"show me the money": evidence from and for accountability (christina laybourne, one world...
TRANSCRIPT
“Show me the money”: Generating evidence from and for accountability in
Humanitarian work
Christina Laybourn (One World Trust) and Alice Obrecht (Humanitarian
Futures Programme)
Accountability and evidence: Where two worlds collide…
Accountability
Expectations
‘Reality’
External party(ies)
Evidence use
Analysing evidence
Identifying evidence
Collecting evidence
Accountability and evidence: Where two worlds collide…
Expectations
‘Reality’
External party(ies)
Evidence: information supporting the comparison of organisational reality to set expectations
Analysing evidence
Identifying evidence
Collecting evidence
Accountability
Accountability and evidence: Where two worlds collide…
Evidence use
Analysing evidence
Identifying evidence
Collecting evidenceExternal party(ies)
Accountability: mechanisms through which external parties are engaged in an organisation’s evidence use
Overview• Part 1: The contribution of evidence to assuring
accountability
• Part 2: Putting it to use: accountability mechanisms as evidence generators
• Part 3: Limitations of accountability and evidence practice in Humanitarianism
The contribution of evidence to
assuring accountability: self
regulatory initiativesHumanitarian Accountability
Partnership: Certification against the 2012 Standard in Accountability
and Quality Management
16 Certified members, 12 further members have undertaken a
“baseline analysis” against the Standard
Disasters Emergency Committee: Accountability
Framework
Action Aid, Age UK, British Red Cross, CARE, CAFOD, Christian
Aid, Concern, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Plan, Save the Children,
Tearfund, World Vision
Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response Peer Review
CARE, Save the Children, ICRC, IFRC, Lutheran World Federation, Oxfam, Caritas, ACT Alliance and UNHCR
i- Identification of evidenceHAP Standard Certification DEC Accountability Framework SCHR Peer Reviews
Baseline analysis against the Standard (either internal or external)Internal review of compliance across all sitesIndependent Audit (every 3 years, 18 month review checks progress)
Self-assessment against the frameworkIndependent audit of 5 ways of working in 2 countries, chosen by auditors“Peer” workshops of 2-3 agencies and auditor to discuss findingsDiscussions between pairs of CEOs
Self-assessment at head office and two selected countriesNo set assessment framework, but agreed areas for investigationHead quarter visits and Field visits to 2 countries by staff from 2 peer agencies and an independent facilitatorGroup discussion by 9 CEOs of findings
ii- Collection of evidenceHAP Standard Certification DEC Accountability Framework SCHR Peer Reviews
Desk review of documents at head officeAt least 1 programme site visit (chosen by auditors)
Desk review of submitted evidence: looking for evidence of Policy/ Procedure, Application and Assurance mechanismsMeeting with key staff to discuss evidence
Field visits include desk reviews as well as interviews with staff, partners and disaster affected persons.Head office desk reviews and interviews
iii- Analysis of evidenceHAP Standard Certification DEC Accountability Framework SCHR Peer Reviews
Certification against the HAP StandardAreas for improvement identified and addressedSummaries are published
Component of DEC membership“Improvement Commitments” of changes to be made by next year2011/12 process published a summary report
Learning exerciseSummary of lessons learnt published“12 months on” reports on progress against peer review recommendations
Putting It To Use: Accountability
mechanisms as evidence generators
• Adequacy of current activities to meet stated needs
• Evidence of serious misconduct/ fraud
• Community satisfaction (!)
• Reflective perspectives on organisational achievements
• Urgent needs
• Contextual challenges
• Beneficiary entitlements
• Community skills/ ability to contribute
Putting It To Use: Accountability mechanisms as evidence
generatorsHead office
Country offices
Field offices
EVIDENCE LEARNING
Limitations of evidence and accountability practice
1. Internal organisational barriers to evidence-accountability cross fertilisation
2. The backwards-looking orientation of evidence-based policy
EVIDENCE LEARNING
Limitations of evidence and accountability practice:
1. Internal barriers
EVIDENCE LEARNING
Limitations of evidence and accountability practice:
1. Internal barriers
Limitations of evidence and accountability practice
2. Backwards-looking and short term perspectives
Evidence-based strategy
? Black swan event
Limitations of evidence and accountability practice
2. Backwards-looking and short term perspectives
Dialogues for Disaster Anticipation and
Resilience • Community-based and national workshops in
advance of rains to inform design• Transmission of information before and over the
course of the rainy season • Community-based evaluation after the rains• Technical consultation • Cross exchange learning
http://www.elrha.org/dialogues
Dialogues for Disaster Anticipation and
Resilience