Online PDRM program

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The 2026 online, accredited, Participatory Disaster Risk Management (PDRM) program will be facilitated from the 27 July through to the 13 November 2026.  It consists of ten topics.

o             TC01:  Key Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Diagrams & Issues

o             TC02:  Natural Disaster Trends & Case Studies

o             TC03:   Humanitarian Attributes & Competencies

o             TC04:  Humanitarian Standards & Codes of Conduct

0             TC05:  The Ten Seed Technique (TST) Ranking Tool

o             TC06:  Risk Management

o             TC07:  Complex Emergencies & Asian Case Study & the 2020- 2023 COVID-19

Pandemic

o              TC 08: Complex Emergency Middle Eastern & African Case Studies

o             TC09:  DRM & Climate Change

o              TC10:  DRM & the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

There are three stages to this online 2026 PDRM:

0             Stage 1 Teaching:  Topics 1-5 from the 27 July to 28 August

o             Stage 2 Teaching:  Topics 6-10 from the 14 September to 16 October

o             Marking of Assignments & Feedback: 19 October to 13 November

The link to the online 2026 PDRM brochure is given below.

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The 2026 PDRM Registration Form, which includes details of costs, can be accessed from the link below. Note there is an Early Bird 5% discount for those who register and pay by the 31 May.

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The link to the 2026 PDRM assessment tasks is also given below.  This includes details of the Murdoch University staff who handle Advanced Standing details.

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An Overview of the PDRM is given here.

The course is designed for both Australian and international humanitarian and development practitioners, as well as Murdoch University Master level students.  A total of ten topics are on offer, and these are taught on a weekly basis, and in two blocks, from the 27 July to the 16 October 2026. Participants can choose either individual topics or the complete program.

The first couple of topics focus in on four key diagrams which help explain the key components of natural hazards and disasters across the Disaster Risk Management Cycle (DRMC). It includes regional examples, as well as the roles of maps/infographics and the media.

Topics TC03 and TC04 centre in on the ideal attributes and competencies of humanitarian practitioners, and the challenge for them working within a comprehensive framework of humanitarian standards and codes of conduct. Topics TC05 and TC06 focuses on the Ten Seed Technique (TST) used in Needs Analysis, and sees how this can be applied to the ISO 31000 risk management process.

Topics TC07 and TC08 focus in on the global overview of Complex Emergencies.  It analyses three  examples in more depth (in Asia, the Middle East and Africa), focussing in on the understanding of the background context; an update on the humanitarian situations; and the challenges for practitioners (and others) working within accepted humanitarian standards and codes of conduct.  Topic TC07 also includes a summary of the 2020-2023 COVID-19 pandemic.

Topic TC09 focuses in on the causes and effects of Climate Change.  Topic TC10 concludes by focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and analysing how these can be adversely affected by combinations of natural disasters, complex emergencies, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and bilateral and multilateral cuts to Overseas Development Assistance (ODA).

For further details of this online PDRM contact Chris Piper at chris@torqaid.com.

 

 

 

Train Like a Champion

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TorqAid has developed a ‘Train Like a Champion’ (TLC) short article for humanitarian and development practitioners.  This covers five teaching principles and twelve useful teaching tips. This is primarily for individuals who have had no formal teaching or training experience, but yet in their jobs are required to train or facilitate others. Follow the link below to this TLC ‘one pager’.

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These TLC teaching principles and tips are also included in Topic 04 (Humanitarian Attributes & Competencies) of the TorqAid Participatory Disaster Risk Management (PDRM) program. Follow the link below for both the upcoming online, accredited, PDRM training program, which is running from the end of July through to mid November 2026.

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Twelve Teaching Tips

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In order to become an effective teacher, trainer or facilitator, individuals ideally need a combination of the following:

  • A high standard of relevant academic, professional and/or technical expertise
  • An understanding of pedagogy and andagogy (adult learning) principles
  • Good personal and inter-personal attributes and skills
  • Good organisational skills
  • Good facilitation skills

TorqAid has produced a ‘one pager’ which summarises Twelve Teaching Tips which can contribute to an individual become a great teacher. Follow the link below for these Tips.

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This article can be found in the TorqAid Toolkit, a useful compendium of resources for the development or humanitarian practitioner. Follow the link below to the Toolkit.

