In early 2018, the award-winning UK training company Walkgrove Ltd commissioned Word Smiths to work on a project to develop an integrated training support package for the ALERT consortium, led by HelpAge International.

ALERT is an information management system that improves disaster preparedness. It helps humanitarian agencies to respond with greater speed, efficiency and effectiveness, before and immediately after a disaster strikes.

We reviewed and re-worked existing training materials to produce a variety of resources for two training events:

• A four day course for organisations which do not already have well-established processes for emergency preparedness

• A three-day course for organisations which do already have well-established processes for emergency preparedness.

Working closely with the HelpAge team, we produced facilitator guides, participant packs, Powerpoint slides and a number of other resources for both these courses.

At the end of the project, which took three months to complete, we received this feedback from HelpAge International

• ”Thank you very much indeed for all the hard work on this. You've done a great job.”

• Its been an absolute pleasure to work with you . Thank you for the extremely high quality output! We're all very proud of this work which will continue to have impact in the humanitarian sector.”

• Again, thanks a lot for all the effort put in the ALERT's training material. We believe that it will help the sustainability of the platform once the project is over and participate to its greater impact on the humanitarian sector and organisations' opportunities to save lives.”