Good Practice Toolkit
A key purpose of ACFID is to equip and encourage members to observe the highest ethical standards in all their activities, including strict observance of the Code of Conduct and to work towards improving practice over time. The Good Practice Toolkit is provided as a supplement to the Code of Conduct.
Overview
The Good Practice Toolkit provides practical advice and support for the
implementation of the Code of Conduct. It will provide you with guidance
and practical suggestions to support your organisation to meet its compliance requirements, to promote learning and development and to strengthen your organisation’s policies, practices and operations over time. It is a comprehensive guide, proposing a broad range of best practice suggestions relating to all areas of the Code.
PSEAH Changes 2019
This document sets out all the changes to the Quality Assurance Framework which took effect on 31 December 2019. They are also summarised in this section for your convenience. They are designed to strengthen the Quality Assurance Framework to improve the practice and response in the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse.
Quality Principal 1: Rights, Protection & Inclusion
Development and humanitarian responses respect and protect human rights and advance inclusion.
This Quality Principle recognises the centrality of individual and collective human rights, inclusive participation, equity and protection for those who are vulnerable and those who are affected by the intersecting drivers of marginalisation and exclusion.
Quality Principal 2: Participation, Empowerment & Local Ownership
Development and humanitarian responses enable sustainable change through the empowerment of local actors and systems.
Quality Principle 2 is focused on participation, empowerment and local ownership, and recognises the importance of communities and individuals being fully empowered actors in their own development process. As primary stakeholders, those who are directly affected shall be an integral part of decisions and activities that impact them. The voice of primary stakeholders is integral to the development process and their involvement helps ensure that development activities meet their needs. It is just and fair that local participants have a say in activities that affect their lives.
Quality Principal 3: Sustainable Change
Development and humanitarian responses contribute to the realisation of sustainable development.
Quality Principle 3 recognises the importance of durable and lasting development change including environmental sustainability. It introduces new Commitments relating to sustainability (Commitment 3.1) and systemic change (Commitment 3.2). These Commitments have been introduced in response to global recognition of the role of sustainable development in addressing poverty and inequity, as expressed through the Sustainable Development Goals. The associated Compliance Indicators in the Code have accommodated feedback from Members that requested particular emphasis on identifying and working with appropriate local systems, structures and agents of change. This represents our sector’s own evolution in its approaches to achieving sustainable change.
Quality Principal 4: Quality and Effectiveness
Development and humanitarian organisations and responses are informed by evidence, planning, assessment and learning.
Quality Principle 4 recognises the importance of deep contextual analysis based on evidence and experience, continuously capturing evidence of change, critically analysing and reflecting on performance, sharing lessons and promoting a culture of adaptation because development responses take place in complex and dynamic contexts. It reflects the importance of the key associated processes of consultation, analysis, planning, design, monitoring, evaluation and learning.Â
Quality Principal 5: Collaboration
Development and humanitarian responses are optimised through effective coordination, collaboration and partnership.
Quality Principle 5 recognises that the complexity of creating development change demands multiple actors working together in different ways, and that quality collaborations are based on mutual respect, transparency and understanding. Accordingly, this Quality Principle places a strong emphasis on mutuality and accountability in partnership. Understanding of partnership principles and partnership practice has evolved considerably in recent years, and the Code’s Compliance Indicators have been crafted to emphasise the importance of joint negotiation, shared goals, and effectiveness in partnership approaches.Â
Quality Principal 6: Communication
Development and humanitarian organisations communicate truthfully and ethically.
Quality Principle 6 recognises the importance of our communications in building and maintaining trust with all stakeholders. Integrity in all our communication is critical to building and sustaining confidence among donors and stakeholders. Ensuring that communications are developed with integrity provides organisations with credibility among key stakeholders, including the communities that it seeks to support and donors from whom it receives support.
Quality Principal 7: Governance
Development and humanitarian organisations are governed in an accountable, transparent and responsible way.
Quality Principle 7 recognises the importance of building trust with all stakeholders through compliance with standards and through ethical and sound decision-making. It covers all aspects of good governance, extending beyond the establishment of a formal governing body and associated mechanisms, and including core organisational Commitments to governing responsibly, accountably and transparently. Quality Principle 7 incorporates obligations covering governing instruments, governing body policies, transparency, annual general meetings, conflicts of interest, legal requirements and complaints handling.
Quality Principal 8: Resource Management
Development and humanitarian organisations acquire, manage and report on resources ethically and responsibly.
Quality Principle 8 recognises the importance of building trust with all stakeholders through the good management and use of resources. It includes member requirements regarding fundraising and financial management. The Compliance Indicators that relate to financial management and reporting have been developed in close consultation with the CCC to streamline current obligations wherever possible while also ensuring that requirements are clear and accommodate the diversity of ACFID Members.
Quality Principal 9: People and Culture
Development and humanitarian organisations manage and support their people fairly and effectively.
Quality Principle 9 recognises the importance of our people and their ability to work to enable good development outcomes. The working environments of our organisations should be places where the key human rights principles of fairness, equity, and respect for social and cultural diversity are deeply embedded in policies, practices and organisational culture. This means that there is agreement between these same principles that underlie your mission and goals for aid and development, and the way that staff and volunteers are treated.
Compliance
ACFID Members commit to being compliant with all aspects of the Code, and to continuously monitor their compliance. Compliance with the Code of Conduct enhances effective development practice. Non-compliance with the Quality Principles and Commitments set out in the Code of Conduct will reflect negatively on the individual organisation and the sector as a whole.
This section outlines the responsibility to be taken by each Member to ensure compliance with the Code of Conduct.
Definitions
This part of the Good Practice Toolkit provides general and financial definitions. The financial definitions provided are to be used by all signatory organisations in the preparation of their Financial reports.