The Weekly

CEO Top of Mind

Marc Purcell, what is at the top of your mind this week?

As the accreditation and funding policy refresh of the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) moves into its final stages, we’re continuing to work alongside members to demonstrate the value that NGOs deliver as development partners that has been demonstrated extensively across the long history of the ANCP. We’re hopeful that recommendations arising will reflect the views of the sector that came out strongly across the review, and directly address the growing burden of the cost of accreditation, the need to maintain the link to the Australian community and recognise the value of their support, and the need to maintain strong standards for accrediting participating NGO partners. ACFID continues to liaise closely with DFAT on the progression of the review, and understand that the Committee for Development Cooperation will receive a presentation outlining its progress when they meet next week. A presentation will also be provided to ANCP partners attending the ANCP reflections event to be hosted by DFAT in Canberra and online on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 November. We’d encourage invited agencies to attend this event to receive this update.

ACFID also continues to work with our members and liaise across Government to champion both the capability of and standards upheld by ACFID’s members responding to the humanitarian crisis in Israel and Palestine. To this end, we were pleased to see this advice from ACFID cross-posted by the ACNC Commissioner, and helpful advice on the use of standards by NGOs describing the work of ACFID’s members on standards under the ACFID Code featured on the ACNC website, as upholding public trust in the sector as humanitarian need worldwide only continues to grow is critical to the longevity of our sector.

To Note

DFAT Humanitarian Strategy Consultations

Consultations with DFAT are ongoing regarding DFAT’s Humanitarian Strategy. ACFID and DFAT have agreed to stand-up Technical Advisory Groups, with the first discussion on Disaster Risk Reduction and Anticipatory Action held with DFAT on Monday 13^th November. An additional discussion on protracted crises will be held at a date yet to be confirmed. Please refer to the Humanitarian Reference Group’s submission to the New International Development Policy to give you an idea of the scope of discussions.

If you would like further background information, please reach out to Lanni Hamblin at [email protected]

To Action

Development Practice Committee (DPC) Nomination

Staff of ACFID member’s are invited to nominate for the Development Practice Committee (DPC).

The DPC is an expert advisory group where learning and development practitioners from the not-for-profit sector meet to provide advice to ACFID on key issues around development effectiveness. Nominations close 20 November 2023.  Read more about the vacancies here and the committee Terms of Reference here.

To Action

Save the Date

ACFID Member Briefing with Reena Ghelani, UN Famine Prevention & Response Coordinator, (OFPRC)

• When:  Wednesday 13th December
• Time: 4pm – 5pm AEST
• Where: Online – Register Here

To Action

Webinar – Shifting power: championing rights at the intersection of gender equality and disability equity

In the lead up to International Day of People with Disabilities, the Australian Disability Development Consortium (ADDC), CBM Australia and Disability Rights Fund invite you to join a conversation on engaging and partnering with women and people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) with disabilities in development and human rights initiatives.

Please register here to attend the webinar on Tuesday 21 November 10:30am – 11:30 am AEDT.

Auslan sign interpretation and live captioning will be provided.

To Note

DFAT’s International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy: call for submissions

The call for submissions for DFAT’s International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy is live and open until until 15 December 2023. Please see this link for further information. If you would like to be involved in providing input to ACFID’s submission to the Strategy or have any questions, please reach out to [email protected]. 

To Action

AP4D Webinar | Improving Australia’s Pacific Literacy

Australia has deep historical, social and economic connections to Pacific island countries, with many describing the region as “Pacific family”. But how well does Australia really know it’s Pacific neighbours? Join us to hear from a panel of experts about how Australia can improve its Pacific literacy and build a better cultural understanding of and connectedness to the Pacific region.

Speakers include:

• Ms Ema Vueti, President at Pacific Island Council of Queensland

• Mr Jesse Martin, Executive Chair at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander International Engagement Organisation

• Dr Tess Newton Cain, Senior Research Fellow at Griffith Asia Institute

• Faleagafulu Inga Stünzer, Executive Producer at ABC Radio Australia

Who: Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy & Defence Dialogue
When: Wednesday 22 November
Time: 10 – 11:30am (AEDT)
Where: Online – register here via Zoom

To Note

New grant to strengthen and diversify humanitarian leadership in crises

A new Centre for Humanitarian Leadership (CHL) initiative will enable emerging humanitarian leaders in Central and West Africa to gain access to a suite of leadership training opportunities. The Diverse Leadership in Crises project aims to support humanitarian staff in Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Senegal to improve their skills for potential leadership and decision-making roles. The U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) awarded USD $2 million in funding to Action Against Hunger, which is collaborating with CHL to implement the project. Read the media release in full here.

To Note

Australia elected to the Executive Board of UNESCO

Australia has been elected to the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Read Australia’s statement to the 42^nd session of the UNESCO General Conference here.

To Note

Supporting democracy in our region

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade tabled its report titled “Supporting democracy in our region”. It recommends increasing support for Pacific communities to mitigate and adapt to climate change (Recommendation 3), an annual reporting back to Parliament by the Minister for International Development on delivery of climate programs in the Pacific (Recommendation 4) plus an annual baseline target for development and humanitarian funds spent through civil society organisations in the ODA budget (Recommendation 8). Further information can be found here.

To Note

Stand with Pacific climate activists on the road to COP28

With Flora Vano (ActionAid Vanuatu), Sepesa Rasili (Greenpeace Australia Pacific), and Angela Priestly (Women’s Agenda). 

Flora will be joined by Fijian-born and bred Sepesa Rasili, Senior Campaigner at Greenpeace Australia, in a conversation hosted by Angela Priestly, founding editor of Women’s Agenda. As well as rallying Australians to say no to the expansion of fossil fuels and yes to supporting frontline communities in countries like Vanuatu, Flora will shed light on some of the gender-responsive work she’s been leading at home. Through the Women I Tok Tok Tugetha Network, women in Vanuatu have come to play a leading role in climate disaster response and resilience, with better outcomes for everyone. 

We hope you’ll join us for this important conversation on building solidarity between Australians and Pacific communities, and what a just transition means for reshaping power.  

When: Thursday November 23, 6pm
Where: 107 Projects, 1/2 Davy Rd, South Eveleigh
Free registration, drinks provided.

To Note

United Nations Development Programme- Humanitarian chiefs will not take part in unilateral proposals to create “safe zones” in Gaza – Statement by Principals of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee

Heads of United Nations agencies have signed a joint statement that articulates a clear position- that UN agencies will not participate in the establishment of any ”safe zone” in Gaza that is set up without the agreement of all the parties, and unless fundamental conditions are in place to ensure safety and other essential needs are met and a mechanism is in place to supervise its implementation. Read the release in full here.

To Note

State of the NFP Sector: Infoxchange’s 2023 Digital Technology Report Findings (Webinar)

This year’s report surveyed more than 1,000 not-for-profit organisations across Australia and New Zealand. 

Join this webinar for a discussion of the report findings covering the state of technology in our sector and the opportunities to strengthen it.

This webinar covers topics including:

• 76% of organisations have implemented MFA
• 13% have a clearly documented cyber security improvement plan
• 22% agree their systems enable them to understand their impact
• 33% agree that data drives their decision-making
• 38% have a technology plan or digital transformation strategy in place

Date: 1 December, 2023
Time: 1:30 – 3:00pm AEDT
Price: Free

Register for the launch webinar 

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