Responding to Level 3 Emergencies: The Humanitarian Programme Cycle

This paper seeks to provide senior managers and decision makers in the field and at
Headquarters with a clear overview of the humanitarian programme cycle, its various parts and
how they interact. While it must be applied in all types of emergencies1, aspects of it may need
to be streamlined in the early days of a volatile, rapidly changing Level 32 crisis, when speed of
response is critical. The paper therefore seeks to clarify how the cycle is to be applied in such a
crisis. This paper will be complemented by a reference module setting out additional details on
each of the cycle’s component parts, as well as the tools (e.g. Multi-Sector Initial Rapid
Assessment (MIRA), Consolidated Appeal (CAP), Flash Appeal, etc.) and guidance that exist to
support the implementation of the cycle. The paper will be revised and updated as the
components and tools are refined.