The Weekly

This week, ACFID hosted a two-day in-person ACFID Board meeting in Canberra as part of our ongoing governance and strategic planning processes. Thanks to all of you who have joined our consultation meetings in November which have continued to guide our work on the strategy.  At the meeting we also celebrated Kate Lee who has been such an active contributor to the ACFID community during her tenure as the CEO for Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA. Kate has recently announced her resignation and as such will also be stepping down from the ACFID Board.  We will be holding a special election to fill this vacancy – more news on that should be out next week.

ACFID is also participating in the 2025 Australasian Aid Conference at the Australian National University from 3–5 December alongside several of our members. This annual conference brings together policymakers, researchers and practitioners, and we look forward to engaging in conversations that strengthen our collective impact across the region.

This week, the Australian Government made two significant announcements. On the International Day of People with Disabilities, ​Australia committed $50 million​ to strengthen disability rights and support organisations led by people with disabilities across the Indo-Pacific. The Government also announced an ​additional $5 million​to support disaster responses across the region, enabling life-saving assistance for communities affected by severe weather events and displacement.  

If you have projects in the Solomon Islands – or hope to in the future – then you should prioritise the opportunity to meet with the incoming High Commissioner next week (registration below).

ACFID is also pleased to highlight an upcoming session on Doing Business with DFAT and Understanding DFAT Tender Requirements which will provide members with insights into DFAT’s procurement processes. This is a chance for our members to learn about DFAT’s procurement system – an opportunity to potentially access new funding opportunities with DFAT. Further details are included below.

This week ACFID also met with some of the Humanitarian team at DFAT who are working closely with the Attorney General’s department to help create humanitarian exemptions in the criminal code and sanctions framework. I am pleased to see tangible forward momentum – and hope to share more details soon.

Looking ahead, we encourage members to join the upcoming ACFID Connect session on the new Locally Led Action Guidance; further details are included below. 

To Attend

HOM Briefing with the High Commissioner-designate to Solomon Islands

Australia’s ingoing High Commissioner to Solomon Islands has requested a briefing from ACFID members, online via Teams.

The High Commissioner’s responsibilities at Post will include Australia’s aid program in Solomon Islands, aligned with Australia’s International Development Policy, Solomon Islands’ National Development Strategy 2016–2035, and the Australia – Solomon Islands Development Partnership Plan 2024–2029.

The ingoing High Commissioner has expressed interest in hearing from members on relevant development issues in the region. Several ACFID members have active projects in Solomon Islands.

Date: 10 December 2025

Time: 11:00AM (AEDT) 

Venue: Online via Teams

Register ​here​.

To Attend

ACFID Connect Session: Doing Business with DFAT and Understanding DFAT Tender Requirements

The Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) will join us to delve into their procurement process. In 2024-25, NGOs accounted for only 9% of all bids received by DFAT.

To address the information gaps that limit NGO participation in DFAT procurement, this session will provide an overview of DFAT’s policy environment, and information on where to find relevant policy information and business opportunities. It will also cover DFAT’s Risk Management Policy, and provide an overview of the DFAT procurement process, the format of DFAT procurement documents, and Do’s and Don’t when compiling a response to an approach to market. 

Date: 18 December 2025

Time: 1:00PM – 2:30PM (AEDT) 

Venue: Online

A registration link will be provided in the following weekly newsletter next week. 

To Action

Sector Specific Salary Survey

ACFID is currently working on the development of a sector-specific salary survey with an outsourced provider. It is our hope that with enough support from the membership, this survey will provide robust HR data that is fit-for-purpose and tailored to our sector.

We need your help to make this relevant to the membership. Please complete ​this short, 5 minute confidential survey. 

To Nominate

UN Civil Military Coordination Course

The six-day residential course aims to promote appropriate and effective humanitarian civil-military interactions in humanitarian emergencies through bolstered knowledge and understanding of UN-CMCoord standards and principles, and adherence to them. This includes the use of military assets to better support the humanitarian community in delivering urgently needed goods and services to affected communities and people-in-need. 

Accommodation and meals will be funded by ACMC. The participant’s unit or work area would be responsible for funding any applicable travel and allowances.

For further information, please contact Suanu Ikoro, Deputy Director, Partnerships and Preparedness Directorate, ACMC on ​[email protected]​ or (02) 5108 7094. 

Date: 22-27 March 2026

Place: Canberra

More information can be found ​here.​ 

To Apply

Community Services Industry Women’s Leadership Scholarships

Partial scholarships valued between $700 and $3,000 per participant are now available for women in the Community Services Industry. Recipients can apply their scholarship to one of four world-class programs empowering women to lead with confidence and impact.  

These programs support women to build confidence, strengthen their leadership capability, and progress their careers.  Applications close Friday 12 December 2025, unless allocated earlier. Apply ​here.​ 

To Attend

AI Discussion Group #2 – Implementing AI 

The AI Discussion group will be having our second meeting on Monday, 8th December from 10-11am to talk through implementing AI within our organisations and discuss common approaches to governance/management, risks, buy in and AI use cases.  This group is an open, informal space for sharing ideas and discussing all things AI. 

Everyone is welcome! 

Date:  8 December 2025 

Time: 10:00AM – 11:00AM (AEDT) 

Venue: Online 

Please join the Data Governance CoP to RSVP for this discussion group.

To Attend

ACFID Connect Session: New Locally Led Action Guidance 

Join us as we unveil ACFID’s new Guidance on developing a Locally Led Action Policy – developed with members through our recent Writeshop series. Hear the latest from ACFID’s work in this space, including insights from the Locally Led Action Community of Practice and the Development Practice Committee. We’ll also share findings from members’ Code of Conduct self-assessments and showcase case studies of locally led approaches in action. 

Date:  9 December 2025 

Time: 2:00PM – 3:00PM (AEDT) 

Venue: Online 

Register ​here​.

Consultants – Athena Board

Exclusive Offer – Transform Your Board & Committee Governance

Athena Board is proud to partner with ACFID to help not-for-profits save time, secure documents,and improve governance.

Trusted by charities, international aid agencies, and community organisations across Australia,Athena Board’s secure platform makes it easy to collate, produce, and share board materials while protecting sensitive information. ISO27001 certified and fully encrypted, it’s built to meet the highest standards of security – at a price designed for the NFP sector.ACFID members receive 10% off Athena Board’s already low NFP rates, giving you a high-performing,low-cost solution to:

• Reduce admin time and streamline meeting preparation

• Strengthen governance and compliance

• Provide directors with tools like digital voting, annotations, conflict registers, and offline access

Upgrade your governance with a platform your board will actually enjoy using. Read more here

Food for thought

Two years on from the release of Australia’s Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040 (known colloquially as the Moore report), Asia-Pacific Development, Diplomacy & Defence Dialogue’s Melissa Conley Tyler and University of Queensland’s Emilie Hung-Ling He assess progress against the backdrop of recent investment announcements.

“This moment will reveal whether the Moore report marked a genuine shift in how Australia engages in Southeast Asia, or whether it will be remembered as another well-intentioned effort that failed to shift Australian companies from their comfort zone.

​Read more ​here. 

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