PLEASE NOTE: User comments are only accepted on the English interface of the Sphere Handbook for the moment. We hope to be able to accept comments on other language versions in the coming months.

• First of all, go to the Interactive Handbook English homepage. If you don’t have a user account, click on the profile icon at the top-right of the page to create one. You will receive a password by email (don’t forget to check your spam folder if it doesn’t appear in your inbox). Once you’ve set up your account, you can sign in.
• You can now click on the speech bubble icon to show or hide the comments panel.
• To submit your input, highlight or double-click on the text relevant to your comment. A dialogue box will pop up.
• Use the drop-down menus to select public or private visibility and the comment type. A public comment is sent to Sphere experts for validation and, if accepted, is made visible to all users. A private note is not shared with Sphere and only visible to you.
• You may write your comment in English, Arabic, French or Spanish. Once you are done typing, click on “submit for approval” to save your comment.

We welcome any of the following:

• Comments supported by evidence or a newly published resource that challenge or support handbook content
• Examples of good practice, such as success stories relevant to a particular standard or key action
• Notifications of typos or translation errors, which we will resolve as quickly as possible.

You can also share your own opinions and experiences, which we will review on a case-by-case basis.

Our expert will assess each comment or resource to verify that it is eligible to become public, based on five criteria:

• Document design and clarity
• Rigour of methodology
• Quality of information
• Credibility of findings
• The comment is generally applicable and/or supports the implementation of a standard in a specific local context.

Individual opinions and experiences should be well supported and add value for other users of the Interactive Handbook.

“The standards are informed by available evidence and humanitarian experience. They present best practice based on broad consensus.”
– Sphere Handbook 2018

One of Sphere’s major contributions to the humanitarian sector is to bring the collective wisdom of thousands of practitioners together in each new edition of the handbook. More than 2,000 people submitted more than 4,500 comments during the last revision in 2017-2018.

Your learning and expertise and the resources you create help to shape global humanitarian standards and the way we respond to current and future crises. The content of the print versions of the handbooks will not change until the next edition, but we are committed to keeping online discussions ongoing at all times. Now that we have the technology to do so, please start sending us your contributions.