NGO Accountability

1
NGO Accountability and Good Governance From
the Donors Point of View
2
NGO Accountability and Governance From the
Donors Point of View

• Donors are interested in
• organizational aspects
• Are there both executive and governance
  structures?
• Are they separated?
• Is the oversight real, not only symbolic?
• Is it clear who makes what, who is responsible
  for what?
• Is NGO staff aware of and does it respect the
  above mentioned?
• financial aspects and transparency
• Are there effective budgeting and fiscal systems
  at place?
• Is there an effective oversight over financial
  issues?
• Is the NGO transparent?

3
NGO Accountability and Governance From the
Donors Point of View

• Standard tools for finding out
• registration documents and statutes
• budgets and financial statements
• names of statutory representatives and staff
• annual reports, audited statements
• other promotional materials and web
• ? verification by the signature of the statutory
  representative
• And also,
• direct contacts with the NGO
• soft knowledge

4
NGO Accountability and Governance From the
Donors Point of View

• Additional tools for finding out
• planning documents
• organizational charts
• written statements from the management and/or
  Board
• And, above all,
• direct contacts with the NGO
• soft knowledge

5
NGO Accountability and Governance From the
Donors Point of View

What can donors realistically find out? ?
Are there both executive and governance
structures? ? Are they separated? ? Is the
oversight real, not only symbolic? ? Is it clear
who makes what, who is responsible for what? ?
Is NGO staff aware of and does it respect the
above mentioned? ? Are there effective budgeting
and fiscal systems? ? Is there an effective
oversight over financial issues? ? Does the
NGO want to be transparent? ? Is it really
transparent?

6
NGO Accountability and Governance From the
Donors Point of View

• Intervene, or not to intervene?
• That is the question...
• Donor has no right to intervene into the
  internal organizational life of grantees,
• BUT
• Donor could and should strive to influence the
  overall environment - e.g. through
• establishing and promoting standards of good
  practice
• making explicit what the minimum standards are
• setting conditions reflecting these aspects in
  grant rounds
• ? ? ?

7
NGO Accountability and Governance From the
Donors Point of View

• How can donors help NGOs?
• through funding individual NGOs
• institutional grants
• general support grants and/or funding for
  overheads
• technical assistance grants
• through funding overall capacity
• trainings, consultancy etc.
• experience-sharing, networking
• information and publication activities
• And, above all, through
• providing their own good example
• providing encouragement and advice whenever
  possible