ACT Community Based Psychosocial (CBPS) Guiding Principles

ACT Alliance has developed guiding principles to assist ACT staff, consultants and volunteers in providing community-based psychosocial support work with countries around the world. Community-based Psychosocial Support adds a mental and social dimension to traditional humanitarian aid and has assumed considerable significance as a focus for relief efforts. It has been shown that when the affected people’s psychosocial wellbeing has been addressed, they are more likely to benefit from the other components of recovery efforts.

These guiding principles are meant to serve as a reference for psychosocial support initiatives held by the members of ACT Alliance. These guiding principles uphold the standard of quality of psychosocial work and represent best practices in this area. They are based on the principles of respect for human beings and their human rights, gender equality, understanding and enablement.

Community based psychosocial support (CBPS) is an approach in which humanitarian relief integrates psychosocial aspects into the response. Psychosocial well-being depends on many aspects of a person’s life.  To achieve a sense of well-being, people rely on social interaction; mental stimulation and learning; physical security and safety; and religious and spiritual beliefs.  Their material and biological as well as their psychosocial needs must be met in terms of food, water, shelter, sanitation, physical and mental health. They also need economic stability. Following a disaster, the manner in which people’s basic needs, safety and security are met has an impact on their well-being and recovery.

The foundation of all community-based psychosocial work is the recognition of the affected community’s capacity for recovery, resilience and future rebuilding and development. Psychosocial support goes beyond the initial phases of emergencies and distressing events. It is important to foster capacity building towards self-governance and collective decision making for ongoing community development. All communities and individuals have resources and strategies for dealing with difficulties, illness, and distress. It is the responsibility of humanitarian workers to respect, understand and enable the community and individuals in their own recovery. The strategies for dealing with difficulties can never be supported when individuals’ basic human rights are abused.

The ACT CBPS Guiding Principles are available in English, French and Spanish.

ACT CBPS Guiding Principles ENGLISH

ACT CBPS Guiding Principles appr FRENCH

ACT CBPS Guiding Principles SPANISH

CSO Istanbul Development Effectiveness Principles

Civil society organisations are a vibrant and essential feature in the democratic life of countries across the globe. CSOs collaborate with the full diversity of people and promote their rights. The essential characteristics of CSOs as distinct development actors – that they are voluntary, diverse, non-partisan, autonomous, non-violent, working and collaborating for change – are the foundation for the Istanbul principles for CSO development effectiveness. These principles guide the work and practices of civil society organizations in both peaceful and conflict situations, in different areas of work from grassroots to policy advocacy, and in a continuum from humanitarian emergencies to long-term development.

1. Respect and promote human rights and social justice
CSOs are effective as development actors when they … develop and implement strategies, activities and practices that promote individual and collective human rights, including the right to development, with dignity, decent work, social justice and equity for all people.

2. Embody gender equality and equity while promoting women and girls’ rights
CSOs are effective as development actors when they … promote and practice development cooperation embodying gender equity, reflecting women’s concerns and experience, while supporting women’s efforts to realize their individual and collective rights, participating as fully empowered actors in the development process.

3. Focus on people’s empowerment, democratic ownership and participation
CSOs are effective as development actors when they … support the empowerment and inclusive participation of people to expand their democratic ownership over policies and development initiatives that affect their lives, with an emphasis on the poor and marginalised.

4. Promote Environmental Sustainability
CSOs are effective as development actors when they … develop and implement priorities and approaches that promote environmental sustainability for present and future generations, including urgent responses to climate crises, with specific attention to the socio-economic, cultural and indigenous conditions for ecological integrity and justice.

5. Practice transparency and accountability
CSOs are effective as development actors when they … demonstrate a sustained organizational commitment to transparency, multiple accountability, and integrity in their internal operations.

6. Pursue equitable partnerships and solidarity
CSOs are effective as development actors when they … commit to transparent relationships with CSOs and other development actors, freely and as equals, based on shared development goals and values, mutual respect, trust, organizational autonomy, long-term accompaniment, solidarity and global citizenship.