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Project Management Cycle

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The Project Management Cycle (PMC) has been developed and, with input from PPM (see below) students, modified by TorqAid since 2002. This diagram illustrates the three key Stages of any community development project, namely Planning, Implementation, and Post-Implementation.  Enclosed below is a jpeg copy of the landscape version of the PMC, which can also be found at www.torqaid.com/resources.

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The PMC is a key tool in the teaching of the TorqAid accredited Participatory Project Management (PPM) workshop.  PPM is also one of the five key modules components of the accredited Disaster Risk Management (DRM) program.  Follow the links below for links to the generic PPM and DRM workshops.

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The PMC is also an essential tool in the development of the Project Design Document (PDD).  The PDD includes all the essential material required for a proposed project, and can be used for project proposals and submissions. Follow the link below for a link to the PDD template.

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TorqAid Toolkit

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The TorqAid Toolkit is a really useful, practical and easy-to-use resource for the development or humanitarian practitioner, tertiary/secondary student, or other interest individual.  It consists of two sections:

(1)  The accredited TorqAid Participatory Disaster Risk Management (PDRM) training program.  This covers ten topics and can be taught in either a face-to-face workshop, or as an online, format.

(2) Some key TorqAid Resources.  These include seven key items:

  • Personal reflections on Five Key Attributes (5KAs) of a Humanitarian & Development Practitioner
  • A Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Framework article
  • An article on ‘So What is Participatory Project Management (PPM)’?
  • A blog on the Ten Seed Technique (TST) ranking tool
  • Personal reflections on the topic ‘Train Like a Champion’
  • A Global Humanitarian & Development Agency Directory
  • A Global Humanitarian & Development Bibliography.

The link to the Toolkit (updated for January – March 2026) is given below:

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Much of this TorqAid Toolkit material is also covered in the 2026 online PDRM training program.  See the link below for this:

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Teach like a Champion

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Enclosed are twelve ‘Teach like a Champion’ (TLAC) teaching tips. One of the challenges facing development and humanitarian practitioners in the field is that they are invariably and regularly faced with teaching and capacity building situations. These tips are designed for those people who have not necessarily received any formal training in the art and science of teaching.

Click here to download the Teach like a Champion tips

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The TLAC tips are included in Module 9 (Final Comments) of the accredited Participatory Project Management (PPM) workship.  See the link below for this.

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Ten Seed Technique

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The Ten Seed Technique (TST) is a brilliant participatory ranking tool which can be used in both development and humanitarian situations.  It was extensively used by World Vision’s Dr Ravi Jayakaran in China and South-East.  A modified version of this has be used by TorqAid since 2002.

The TST is taught in Topic TC05 of the same name in the TorqAid Participatory Disaster Risk Management (PDRM) program.  It is further developed as a disaster risk management (DRM) tool in Topic TC06 (Risk Management).  See the link below for the 2026 online PDRM program.

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There are three stages to the TST process, these being Stage 1 (Brainstorming); Stage 2 (Scoring & Ranking); and Stage 3 (Analysis).

In the PDRM TC05, the TST has been used in the following scenarios and case studies:

  • As a management tool for a government health team working in remote locations across the Northern Territory, Australia
  • As a community development tool for work in West Bengal, India
  • As a country analysis of the social, environmental, political & economic landscape in Bhutan
  • In a classroom exercise with Murdoch University students in September 2024
  • In a Writers Group fun exercise in April 2025 discussing the topic ‘What makes a Good Story?’

The TST is also used in TC06 (Risk Management) in the following DRM scenarios.  In these cases,  hazards (some leading to potential disasters) are first identified (using the TST), with work then carried out on causes, effects, and possible risk reduction initiatives.

  • Hazards facing a village community in Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu
  • Hazards facing the Rohingya refugee communities in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh
  • Hazards facing communities across Bhutan

 

 

So what is Participatory Project Management (PPM)

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One of the key TorqAid diagrams mentioned in the TorqAid Disaster Risk Management (DRM) Diagrammatic Framework article is the Project Management Cycle (PMC). This article relates to Participatory Project Management (PPM) across the three stages of the PMC, namely Preparation, Implementation, and Post-implementation. Click here to download a comprehensive outline of PPM competencies.

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PPM is taught as part of the online Participatory Disaster Risk Management (PDRM) program – see the link below for the online accredited PPM program which is running from the end of July through to mid November 2026:

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