Chapter 2: Roadmap to Using the ASRH Toolkit

The Toolkit provides practical guidance to assist sexual and reproductive health (SRH) humanitarian staff and organizations in designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH) activities, with the ultimate goal of increasing access to and delivery of SRH services for adolescents in emergency contexts. The Toolkit will also assist organizations and their staff, in collaboration with national implementing partners (government offices, community-based organizations, local non-governmental organizations [NGOs], etc), to invest in local capacity, as well as health system strengthening. The Toolkit is a complementary resource to the Inter-Agency Field Manual (IAFM) on Reproductive Health in Humanitarian Settings (IAFM) and the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Sexual and Reproductive Health in Crisis Situations. The first iteration of the Toolkit was in 2012; the main updates to the 2020 Toolkit version include:

1. increased emphasis on meaningful participation of adolescents and community members throughout the program cycle and across the emergency-to-development continuum;
2. added prioritization of integrating ASRH activities across all humanitarian sectors;
3. and a shift from stand-alone ASRH projects to more holistic programming.

All of the updates to the Toolkit align with the changes made to the IAFM in 2018. In accordance with IAFM’s Chapter 6 on ASRH, the programming modalities, intervention activities, and project guidance discussed in this Toolkit are based on the current evidence base and emerging best practices for initiating and scaling up ASRH programs—using a human-centered approach. The revised Toolkit also adds guidance on data for action and management tools for program and field managers to utilize when implementing ASRH activities.

A depository of all ASRH activities, interventions, and programs from across the world. However, the Toolkit does provide guidance on the necessary components to include in ASRH activities and programs, as well as tools and links to several ASRH intervention resources and tips.

The ASRH Toolkit was originally developed in 2009 by Save the Children and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) as a companion to the IAFM. Since 2009, there has been an increase in evidence and knowledge acquired from the field. Thus, in 2019, the IAWG ASRH Sub-Working Group began revising the original ASRH Toolkit for Humanitarian Settings in accordance with changes to the IAFM (2018) and MISP (2019) and the release of Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action’s ‘Guidelines on Working with and for Young People in Humanitarian and Protracted Crises’ (2020).

SRH coordinators and managers in humanitarian settings are the primary audiences for the 2020 ASRH Toolkit for Humanitarian Settings. These include, but are not limited to, individuals from youth organizations and networks, local and international NGOs, government entities, UN agencies, and private institutions. However, other health professionals, such as service providers (doctors, nurses, midwives) and non-health humanitarian staff, such as case management coordinators, will also find useful information about a range of SRH issues affecting adolescents in emergency settings.

The Toolkit includes nine chapters, as well as annexed tools, a resource table, and alphabetized lists of all sources cited throughout the Toolkit, which are organized by chapter.¹ As the above roadmap shows, the chapters are color-coded and chapter links are provided at the start of each chapter for quick navigation. The Toolkit also includes several breakout boxes to draw readers’ attention to important messages, considerations, and case studies. For key messages and implementation considerations, readers will find these in this color box. For case studies, readers will find these in this color box. For links to additional guidance or resources, readers will be taken to the resource table, where a short description, citation, and link to the resource is included.

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Please note, links to other chapters within the toolkit will not work in Chapter PDFs. Instead, download the full PDF.

• Every Woman Every Child. (2017). Technical Guidance for Prioritizing Adolescent Health. Retrieved from https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNFPA_EWEC_Report_EN_WEB.pdf
• Harper C & Steiner R. (2018). Using the Social-Ecological Model to Improve Access to Care for Adolescents and Young Adults. Retrieved from https://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(18)30121-6/pdf
• IAWG. (2018). Inter-Agency Field Manual on Reproductive Health in Humanitarian Settings. Retrieved from https://iawgfieldmanual.com/
• IAWG. (2018). Quick Reference for the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH). Retrieved from https://iawg.net/resources/misp-reference
• Michielsen K, De Meyer S, Ivanova O, et al. (2016). Reorienting adolescent sexual and reproductive health research: reflections from an international conference. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-016-0117-0
• OCHA. (2020). Humanitarian Response: Humanitarian Program Cycle. Retrieved from https://www.humanitarianresponse.info/en/programme-cycle/space
• Schlecht J, Lee C, Kerner B, et al. (2017). Prioritizing programming to address the needs and risks of very young adolescents: a summary of findings across three humanitarian settings. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-017-0126-9
• Task Force 1 of The Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action, IASC Guidelines on Working with and for Young People in Humanitarian and Protracted Crises, UNICEF and the Norwegian Refugee Council, 2020. https://www.youthcompact.org/action-1-services
• The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action. (2019). Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action. Standard 18 Case Management: Standards to Develop Adequate Strategies. Retrieved from https://handbook.spherestandards.org/?handbook=CPMS&lang=english&chapter_id=ch006§ion_id=ch006_006&match=Case%20management
• Tolboom B, Van de Kwaak A & Sondorp E. (2019). Access to Quality Sexual and Reproductive Health for People Affected by Crisis and Fragility: Narrative Review. Retrieved by https://share-netinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/narrative-review-acces-to-SRHR-quality-services.pdf
• UNFPA & Save the Children. (2009). Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Toolkit for Humanitarian Settings: A companion to the Inter-Agency Field Manual on Reproductive health in Humanitarian Settings. Retrieved from https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/UNFPA_ASRHtoolkit_english.pdf
• UNFPA. (2019). Unbroken: Stories of Syrian adolescent girls. Retrieved from https://syria.unfpa.org/en/publications/unbroken-stories-syrian-adolescent-girls-0
• UNHCR. Emergency Handbook: Humanitarian Program Cycle (IASC). Retrieved from https://emergency.unhcr.org/entry/41752/humanitarian-programme-cycle-iasc
• WHO & UNAIDS. (2015). Global Standards for Quality Reproductive Health Care for Adolescents. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/global-standards-adolescent-care/en/
• WRC, Save the Children, UNHCR, et al. (2012). Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive health Programs in Humanitarian Settings: An In-depth Look at Family Planning Services. Retrieved from https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/resource-pdf/AAASRH_good_practice_documentation_English_FINAL.pdf
• WRC, UNFPA, Save the Children, et al. (2013). Improving Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health Programs in Humanitarian Settings. Retrieved from https://www.womensrefugeecommission.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ASRH_summary_2-pager-new.pdf