Humanitarian Accountability and Quality Management

Transcription

1 1 July 2010 Härnösand, Sweden Humanitarian Accountability and Quality Management

2 Outline 1. Accountability to beneficiaries 2. Humanitarian Quality and Accountability Initiatives 3. Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International (HAP)

3 Accountability making humanitarian action accountable to beneficiaries Involves proactive and retrospective components: Taking account of the views of others Accounting for your actions

4 Accountability as defined by HAP "Accountability is the means by which power is used responsibly" (HAP) Accountability is about the right to a say and the duty to respond An accountable organisation manages the quality of its products and services, and strives to continuously improve these for the benefit of its customers, clients or beneficiaries.

5 Humanitarian Quality and Accountability Initiatives

6 Tracking the emergence of the quality and accountability initiatives SCHR 1971 Voluntary alliance, now of 9 of the largest organisations Began peer review in 2003 Code of Conduct (1994): Principle 9 we will hold ourselves accountable to those we seek to assist and from those we accept resources People in Aid 1995 Improving human resource management in the sector, including staff consultation and capacity building and training Today has about 100 members ALNAP Sector-wide active learning membership network to improve Q&A by sharing lessons, identifying common problems and building consensus Sphere Project Humanitarian Charter, guidance notes in 4 sectors Today 16 member board and a learning programme

7 More recent initiatives One World Trust Global accountability and international law think tank Good humanitarian donorship 2003 Principles of accountability and assessment Quality COMPAS a quality assurance method developed by Groupe URD. Tsunami Evaluation Coalition TEC members (UN-research-donors-NGO) Key message #1: ownership and accountability to affected populations Emergency Capacity Building Project (ECB) international agencies working together on how best to put existing standards, codes and principles into practice.

8 Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International (HAP)

9 Humanitarian Accountability Partnership HAP, established in 2003, is a partnership of member agencies that share a commitment to making humanitarian action accountable to disaster survivors Objectives: Promote greater accountability Support members through capacity building Set standards of accountability Monitor and certify compliance of members through certification Handle complaints against members

10 The HAP Standard comprises: Foreword Introduction HAP Accountability Principles Brief history Qualifying norms for certification Key definitions Humanitarian Covenant Principles for humanitarian action Outline of Benchmarks Working with partners Benchmarks for the HAP Standard

11 and designed to be realistic and supportive

12 Benchmark 1 (Commitments): The agency shall establish a humanitarian quality management system Benchmark 2 (Information Sharing): making humanitarian action accountable to beneficiaries The agency shall make the following information publicly available to intended beneficiaries, disaster-affected communities, agency staff and other specified stakeholders: (a) organisational background; (b) humanitarian accountability framework; (c) humanitarian plan; (d) progress reports; and (e) complaints handling procedures Benchmark 3 (Beneficiary Participation): The agency shall enable beneficiaries and their representatives to participate in programme decisions and seek their informed consent Benchmark 4 (Staff Competence): The agency shall determine the competencies, attitudes and development needs of staff required to implement its humanitarian quality management system Benchmark 5 (Complaints and Response Mechanism): The agency shall establish and implement complaints-handling procedures that are effective, accessible and safe for intended beneficiaries, disaster-affected communities, agency staff, humanitarian partners and other specified bodies Benchmark 6 (Continual Improvement): The agency shall establish a process of continual improvement for its humanitarian accountability framework and humanitarian quality management system

13 HAP certification offers the sector A more informed choice for staff, volunteers, partner agencies, donors and disaster survivors Enhanced credibility and standing of certified agencies Strengthening of accountability and professionalism HAP certification is: Applicable regardless of agency size, place of origin, operational or partner-based Available to all agencies who meet the qualifying norms

14 Progress to date Agencies certified against the HAP Standard: 2007: OFADEC, Danish Refugee Council and MERCY Malaysia certified. 2008: DanChurchAid and Tearfund certified. 2009: CAFOD and Christian Aid certified, and UNHCR completed two HAP baselines. 2010: Concern Worldwide certified, Danish Refugee Council re-certified, OFADEC and MERCY Malaysia currently in the process of review. More than 20 organisations baseline analyses, including PMU Interlife, Oxfam America, ACT Alliance, CARE International, ACTED etc.

15 Progress to date Present: HAP Standard Review Purpose to capture learning from its application over the past two years to incorporate emerging good practice on accountability and quality management Result an improved mission-critical, affordable and measurable HAP 2010 Standard along with new guidance materials on how to implement the Standard

16 Experience to date Certification requires leadership and agencywide support Does not need specialists, but they can help, especially in some areas Complaints handling and working with partners poses greatest challenge to most agencies (the drafted revised HAP Standard has focused particular emphasis on improving these two areas.

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