Know your Commitments: CHS Card Game

Facilitator Guide · Online workshops and classroom settings

This short guide helps facilitators use the CHS Card Game to strengthen understanding of the nine Core Humanitarian Standard commitments and their requirements. The game uses realistic community-based scenarios so participants practise applying the CHS in ways that respect the rights and dignity of people affected by crisis.

1. Purpose

The game helps participants:

Recognise which CHS commitment and requirement best match a given situation
Discuss good practice and precautionary cases in a safe, interactive way
Build shared understanding across teams, partners and community representatives

2. Before the session

Open the game in a modern browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari).
For group play, create a Live Session room and share the link or room code (via Zoom chat, email or screen).
Decide whether to use Shuffle All Commitments or focus on one commitment only.
Review the scenarios you plan to use. Facilitators and auditors may add their own scenarios through the Facilitator Scenario Builder. Ensure they are accurately linked to the correct requirement.

Tip: In online workshops, share your screen and let one person control the game while others discuss. Or invite participants to join the same live room so everyone sees the same scenario and answer in real time.

3. Running a round (step by step)

Read the scenario aloud (or ask a participant to read it). Note whether it is labelled Scenario: Good Practice or Scenario: Precautionary Cases.
Ask participants which Commitment (1–9) they think applies. Invite brief reasons.
Open the chosen commitment petal and review the requirements together.
Participants select the requirement they believe is the best match (click the card).
Click Reveal Answer. Celebrate correct matches; for incorrect ones, discuss why another requirement fits better.
Use the discussion to explore: What would this look like in our context? Who needs to be involved? What risks must we avoid?

4. Facilitation tips

→ Keep rounds short (5–8 minutes) so several scenarios can be covered.
→ Encourage quieter voices; the game works well in pairs or small groups before plenary.
→ Link answers back to the official CHS wording and to participants’ own programmes.
→ For precautionary cases, focus on learning (“What could have been done differently?”) rather than blame.
→ In classroom settings, project the game and use printed CHS commitment cards if helpful.
→ In online settings, use breakout rooms for small-group discussion, then return to the shared live session to reveal the answer.

5. After the game

Invite participants to note one commitment or requirement they will apply more deliberately in their next planning or review cycle. Remind them that the CHS is available in multiple languages at corehumanitarianstandard.org/languages.