The State of Humanitarian Professions 2020

In 2019, Bioforce launched the State of Humanitarian Professions 2020 (SOHP) study based on one idea: the quality of humanitarian action is largely dependent on the quality and professionalism of the humanitarian workforce. With the support of Monaco’s International Cooperation Office and of an Advisory Group including Humanity & Inclusion, ALNAP, PHAP, CHS Alliance, NRC, WFP and ICRC, Bioforce has since drawn up the first international State of Humanitarian Professions.

Nearly 1,000 humanitarians have expressed their views during interviews, workshops in 10 countries, and in a large-scale survey. These initial findings were presented on November 17 2020 at an online conference attended by 566 humanitarian professionals from all continents who joined this platform for reflection and dialogue.

For the first time, these contributions provided quantified, measured and decisive information on 24 humanitarian professions recognised by the sector and made it possible to describe their evolution, the competencies they require, their level of professionalisation. More broadly, this massive consultation provided useful and shared information on recruitment practices and professional development in the humanitarian sector.