New INGO charity governance report provides useful tools
Governance consulting took an interesting turn in the case of an overseas development charity when a large UK law firm came up with a practical governance report completely free of charge.
Camfed (an acronym for ‘campaign for female education’), an international charity delivering girls’ education and empowerment of young women in sub-Sahara, has published a new report promoting debate around standards for governance in the overseas development sector. The report, Accounting to the Girl, has been produced on a pro bono basis (involving some 4,000 hours) by the law firm Linklaters and was launched on 14 April at the Skoll World Forum – the annual gathering of social investors and entrepreneurs in Oxford.
Ann Cotton, executive director of Camfed, said: ‘The international aid sector serves the most disempowered people in the world, those with the weakest voice and the least leverage to demand high standards of service. Yet it is a sector that is largely self-regulating. We strongly believe this report will make a difference, by promoting debate about whether we should set a standard for governance in the international aid sector.’
Of particular general interest are the proposed questions and checklist for donors and NGOs found in section six of the report. The authors invite the sector to develop the discussion to ‘achieve a comprehensive set of questions that get to the core of any governance model.’ The questions that the report suggests donors ask are:
1) Who is the beneficiary/client?
2) Is the aid fit for purpose?
3) Are there policies for the protection of
the beneficiary/client?
4) Is there community decision-making?
5) Is the emphasis on payment or social capital?
6) What about financial management, cost
effectiveness and speed of delivery funding?
7) What happens when there are irregularities?
8) Is there partnership?
9) Is there focus on long-term impact?
10) What is the make-up of the management
and boards of directors?
The 11-point checklist that follows includes practicalities such as:
- Identifying obstacles that prevent communities from helping themselves.
- Building strong partnerships with government agencies to influence policy and other service providers.
- Using robust social and financial auditing systems to ensure money, resources and information reach their intended target.
www.linklaters.com/responsibility/community/
Pages/Camfed.aspx
Author: Clarissa Dann
Clarissa Dann was the editor of Caritas as well as an HR and management online service,he People Bulletin until July 2011.
She is now the editor of the specialist trade finance magazine, Trade and Forfaiting Review which can be viewed at www.tfreview.com but does write on charity finance and investment from time to time.
Clarissa has a background in legal and professional publishing, as well as business journalism and holds an MBA from
There are no comments on this article. Be the first to comment.