Commitment 1.3:
We support people affected by crisis.

Compliance Indicators

The Indicators and Verifiers under this Commitment are only relevant to Members that support or undertake humanitarian assistance.

Compliance with the Commitments will be assessed against the following Compliance Indicators. All of the applicable Compliance Indicators must be met by every ACFID Member to be considered compliant with the Code. Each of the Compliance Indicators has one or more compliance Verifiers. Verifiers are the description of evidence that is required to substantiate compliance with each Compliance Indicator. Guidance is also provided.

1.3.1 Members that support or undertake humanitarian assistance are guided by humanitarian assistance principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality.

Policy, statement or guidance document that commits the Member to the humanitarian assistance principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality as defined in the Core Humanitarian Standard.

Noting that this Indicator and its Verifier is only relevant to Members that support or undertake humanitarian assistance.

Guidance

The principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality are defined in the Core Humanitarian Standard.  They provide the foundations for humanitarian action and are central to establishing and maintaining access to affected people, whether in a natural disaster or a complex emergency, such as armed conflict.

An example of a statement that would satisfy this indicator is: “When responding to humanitarian emergencies, Agency ABC will apply the principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality as defined in the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS).”

1.3.2 Members that support or undertake humanitarian assistance recognise and work towards application of the Core Humanitarian Standard.

Policy, statement or guidance document that commits the Member to recognising and working towards application of the Core Humanitarian Standard.

Noting that this Indicator and its Verifier are only relevant to Members that support or undertake humanitarian assistance. 

Guidance

The Core Humanitarian Standard can be downloaded in the Resources Section below.  

An example of a statement that would satisfy this indicator is “Agency ABC is guided by The Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS).” Larger agencies or those with a predominant and significant focus on humanitarian assistance may choose to be formally audited/reviewed against the CHS by the Humanitarian Quality Assurance initiative. 

1.3.3 Members support or undertake humanitarian assistance coordinate and complement the work of others providing assistance.

Policy, statement or guidance document that commits the Member to coordinating and complementing the work of others providing assistance.

Noting that this Indicator and its Verifier are only relevant to Members that support or undertake humanitarian assistance. 

Guidance

Detailed guidance for the implementation of this compliance indicator can be found under Commitment 6 of the Core Humanitarian Standard – refer to the Core Humanitarian Standard – Guidance Notes and Indicators in the Resources Section below. An example of a statement that would satisfy this indicator would be: “Agency ABC recognises that effective humanitarian responses require collective action. Agency ABC will share information and knowledge with other stakeholders, and participate in joint planning and integrated activities wherever possible, including national and local authorities, without compromising humanitarian principles.”

1.3.4 Members support or undertake humanitarian assistance promote the role and leadership of local actors.

Policy, statement or guidance document that commits the Member to promoting the role and leadership of local actors.

Noting that this Indicator and its Verifier are only relevant to Members that support or undertake humanitarian assistance. 

Guidance

During the World Humanitarian Summit, held in May 2016, the UN Secretary General called upon the international community to put local responses at the heart of humanitarian efforts. In response, a group of organisations working in humanitarian action committed to the Charter for Change, which seeks to promote more locally led humanitarian responses.

Your policy, statement, or guidance document could include: recognition of the role of local actors in a humanitarian response, a commitment to identifying local communities and organisations who can play a role in providing humanitarian assistance, and a commitment to promoting leadership by local actors on humanitarian responses.

An example of a statement that would satisfy this indicator would be: “In determining its humanitarian responses, Agency ABC commits to work with local communities and local organizations wherever possible, recognising that they are the first to respond, better positioned to respond and often last to leave.” 

Good Practice Indicators

The following Good Practice Indicators describe a higher standard of practice than that set out in the Compliance Indicators. While Members do not need to meet the Good Practice Indicators to be considered compliant with the Code, they will self-assess against these indicators once every three years. This provides a clear pathway for Members to strengthen and improve practice over time.

  • Organisation staff have expertise in humanitarian response appropriate to the scale of humanitarian responses undertaken.
  • Information and training for staff and partners on Standards for Child Protection in Emergencies is provided, and related compliance mechanisms established.
  • Evaluation and reflection on the effectiveness of supported humanitarian responses is undertaken.
  • Results of evaluations and reflections of humanitarian responses are shared with partners and stakeholders.

Good Practice Guidance

Here are some practical suggestions for your organisation to further deepen and improve practice over time.

Policy

  • Develop humanitarian response and disaster preparedness strategies that incorporate and reflect international humanitarian response standards
  • Formally adopt the Core Humanitarian Standard
  • Formally adopt the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief
  • Formally commit to the Sphere humanitarian principles and standards
  • Inform key stakeholders of the international standards to which you are committed through a full range of means, such as your website, partner agreements, donor requests, reports and staff induction and training
  • Develop formal emergency relief guidelines that incorporate and reflect international humanitarian response principles and standards

Procedures

  • Train humanitarian response staff in sector codes and standards and legal obligations, and communicate with them on a regular basis to ensure these are upheld.
  • Provide information and training for staff and partners on the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action and establish mechanisms to monitor compliance.
  • Ensure humanitarian responses do not contribute towards the unnecessary institutionalisation of children and any programs working directly with unaccompanied children will prioritise family tracing and reunification to prevent the prolonged separation of children from their families
  • Invest resources in building the capacity of partner organisations to providing humanitarian assistance according to internationally agreed standards and principles of ethical practice through training, knowledge sharing and accompaniment
  • Develop monitoring and evaluation systems to assess compliance with humanitarian response principles and standards
  • Establish systems for beneficiary communication and accountability, including feedback and complaints mechanisms
  • If you are sending funds, undertake due diligence to ensure that the party who receives them has committed to the relevant humanitarian response standards.