7. Create and share knowledge and commit to mutual learning
CSOs are effective as development actors when they … enhance the ways they learn from their experience, from other CSOs and development actors, integrating evidence from development practice and results, including the knowledge and wisdom of local and indigenous communities, strengthening innovation and their vision for the future they would like to see.

8. Commit to realising positive sustainable change
CSOs are effective as development actors when they … collaborate to realize sustainable outcomes and impacts of their development actions, focusing on results and conditions for lasting change for people, with special emphasis on poor and marginalized populations, ensuring an enduring legacy for present and future generations.

Guided by these Istanbul principles, CSOs are committed to take pro-active actions to improve and be fully accountable for their development practices. Equally important will be enabling policies and practices by all actors. Through actions consistent with these principles, donor and partner country governments demonstrate their Accra Agenda for Action pledge that they “share an interest in ensuring that CSO contributions to development reach their full potential”. All governments have an obligation to uphold basic human rights – among others, the right to association, the right to assembly, and the freedom of expression. Together these are pre-conditions for effective development.

CSO-Istanbul-Dev-Eff-Principles_Dec2010_English

CSO-Istanbul-Dev-Eff-Principles_Dec2010_French

CSO-Istanbul-Dev-Eff-Principles_Dec2010_Spanish

ACT Alliance Communications Strategy

The world we seek to change is itself changing. Economic power is gradually shifting from the US and Europe to the growing economies in the global East and the South, and emerging economies are playing new roles as donors and in international trade. Therefore major changes in development and humanitarian finance are foreseen in addition to increased competition for limited financial resources.

This is compounded by increased negative perceptions of non-governmental organisations across world, trends towards shrinking civil society space, and the private sector’s entrance into the development arena making use of technological advancements competing on efficiency and effectiveness with NGOs. At the same time, extreme weather events are reported to intensify and cause increasing climate-induced displacement.

Therefore, increased resources towards emergency response, human rights and climate justice advocacy is foreseen. It is within this changing arena that the 2015-2018 communications strategy, with its goal of increasing brand recognition to ensure ACT Alliance remains relevant and competitive, must be effectively implemented if the alliance is to bring about positive change to those most affected by poverty and injustice

The 2015-2018 global ACT Alliance strategy has significantly departed from the previous term strategy, creating the new narrative of the alliance as member-driven. Whereas the previous strategy detailed what members, forums and the secretariat should achieve, the new strategy focuses more on the creation of an overall framework direction of the alliance based on mutual ways of working that show the added value of being part of the network.

The communications strategy, therefore, will support this narrative, contributing to all aims of the global strategy, and specifically the enabling aim: that of increasing brand recognition to support the growth of the ‘robust alliance’. The communications strategy must enable members to work together towards increased brand recognition and reputation enhancement, and increased engagement and pride in the alliance. Therefore, the success of the communications strategy rests on setting clear stakeholder targets, working to strengths, and overcoming weaknesses to access new and existing opportunities.

The ACT Communications Strategy is available in English, French and Spanish.

2015-2018 ACT Alliance Communications Strategy_English

ACT Alliance Communications Strategy_French

ACT Alliance Communications Strategy_Spanish

Code of Good Practice for NGOs responding to HIV/AIDS

ACT Alliance has a Policy on HIV in Humanitarian Emergency Assistance Programmes:

ACT Policy on HIV in Humanitarian Emergency Assistance Programmes

In addition, ACT supports the Code of Good Practice for NGOs responding to HIV/AIDS. The Code provides a shared vision of principles for good practice in our programming and advocacy that can guide our work, and to which we can commit and be held accountable.

Since the mid- to late 1990s, there has been a considerable increase in the number and range of NGOs involved in responding to the multiple challenges presented by HIV/AIDS:

  • NGOs undertaking HIV/AIDS work
  • NGOs integrating HIV/AIDS-specific interventions within other health programming, such as sexual and reproductive health and child and maternal health programmes
  • and NGOs mainstreaming HIV/AIDS within development, human rights and humanitarian programming

There have also been significant changes in the global funding environment, particularly in ensuring that the lessons learned over the past 20 years are used to guide the allocation of resources in scaling up responses to HIV/AIDS.

