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 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)

The ACT Alliance governance has agreed that the following elements will comprise the funding base for the ACT secretariat:

• A Membership Fee that is paid by all members and observers
• An Income Based Fee (IBF) that is paid by all organisations whose income is over US$1 million. The income-related fee would be based on a percentage of the total income of the organisation as set by the Governance Board
• An International Coordination Fee (ICF) which is levied on appeals issued by the ACT secretariat
• Voluntary contributions to the core budget will be sought
• Programme Support for Specific Initiatives

Procedure for Funding the ACT Alliance Secretariat – 2018

(Policies and guidelines)

ACT Alliance’s understanding of transformational development draws from its theological affirmation that all persons are created in the image of God with the right and potential to live just, humane and dignified lives in sustainable communities. Profession of faith requires the rejection of those conditions, structures and systems which perpetuate poverty, injustice, the abuse of human rights and the destruction of the environment.

Transformational development is about taking action so that all peoples’ human and God-given rights are upheld. In an increasingly globalised world, lives are increasingly interlinked. Transformational development therefore involves change for all those involved; those with power, wealth and influence who control and use more than their share of resources and those most adversely affected by oppressive structures and systems. Adopting a transformational development approach commits ACT members to mutual learning through joint analysis, action and reflection.

This document is available in English, French and Spanish.

Our Understanding of Development_ENGLISH

Our Understanding of Development_FRENCH

Our Understanding of Development_SPANISH

(Policies and guidelines)

The ACT Alliance Child Safeguarding Policy and the Child Safeguarding Guidance Document has been developed utilizing global best practice and standards in child safeguarding (‘child safeguarding’ refers to the internal-facing, business critical policies, procedures and practice that agencies employ to ensure that an organisation is child safe). This Policy is developed based on decades of experience by dozens of international and local organizations working in both development and humanitarian settings. It meets the minimum standards of government donors, including the Australian government, the first to make child safeguarding policies a mandatory requirement of development funding.

Most international NGOs will develop organizational policies at the level of the global headquarters. Many, however, will consult with field offices on the content of the policy. This is particularly important when developing child safeguarding policies. While there are recognized, global minimum standards for the format and sections which a child safeguarding policy should contain, all child safeguarding policies can and should be adapted to the local context of the countries where it is being used. This includes the political, cultural, faith, humanitarian or development setting. It should be tailored to the needs and the program context of the agency implementing the policy. Most importantly, national staff from a variety of cultural, socio-economic, and faith backgrounds should be involved in the contextualization of the policy.

Agencies should consider any other ways of preventing harm to girls and boys from staff and others, in the context of their programs. This includes clear guidelines for all staff to follow, tailored to the context of specific locations and programs, and harmful cultural traditions and practices that occur in the area; conducting police background checks, or, in locations where this is not possible, verbal reference checks; and ensuring all staff understand the policy and comply with the Code of Conduct. Ideally, ACT Alliance members should consider supporting local partner organizations to develop their own policies, code of conduct, and reporting protocols.

It is expected that all ACT Alliance members will include an appropriate clause in their Child Safeguarding policy which references local and international legislation on child welfare, child abuse and child exploitation.

The ACT Alliance Child Safeguarding Policy is available in English, French and Spanish.

Child Safeguarding Policy_English

Child Safeguarding Policy_French

Child Safeguarding Policy_Spanish

(Policies and guidelines)

The incidence of corporate fraud and corruption has risen in recent years making it essential for companies and organisations to put in place effective deterrence mechanisms. Non governmental organisations, including members of the ACT Alliance, have also been affected.

The purpose of this Anti-Fraud and Corruption policy is to minimise the chances of occurrence of fraud and corruption within the ACT secretariat and within ACT Alliance member organisations which access funds through the ACT funding mechanisms, thereby ensuring that the funds and the assets that have been raised are protected from fraud and corruption-related losses.

The policy aims to:

• Ensure that financial and other resources are used solely for the intended purposes
• Promote a culture of honesty and openness among the staff and management of ACT
• Ensure that vulnerable populations are not disadvantaged or exploited by staff members or their associates who commit fraudulent and corrupt acts, and
• Assure members of staff and target populations that they can safely and confidently raise and report all serious concerns about unethical conduct, suspected fraud and corruption

This Policy applies to all ACT employees (full time, part time, temporary and casual), ACT members, and to non-ACT implementing partners who access funds from ACT members through the ACT funding mechanisms.

The ACT Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy is available in English, French and Spanish.

PolicyAnti Fraud and Corruption ENGLISH

Anti-Fraud Corruption Policy FRENCH

Anti-Fraud and Corruption Policy SPANISH

(Policies and guidelines)