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Accountability in the humanitarian system

Accountability in the humanitarian system. Global Cluster Leads Donor Meeting April 21 st 2009. ALNAP – Who are we?. UN Members: UNICEF, FAO, UNHCR, OCHA, WHO, UNDP, WFP Red Cross Members: BRCS, ICRC, IFRC

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Accountability in the humanitarian system

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  1. Accountability in the humanitarian system Global Cluster Leads Donor Meeting April 21st 2009

  2. ALNAP – Who are we? UN Members: UNICEF, FAO, UNHCR, OCHA, WHO, UNDP, WFP Red Cross Members: BRCS, ICRC, IFRC Donors: AECID, AusAID, CIDA, Danida, DFID, ECHO, Germany, Irish Aid, JICA, Netherlands, Norad, Sida, Switzerland, USAID

  3. ALNAP who are we? (cont.) • NGOs; AAH, AHA, AIDMI, CAFOD, CARE, Christian Aid, CRS, DEC, DRC, FOCUS, HAP, ICVA, IRC, Mercy Malaysia, MSF Holland, NRC, OFADEC, Oxfam, People In Aid, ProVention, RedR, Save the Children US, SCHR, SPHERE, Tearfund, VOICE, World Vision • Academics and consultants: ODI, DARA, Tufts, ETC UK, Groupe URD, HFP, CENDEP, IECAH and 2 independent consultants

  4. ALNAP Vision: some key elements • … humanitarian assistance will be more systematic, and delivery will more closely reflect humanitarian principles, norms and codes. Active partnership with affected people, local administration and civil society groups will be more evident and will reflect an explicit recognition by the international community of the importance of local skills and knowledge. Humanitarian agencies will act accountably and will ensure that learning and change processes, including evaluations, are part of a commitment to continuous improvement. • Key ideas (interlinked and interdependent) • systematic and better coordinated delivery; • affected people at the heart of the response; • agencies acting accountably. `

  5. How have agencies tried to become more accountable? A combination of 3 broad approaches: (i) Improving participation of affected communities (ii) Developing codes, standards and principles (iii) Focusing on performance and results

  6. Approach 1: Improving participation - current initiatives Humanitarian Accountability Partnership: NGO membership committed to Quality Management Standard Collaborative Development Action: the Listening Project on views of affected populations Fritz Institute: use of beneficiary surveys Promotion of participatory evaluation methodologies Vulnerability and Capacity Assessment (VCA) through Red Cross Quality COMPAS – quality management approach Global Study on Participation – participatory techniques and monographs

  7. Approach 2: Codes, Standards and Principles Red Cross/Crescent NGO Code of Conduct. Debates about IHL and humanitarian principles (neutrality, independence and impartiality) after Rwanda genocide, Chechnya and Afghanistan International Disaster Response Law (IDRL) development of legal frameworks SPHERE: technical standards, sectoral approach People in Aid: promotion of HR best practice HAP Standard mentioned previously is a standard focusing on participation

  8. Approach 3: Performance and Results • Evaluations – OECD-DAC Criteria • ALNAP Evaluations • Impact assessments, innovations • Humanitarian Performance Project (HPP) • Results based management • Quality approaches – Compas, EFQM and ISO 9000 • Emergency Capacity Building Project (ECB) • Good enough guide

  9. What tools are out there that the clusters might consider? • Participation • HAP standard • Codes, Standards and Principles • SPHERE Indicators– updated version due for publication • Red Cross/Crescent Code of Conduct • People in Aid Code of Best Practice • (IHL; Refugee Law; Human Rights Law; International Disaster Response Law; ALNAP and ICRC Guides to Protection) • Performance and Results • ALNAP Guide to applying OECD DAC Criteria in Humanitarian Assistance • Quality COMPAS • ECB Good Enough Guide

  10. Key questions for today: What are the common functions of the clusters? • Cannot determine common accountability frameworks without identifying common functions across the clusters • Exploring accountability presents valuable opportunity to revisit rationale and modus operandi • Clusters are collaborative mechanisms and therefore a ‘network’ approach may be useful in identifying key common functions • ALNAP-ODI-ICVA work on network functions

  11. Networks perform 6 functions (overlapping, non-exclusive). Possible questions: which of these are priorities for the clusters? What is the appropriate balance in different contexts? How is the balance maintained over time? Filters Learning / Facilitators Community builders Investor/providers Amplifiers Convenors

  12. Key questions for today, once functions are determined: What would an accountable cluster look like? • Three underlying questions: • What are the priorities of cluster accountability with respect to • affected population • principles and values • performance and results? • How can cluster accountability mechanisms (collective) be balanced and streamlined with single agency accountability mechanisms • How can cluster accountability support and reinforce (a) ongoing cluster development (b) other reform initiatives?

  13. Recap • Intro to ALNAP • Three models of accountability • Possible tools and techniques • Key questions • common cluster functions • Accountability priorities and modalities

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