These changes both support and complicate the process of expanding the scale and impact of NGO programmes, which is so urgently needed. The proliferation of NGOs and programmes
has, at times, occurred at the expense of accountability and quality programming, and has led to fragmentation of the NGO ‘voice’ in the HIV/AIDS response. The purpose of the Code is to
address these new challenges by:

  • outlining and building wider commitment to principles and practices, informed by evidence, that underscore successful NGO responses to HIV/AIDS
  • assisting ‘Supporting NGOs’ to improve the quality and cohesiveness of our work and our accountability to our partners and beneficiary communities
  • fostering greater collaboration between the variety of ‘Supporting NGOs’ now actively engaged in responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and
  • renewing the ‘voice’ of NGOs responding to HIV/AIDS by enabling us to commit to a shared vision of good practice in our programming and advocacy

The Code of Good Practice provides guidance to Supporting NGOs in their work with their NGO partners. The principles set out in the Code can be used to guide:

  • organisational planning
  • the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes, including advocacy programmes
  • advocacy efforts to ensure effective scaling-up of our responses to HIV/AIDS
  • allocation of resources based on the principles it outlines, and
  • advocacy efforts to ensure that the essential range of programmes is available where they are needed

The Code of Good Practice is available in English, French and Spanish.

Code-of-good-practice_En

Code-of-good-practice_Fr

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Top 8 things to know about the ACT complaints handling mechanism

  1. It is easy to send a concern, feedback or complaint to the secretariat. Simply email the complaintsbox@actalliance.org or send a message to the complaints focal point via a personal contact at the secretariat or by mail or phone. (See #9 and go to the policy, page 8, for contact details.)
  1. Don’t worry; we are trained on how to handle complaints, particularly the sensitive ones, with the utmost care and confidentiality.
  1. We want to know about any violations in the code of conduct, breaches of any ACT policy or even a concern about the quality of work you may have.
  1. You will hear back from us within ten days of our receipt of your concern.
  1. Did you know that all employees of ACT members and the secretariat are required to report allegations, concerns or suspicions of breaches related to abuse, exploitation and fraud and corruption?
  1. There are some types of complaints we don’t accept, such as those received six months after the alleged incident. (See #9 and go to the policy, pages 6-7, for more details.)
  1. We aim for all ACT members to have their own functioning, safe & accessible complaints mechanism for staff and communities. (See #9 and go to the guidelines, pages 4-10, for how-to guidance.)
  1. Ensure your communities know how to raise a concern or complaint; the ACT complaints mechanism is also meant for them – help them access us if the need arises!

Top 8 things to know about the ACT complaints mechanism

SCHR Position Paper on Humanitarian Military Relations

The positions, actions and strategies of armed forces play an essential role in securing or endangering the scope for humanitarian action in situations of armed conflict, as do the positions, actions and behaviour of the humanitarian actors themselves. The relations between humanitarian and military actors thus play a key role in the future scope of humanitarian action.

This document looks primarily at how SCHR agencies consider relations with armed forces in situations of armed conflict, or natural disasters taking place in contested environments. This paper contributes to the current debate on humanitarian-military relations and fosters a better understanding of the respective roles and the necessity for humanitarian actors to commit to the positions elaborated herein. It is intended to inform and guide the internal policies and practical guidance of SCHR agencies.

SCHR Position Paper onHumanitarian-Military Relations

(Policies and guidelines)
(Position papers)

ACT Alliance Policy on Advisory Groups and Communities of Practice

This policy outlines the role of ACT groups in the alliance, clarifies distinctions between groups and provides guidance on the architecture, role, group structure, working methods and funding of groups, and the role of the secretariat.

The Advisory Groups are made up of 8-10 committed individuals with relevant expertise and balanced geographical and gender representation to form a fixed ‘strategic hub’ of expertise for a 4 year strategic period. Intentional linkages are created, facilitated by the secretariat, which enable the Advisory Group hub to host a looser network of actors within the alliance with expertise in the strategic area. This network includes relevant CoPs, individuals with specific expertise, sub-working groups formed for a time-bound specific piece of work, other networks of member-staff with specific interest/expertise relevant to that advisory group, interested forums, Governance etc. These looser elements of the network are more flexible to specific needs arising from the membership and anchored to the alliance structures through one of the Advisory Group ‘hubs’.

