handbooks – those with “Buy” buttons below – are available for sale as printed books. To otherwise acquire printed copies or print copies for yourself, please contact the corresponding HSP partners.
Sphere Handbook: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response
The Sphere Handbook includes the HSP foundation texts and technical standards covering Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion (WASH); Nutrition and Food security; Shelter and Settlement; and Health. Printed Sphere Handbooks are for sale in at least 15 languages. Visit Sphere’s buy page for ordering information. Some language versions are available from more than one distributor.
Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS)
The CPMS handbook equips humanitarians seeking to protect children effectively with the most comprehensive and up-to-date best practice so they can deliver professional programs. The CPMS handbook is for sale in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
Humanitarian inclusion standards for older people and people with disabilities (HIS)
The HIS handbook sets out essential actions that humanitarian actors must take in order to effectively identify and respond to the needs and rights of older persons and persons with disabilities who are most at risk of being left behind in humanitarian settings.
Minimum Standard for Market Analysis (MISMA)
The objective of the MISMA is to guide the work of humanitarian practitioners across sectors and to ensure that, irrespective of the tool used, the key standard of market analysis is being met.
Minimum Standards for Camp Management (MSCM)
The MSCM handbook describes the minimum actions needed to support meaningful engagement within a site as well as planning and coordination between sectors and agencies. The handbook aims to clarify the role of any site management agency working on a daily basis in humanitarian settings and to set out minimum levels of quality for that work.
Minimum Standards for Education: Preparedness, Response, Recovery
The Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies’ (INEE) Minimum Standards for Education handbook aims to enhance
the quality of educational preparedness, response and recovery, increase access to safe and relevant learning opportunities, and ensure accountability in providing these services.
Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS)
The LEGS handbook provides standards and guidance for livestock-based emergency response, covering destocking, veterinary support, feed, water, livestock shelter, and provision of livestock, supported by participatory planning tools.
The LEGS handbook 3rd edition (2023) is for sale in English. (The 2nd edition is for sale in English, French and Spanish; and the first edition is for sale in Arabic.)
Minimum Economic Recovery Standards (MERS)
The MERS handbook offers tools for humanitarian agencies, inter-governmental
organizations, local populations and government departments to enhance the effectiveness and quality of the economic assistance offered, and thus make a significant difference in the lives of the people affected by disasters. The MERS handbook is for sale in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.
Standards for Supporting Crop-related Livelihoods in Emergencies (SEADS)
The SEADS handbook provides international principles and minimum standards that support people responding to a humanitarian crisis to design, implement, and evaluate crop-related crisis responses.
Download the HSP App
The free HSP app allows you to access and search across multiple handbooks even when no internet connection is available: documents are downloaded while you are online and stored on your phone or tablet.
