reversing the telescope:

Evaluating NGO Peer-Regulation Initiatives

Dr Angela CrackUniversity of Portsmouthangela.crack@port.ac.uk

To what extent have peer-regulation initiatives been effective in enhancing the accountability of leading

humanitarian and development INGOs?

Sample: Senior staff members from leading humanitarian and development INGOs, with responsibility for the accountability policies of their organisation.

Name of Initiative Type Focus Number of Members

Compliance Measures

Sphere Project: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response

Code of Conduct/

Ethics

Humanitarian relief (water supply and sanitation, nutrition, food aid, shelter and health services)

Thousands of individuals from over 400 organisations representing 80 countries have taken part in various aspects of the Sphere Project.

Commitment only

Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) Standard in Humanitarian Accountability and Quality Management

Certification scheme

Humanitarian relief

56 member agencies from more than 20 countries

Recertification required every 3 years subject to a compliance verification audit and mid-term monitoring; Standard Complaints Committee of the HAP Board; members subject to removal.

Catalyst for change. Signal of credibility.

Regulatory burden. Ambiguity regarding practical application of the

standards. Challenge of organisational diversity amongst

member NGOs. Need to embed a ‘culture of accountability’.

Creative thinking is needed about the way that accountability can be practiced and documented, other than through paper documentation.

Need for wider consultation in revisions of the initiatives.

HAP should be interpreted and applied in a more flexible way, to accommodate organisational diversity.

Promote attitudinal shift towards accountability.