In particular, the linkages with the ACT forums are strengthened so that the Advisory Groups and Communities of Practice are able to benefit from the wealth of experience and resources in the forums, and equally that the linkages exist so that the forums are able to access what they need from the Advisory Groups or Communities of Practice.

A secretariat Focal Point engages with each Advisory Group. This focal point role ensures that information is shared, that the network is actively built and that the governance has access to the Advisory Group and the broader network for strategic advice. The secretariat focal point is a connecter and enabler, facilitating the Advisory Group in this role.

The ACT Alliance policy on advisory groups and communities of practice is available in English, French and Spanish.

Please note that the English version has been updated, while the French and Spanish versions have not. Updated translations will be available shortly.

ACT Alliance Policy on advisory structures EN 2019  

Revised ACT Alliance policy on advisory groups and CoPs French

Revised ACT Alliance policy on advisory groups and CoPs Spanish

(Policies and guidelines)
(Position papers)

ACT National, Sub-Regional and Regional Forums policy

ACT forums are shared platforms or spaces comprising ACT members and observers who are engaged in a particular country, sub-region or region. The main objective of an ACT forum is to increase the effectiveness and impact of the humanitarian assistance and development work being undertaken by members through improved coordination.

National, Sub-regional and Regional Forums

In most cases, forums are most effective when members work together at the national level as they can undertake joint analysis of the country together and explore opportunities for collaboration in their humanitarian, development and advocacy work. However, at times, it is more effective for members to work together in sub-regional and regional forums; for example, in regions where there are few local ACT members (e.g. the Pacific, Eastern Europe and the Middle East) or when the work of members transcends national borders (eg: refugees, food crises, political conflict etc). In some regions, national ACT forums have also met together regionally to share information and develop regional strategies (e.g. Europe and North America). This Policy is therefore applicable to both national, sub-regional and regional forums.

An ACT forum is part of ACT Alliance and is not a separate entity. ACT does not promote the establishment of formalised structures with statutes, by-laws etc but rather encourages members to develop cooperative ways of working which should be defined by a Memorandum of Understanding.

The ACT Alliance National, Sub-Regional and Regional Forums Policy is available in English, French and Spanish.

ACT National, Sub-Regional and Regional Forums Policy 2018

ACT National, Sub-Regional and National Forums Policy 2018 FR

ACT National, Sub-Regional and National Forums Policy 2018 SP

ACT Alliance Membership Disciplinary Policy

ACT aims to ensure that all members know their membership obligations and are aware of the standards of conduct and behaviour expected of them as members of the alliance and that they meet such standards. A number of systems have been put in place to support this process, including the following:

  • Each ACT member signs a membership agreement which outlines the roles and responsibilities of the ACT member and the ACT Alliance, including the relationship between: the ACT member, the ACT Alliance governing bodies and the ACT secretariat;
  • The ACT Quality and Accountability Framework (QAF) summarises standards of quality towards which ACT can be held to account by its stakeholders and by each other, outlining membership commitments;
  • The ACT Code of Good Practice and ACT Code of Conduct are signed by the member organisation and individual staff respectively; and
  • The ACT Complaints Policy and related guidelines provide clear policy and guidance for responding to and resolving complaints.

The purpose of the disciplinary policy is to uphold professional ACT standards and to ensure a procedure is in place for addressing issues related to membership non-compliance and complaints. The policy ensures that any breach of ACT policy is managed in a structured and consistent way and that members are treated fairly, promptly, and impartially. The policy keeps members informed of the procedures and actions they may face if agreed commitments are not met.

This policy applies to all ACT members.

It is available in English, French and Spanish.

Membership disciplinary policy ENGLISH

ACT Membership disciplinary policy FRENCH

ACT Membership disciplinary policy SPANISH

(Policies and guidelines)

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