ACT Alliance is committed to demonstrating accountability in every aspect of its work.
The ACT Quality and Accountability Framework 2025 summarizes the standards of quality towards which ACT can be held to account by its stakeholders and by each other. It outlines ACT’s primary commitments and the different responsibilities of ACT members, the ACT Secretariat, and ACT governance in relation to ACT’s accountability mechanisms.
The ACT Alliance “Founding Document”, February 2009, is the core document of the ACT Alliance. It outlines ACT’s vision, mission, objectives, and member commitments. The document also details ACT membership criteria and obligations, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the ACT Secretariat, Governing Board, and Executive Committee. It is complemented by the ACT Alliance Statutes and By-Laws.Based on these documents, and the subsequent approval of new policies by the Governing Board, ACT Alliance has categorized its policies into three distinct sets, found below. Following these sets is a list of seven external standards that ACT Alliance has formally adopted or is committed to.
ACT Membership Policies are mandatory for both current ACT Members and organisations seeking membership:
These policies are mandatory as follows:
. The ACT Code of Good Practice is directly mandatory and must be signed by the management of each ACT member organisation.
. For the other four policies (Code of Conduct, Safeguarding Policy Framework, Gender Justice Policy, Complaints Policy), members are required to have a board-approved version adapted to their own cultural and programmatic context. These represent the minimum standards expected from all ACT members.
This set of policies include Programmatic/Operational Policies, which apply to members receiving funding through ACT mechanisms for programmes and projects, ensuring these are aligned with ACT’s quality and accountability commitments.
In addition, seven international standards have been formally adopted or committed to by ACT governance. The ACT Secretariat is certified in regard to the Core Humanitarian Standard. These standards are critical for ACT. Member organizations involved in humanitarian response must comply with the CHS.
