▁for ▁providing ▁human itar ian ▁assistance . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁pre lim inary ▁conclus ions ▁of ▁the ▁multi - don or ▁J oint ▁E valu ation ▁of ▁Emer gency ▁Ass istance ▁to ▁R w anda ▁were ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁performance ▁of ▁human itar ian ▁ag encies ▁in ▁the ▁Great ▁L akes ▁crisis . ▁A ▁number ▁of ▁ag encies ▁felt ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁time ▁to ▁get ▁their ▁own ▁houses ▁in ▁order ▁and ▁expl ored ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁form ulating ▁standards ▁for ▁human itar ian ▁response . ▁ ▁Original ▁spons ors ▁and ▁obser vers ▁Sim ult ane ously , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁discuss ions ▁were ▁taking ▁place ▁within ▁Inter Action ▁and ▁the ▁Ste ering ▁Committee ▁for ▁Human itar ian ▁Response ▁( S CH R ) ▁about ▁a ▁project ▁for ▁setting ▁standards . ▁ ▁The ▁members ▁of ▁both ▁organizations ▁decided ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁be ▁a ▁good ▁idea ▁to ▁pool ▁their ▁resources ▁and ▁set ▁up ▁a ▁joint ▁project . ▁ ▁Thus , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁the ▁S phere ▁Project ▁was ▁set ▁up ▁with ▁a ▁management ▁committee ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁represent atives ▁from ▁each ▁of ▁the ▁S CH R ▁members ▁and ▁represent atives ▁from ▁Inter Action . ▁ ▁More ▁than ▁ 2 5 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁funds ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁phase ▁of ▁the ▁project ▁came ▁from ▁the ▁member ▁ag encies ▁of ▁the ▁management ▁committee ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁from ▁a ▁few ▁government ▁don ors . ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁beginning , ▁three ▁obser vers ▁were ▁invited ▁to ▁fully ▁particip ate ▁in ▁the