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Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International
Formation2003
Legal statusNon-profit organization
HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
Websitewww.hapinternational.org

Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International (HAP International) is the humanitarian sector's first international self-regulatory body, working towards the promotion of "Humanitarian Accountability". Its work is based on the findings of the Humanitarian Accountability Project, the 2001 inter-agency action research initiative, as well as the Joint Evaluation of the International Response to the Genocide in Rwanda.[1][2] HAP International is involved in identifying, testing and recommending alternative accountability approaches and mechanisms, and “is dedicated to making humanitarian action accountable to its intended beneficiaries: those people whose lives are at risk due to armed conflict or other calamitous events.” [3]

Humanitarian Accountability

HAP International, along with other Quality and Accountability Initiatives,[4] has been key in defining the concept of "Humanitarian Accountability", which has been much debated by the international humanitarian community. There is a focus on two principles and mechanisms: those by which individuals, organizations and States account for their actions and are held responsible for them, and those by which they may safely and legitimately report concerns, complaints and get redress where appropriate.[5][6] The simple definition of accountability in a general sense is the responsible use of power, while “accountability in humanitarian situations means that the power to help in situations of conflict and disaster is exercised responsibly.[7] When implemented, it means that survivors of war or disaster are able to influence decisions about the help they receive and can complain if they feel the “helping power” was not exercised well.” [8][9]

British Minister says HAP is essential for improving international humanitarian responses[10]

On the 7th of October 2008 during a UNHCR Executive Committee meeting, British International Development Minister, Gareth Thomas, highlighted the achievements being made across the sector and commended all humanitarian agencies for the vital role they play in saving lives and assisting the world’s most vulnerable.

Mr. Thomas added, however, I also want to challenge anyone who thinks the task of reform is complete. It isn’t. Yes - we have come a long way. But we have much further to go. He went on to say that there were, in his view, five “key elements essential for improving the international humanitarian response – and finishing the job we started in 2004”, including greater accountability. It is here that Mr Thomas argues that:

Agencies urgently need to put in place standardised monitoring arrangements. And where accountability mechanisms already exist - such as the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International – we must use them more systematically. (emphasis added)

To read the Minister's full speech visit the DFID website[2]

The 2008 Humanitarian Accountability Report

The 2008 Humanitarian Accountability Report [11] , published by HAP International, this year's Humanitarian Accountability Report reviews the progress made towards strengthening accountability norms and practices in the humanitarian sector, including an overview of Humanitarian Accountability in 2008 by John Borton. The report also provides detail findings of our annual perceptions of humanitarian accountability survey, our self-assessment of progress made against the 2008 work plan, and accountability reports by HAP members. Humanitarian Accountability Reports for 2007, 2006, and 2005 are also available on the HAP International website.

The importance of humanitarian accountability

Accountability in humanitarian situations means that the power to help in situations of conflict and disaster is exercised responsibly. When implemented, it means that survivors of war or disaster are able to influence decisions about the help they receive and can complain if they feel the “helping power” was not exercised well.

The special features of humanitarian work makes accountability particularly important:

Acute needs People who have survived conflict or a natural disaster often have acute needs. Frequently, they have been displaced from their homes and lack their usual economic, social or psychological support systems.

Lack of choice, lack of competition Normally, recipients of humanitarian aid cannot 'choose' between relief providers. So they cannot signal they are unhappy with a service by going to another provider, like consumers in competitive retail markets.

Lack of voice Disaster survivors usually lack access to formal procedures for participating in decisions about assistance. Traditional governance structures are likely to be extremely strained by the disaster or conflict, if they have survived at all, and (until recently) relief agencies did not include participation and complaints systems in their programs.

Donor-survivor disconnect Moreover, the people whose choices do influence relief agencies – donor governments and their citizens – are not consumers of humanitarian aid. Therefore, they may not be in as good as position as survivors to judge whether the aid was helpful.

Life and death decisions Finally, in humanitarian situations, the consequences of decisions can be particularly severe. For example, a person’s decision to queue in a food distribution (rather than forage or seek help through private networks) may be a gamble with life or death, if the agency has underestimated the amount of food needed to go around.

HAP Standard 2007

Working with its partners, disaster survivors and others, HAP-International produced the HAP 2007 Standard in Humanitarian Accountability and Quality Management. This certification scheme aims to provide assurance that certified agencies are managing the quality of their humanitarian actions in accordance with the HAP standard.[12] In practical terms, a HAP certification (which is valid for three years) means providing external auditors with access to the organization’s mission statement, accounts and control systems, providing for greater transparency in operations and overall accountability.[9][13]

As described by HAP-International, the HAP 2007 Standard in Humanitarian Accountability and Quality Management is a quality assurance tool for humanitarian organizations. By comparing an organization's processes, policies and products to the Standard's six benchmarks, it is possible to measure how well the organization assures quality and accountability in its humanitarian work. Agencies that comply with the Standard:

  • declare their commitment to HAP’s Principles of Humanitarian Action and to their own Humanitarian Accountability Framework
  • develop and implement a Humanitarian Quality Management System
  • provide key information about quality management to key stakeholders
  • enable beneficiaries and their representatives to participate in program decisions and give their informed consent
  • determine the competencies and development needs of staff
  • establish and implement complaints-handling procedure
  • establish a process of continual improvement [14]

Certification Process

An agency certified against the HAP Standard means that it has been examined and tested through a formal third party independent system against the benchmarks and requirements contained within the HAP Standard and found to be in compliance.[15]

The audit verification process includes:

1. Head Office and Field Site Document Review

2. Head Office and Field Site Verification Interview of staff, partners and disaster survivors.

3. Direct observation of good practice as specified in the agency Humanitarian Accountability Framework.

HAP certification allows agencies to demonstrate their achievements in accountability and quality management in a process developed and recognised by humanitarian peers. It is a commitment - voluntarily made - of the centrality of beneficiaries to an agency's humanitarian work.[16][17]

Awareness Raising

HAP-International takes a number of measures to raise public awareness of the importance of "Humanitarian Accountability". In addition to HAP-International's website, a discussion forum is maintained on Facebook, addressing topical issues in relation to humanitarian accountability.

