Humanitarian Accountability Partnership

The Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) is the humanitarian sector's first international self-regulatory body. Its work is based on the findings of the Humanitarian Accountability Project, an inter-agency action research initiative that started in 2001. However, the origins of the Partnership go still further back, to the Joint Evaluation of the International Response to the Genocide in Rwanda.

DanChurchAid is committed to: Humanitarian Accountability Partnership
"making humanitarian action accountable to beneficiaries"

Accountability Principles

1. Commitment to humanitarian standards and rights
   Members state their commitment to respect and foster humanitarian standards and the rights of beneficiaries
2. Setting standards and building capacity
   Members set a framework of accountability to their stakeholders
   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.
3. 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.
4. Participation in programmes
   Members involve beneficiaries in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of programmes and report to them on progress, subject only to serious operational constraints.
5. 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.
6. Addressing complaints
   Members enable beneficiaries and staff to report complaints and seek redress safely.
7. Implementing partners
   Members are committed to the implementation of these principles if and when working through implementation partners.

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.