InterAction 3 June 2005

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InterAction3 June 2005

• Jonathan Potter
• Executive Director
• People In Aid
• www.peopleinaid.org

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(No Transcript)
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Session brief says.

• Further, international accountability movements
  such as the Humanitarian Accountability Project
  (HAP), AccountAbility and People In Aid also want
  to develop and enforce standards for the
  humanitarian sector.
• .

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BOND- British Overseas NGOs for Development

• The case for such ideas codes is normally
  based on the following
• - Desire for self-improvement within the sector
• - Recognition of the increasing momentum outside
  the sector for regulation and accountability
• - Accusations of poor practice or standards.
• In the case of the UK, there has been little of
  the negative press for NGOs seen in the US. While
  there is a review of government regulation and
  legal frameworks under way, these carry much less
  intense demands for external scrutiny than those
  in the US. So there is not so strong a case in
  the UK for standards and codes as a means of
  defense. Given a broadly positive framework for
  regulation set by the government's Charity
  Commission, this means that any codes we develop
  would probably be largely based on our own wish
  for self-improvement.

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• In a situation where humanitarian demand
  outstrips supply, the international aid system
  tends to drive down consumer rights and the
  industry seeks to absolve itself from
  responsibility for failings and gaps in the
  system in order to reduce the disparity between
  what it should achieve and what it does achieve.
• SCHR project proposal September 1996

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• there is a fear that we will be held accountable
  where we have been unable to provide services to
  standard, due to circumstances beyond our
  control . Better, as those best placed to
  understand such circumstances, that the
  humanitarian sector be involved in developing the
  systems
• Aidworker, May 05

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• I will follow that system of regimen which,
  according to my ability and judgment, I consider
  for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from
  whatever is deleterious and mischievous Into
  whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for
  the benefit of the sick, and will abstain from
  every voluntary act of mischief and corruption

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• Stricter compliance requirements with regard to
  clarity of purpose, performance, governance and
  transparency and reporting may cause the ranking,
  combination or even disappearance of some NGOs
• Oxford Analytica
• Forbes magazine 5 April 2005

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Reporting to who?

• Legal and tax authorities
• Board of Trustees
• In-country officialdom
• Funders
• Beneficiaries
• Staff
• Peer network

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• One of the central factors in the success of
  humanitarian action has been the dedication of
  staff ordinary people doing extraordinary
  things, despite working in disenabling
  bureaucracies.
• We urge you to remember that well-managed and
  supported staff and volunteers are key to
  achieving your mission cost-efficiently and
  effectively.

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The Humanitarian Accountability Partnership -
International

• The objective of the partnership (currently of 11
  NGOs) is to recognise and promote quality
  management of humanitarian action through an
  entirely voluntary self-regulatory scheme
  accessible to all interested organisations.
• HAP-I is against coercive, donor/state driven
  standardisation, but we fear that is exactly what
  we will get unless the industry itself tackles
  the quality assurance issue in general, the
  accountability deficit in our relations with
  those we seek to assist in particular.
• HAP-I's focus is upon making humanitarian action
  accountable to its intended beneficiaries, and
  through this to improve the cost-effectiveness of,
  and ultimately support for, our partners and
  participating agencies.

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• In Dóchas view, the key to regulation of the
  non-profit sector lies in a combination of
  Government regulation, Government support and
  self-regulation by the non-profit sector.
• Dóchas, Dublin May 05

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The Red Cross/NGO Code of Conduct

• Is crucial to fundamental questions about who we
  are and why humanitarian organisations act as
  they do. We need to get back to an
  understanding of what type of organisations we
  are. Are we driven by the need to survive, or to
  provide assistance that keeps a moral ethic
  running through our work?
• Peter Walker, Hague Conference on the Code,
  September 2004

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Thank you !

• www.peopleinaid.org
• Jonathan_at_peopleinaid.org

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Good questions!

• NGOs ask, where will this take us?
• How many different sets of standards will we
  face?
• To whom must we report?