Principles of Accountability

The HAP Principles of Accountability (developed in 2003).

  1. Commitment to humanitarian standards and rights

Members state their commitment to respect and foster humanitarian standards and the rights of beneficiaries

  1. Setting standards and building capacity

Members set a framework of accountability to their stakeholders[18].

Members set and periodically review their standards and performance indicators, and revise them if necessary.

Members provide appropriate training in the use and implementation of standards.

  1. Communication

Members inform, and consult with, stakeholders, particularly beneficiaries and staff, about the standards adopted, programmes to be undertaken and mechanisms available for addressing concerns.

  1. Participation in program

Members involve beneficiaries in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and report to them on progress, subject only to serious operational constraints.

  1. Monitoring and reporting on compliance

Members involve beneficiaries and staff when they monitor and revise standards.

Members regularly monitor and evaluate compliance with standards, using robust processes.

Members report at least annually to stakeholders, including beneficiaries, on compliance with standards. Reporting may take a variety of forms.

  1. Addressing complaints

Members enable beneficiaries and staff to report complaints and seek redress safely.

  1. Implementing partners

Members are committed to the implementation of these principles if and when working through implementation partners.

The Principles can be downloaded in English, French, Spanish, Bengla, Urdu, Pashto, Myanmar and Khmer.

Quality and Accountability Initiatives

The humanitarian community has initiated a number of inter-agency initiatives to improve accountability, quality and performance in humanitarian responses. The four most widely known initiatives are ALNAP (Active Learning Network for Accountability and performance in Humanitarian Action), People in Aid, the Sphere Project and HAP International. In 2003 these four organisations came together in order to share common issues and harmonise activities where possible. Since 2006 they have been joined by Coordination SUD (Solidarité, Urgance, Développement), Groupe URD (Urgance Réhabilitation Développement) and Emergency Capacity Building Project (ECB). Full details, including a question and answer section on all the named initiatives is available on the websites.

Sexual exploitation and abuse

Sexual exploitation and abuse by humanitarian staff is the most eggregious result when organizations fail to be accountable to beneficiaries of humanitarian aid. In an emergency where victims have lost everything, women and girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse.

The Building Safer Organisations project, which aims to develop the capacity of NGOs "to receive and investigate allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse brought by persons of concern—including refugees, displaced persons and local host populations"[19] merged with HAP in 2007.

Why don't disaster survivors who have been sexually exploited or abused by aid workers complain? Because keeping quiet is normal. On 25 June, 2008 The Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP International)[20] released a ground breaking report into Sexual Exploitation and Abuse entitled, ‘To complain or not to complain: still the question.’ This report provides the background, purpose and methodology of the consultation. Then follows a detailed report for each of the three countries where consultations were held, including country-specific recommendations. The report concludes with an assessment of challenges facing humanitarian agencies in their efforts to prevent and respond to sexual exploitation and abuse, and a set of recommendations for next steps.

HAP Membership

Main article: Membership of Humanitarian Accountability Partnership International (HAP International)

Donors

In 2008 the work of HAP is supported by core funding and grants from AusAID (Australia), Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (USA), The Danish International Development Agency (Denmark), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ireland), The Ford Foundation (USA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (The Netherlands), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norway), Humanitarian Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Norway), OAK Foundation (Switzerland), The Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USA), The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sweden), DFID: Department for International Development (UK), OXFAM Great Britain. Field support funding for the period of 2007- 2008 has come from: CAFOD, CARE Bangladesh, CARE International, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide Bangladesh, CWS, DanChurchAid, Muslim Aid UK, Oxfam GB Bangladesh Program, Save the Children UK in Bangladesh, Tearfund UK, World Vision Bangladesh and World Vision International.

References

  1. ^ Igloo Partner Profile
  2. ^ Aid Workers Network
  3. ^ HAP-International Website
  4. ^ Sphere Project
  5. ^ Humanitarian Practice Network - Accountability and Humanitarian Actors: Speculations and Questions
  6. ^ Humanitarian Practice Network - Putting the H into Humanitarian Accountability
  7. ^ [1] - Beneficiary feedback: “thanks but no thanks”?9 June 2008
  8. ^ HAP International Website - Humanitarian Accountability
  9. ^ a b Reuters Alernet Website - Can a certificate make aid agencies better listeners? 6 June 2008
  10. ^ Gareth Thomas' full speech to the UNCHR ExComm
  11. ^ HAP Secretariat (2008). The 2008 Humanitarian Accountability Report. HAP International.
  12. ^ Capacity.org - A Gateway for Capacity Development
  13. ^ The Economist - Certifying Aid Agencies, 24 May 2007
  14. ^ HAP-International Website - The HAP 2007 Standard
  15. ^ The HAP Certification Process- HAP Certification
  16. ^ Register of HAP Certified Agencies and Audits - Certified Agencies
  17. ^ HAP's newest certified member DanChurchAid - DanchurchAid Accountability Principles
  18. ^ Framework of accountability includes standards, quality standards, principles, policies, guidelines, training and other capacity-building work, etc. The framework must include measurable performance indicators. Standards may be internal to the organisation or they may be collective, e.g. Sphere or People in Aid.
  19. ^ Women's Commission Evaluation
  20. ^ HAP International at www.hapinternational.org
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