Drug Donations

If your organisation provides pharmaceuticals or other forms of material relief, demonstrate your adherence to relevant guidelines, that could include but is not limited to:

  • Donations are based on the express wishes of the recipient and not distributed without prior consent
  • Donated drugs must be on the list of essential drugs of the recipient country, or if no such list is available, the WHO Model List of Essential Drugs
  • Donated drugs must comply with the quality standards of the recipient country and be authorised for use in that country
  • All donated drugs should have a shelf-life of at least 12 months upon arrival in the recipient country

ACFID Resources

Blog – Australian Red Cross’ profiles how it practices rights, protection & inclusion in humanitarian operations

Response Manager for the Australian Red Cross’ International Program, and Co-Chair of ACFID’s Humanitarian ...

Other Resources

Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian Action (ALNAP)

ALNAP is a unique system-wide network dedicated to improving humanitarian performance through increased learning ...

Better Care Network Library – Separated Children in Emergencies

The Better Care Network advocates for the protection of children within their own families during an emergency, ...

Charter for Change

An initiative, led by both National and International NGOs, to practically implement changes to the way the ...

CHS Alliance

People In Aid improves organisational effectiveness within the humanitarian and development sector worldwide by ...

Code of Conduct for Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief

The Code of Conduct seeks to guard standards of behaviour during disaster relief. It seeks to maintain the high ...

Core Humanitarian Standard

To promote respect for the rights and dignity of people and communities vulnerable to risk and affected by ...

Core Humanitarian Standard – Guidance Notes and Indicators

The CHS Guidance Notes and Indicators are a supplement to the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and ...

Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols

Fact sheet describing the obligations of States regarding the national implementation of the norms contained in ...

How can Humanitarian Organisations Encourage More Women in Surge?

This paper looks at some of the barriers and challenges that organisations face in increasing the number of women ...

IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings.

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) issues these Guidelines to enable humanitarian actors to plan, ...

International Civil Society Centre Berlin

The International Civil Society Centre helps the world’s leading international civil society organisations ...

International Disaster Response Laws, Rules & Principles

The IDRL Guidelines are meant to assist governments to become better prepared for the common legal problems in ...

Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

Providing development organisations with minimum standards for the protection of children in humanitarian action.

Protection: A guide for humanitarian agencies

This new road-tested guide is now better equipped to help practitioners get to grips with both the concepts that ...

Real-time Evaluations of Humanitarian Action – An ALNAP Guide

This pilot guide is intended to help both evaluation managers and team leaders in commissioning, overseeing and ...

Red Cross Red Crescent Catalogue of Emergency Relief Items

The emergency items catalogue has been established by the International Federation and the International Committee ...

Sphere for Assessments

A short guide to help humanitarian staff identify involved in needs assessments to identify and implement the ...

Sphere for Monitoring and Evaluation

A short guide to help humanitarian staff identify and implement the section of the Sphere Handbook that are most ...

Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response

The Sphere Handbook is one of the most widely known and internationally recognized sets of common principles and ...

Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response

The Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response – SCHR – is a voluntary alliance of nine of the world’s leading ...

The 1951 Convention Related to the Status of Refugees

The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees is the key legal document in defining who is a refugee, ...

The Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability 2014

The HAP Standard helps organisations design, implement, assess, improve and recognise accountable programmes. It ...

The SPHERE Handbook

Welcome to the Sphere Handbook, the most widely known and recognised set of common principles and universal ...

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the child

UNICEF's website on the UN Convention on the Rights of a Child.

UNHCR’s Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

The Guiding Principles provide valuable practical guidance to Governments, other competent authorities, ...

Universal Declaration on Human Rights

This Universal Declaration of Human Right as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, ...

Voluntary Organisations in Cooperation in Emergencies (VOICE)

VOICE stands for Voluntary Organisations in Cooperation in Emergencies. It is a network representing 84 European ...

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Annual Report 2022-23

Reporting on ACFID’s activities to ensure transparency and accountability

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ACFID is the peak body for Australian NGOs involved in international development and humanitarian action.

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The DPC is an expert advisory group of development practitioners leading good practice within the sector.

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Federal Budget 23-24 Analysis

Facts and figures on how aid is presented in this year’s annual budget

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ACFID Members provide vital life-saving assistance in the immediate aftermath of an emergency.

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Code of Conduct

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2022-23 ACFID Code of Conduct Review

The ACFID Code of Conduct is periodically reviewed to ensure it continues to reflect good practice and the needs of ACFID and its members.

Code of Conduct

The Code is a voluntary, self-regulatory industry code of good practice.

About the Code

Find out more about the Code of Conduct and how it operates.

Good Practice Toolkit

Overview and practical resources, and examples to support the implementation of the Code.

Spotlight on the Code

Provides a thematic ‘deep dive’ into each of the nine Quality Principles in the Code

Compliance

This section outlines the responsibility to be taken by each Member to ensure compliance with the Code.

Complaints Handling

How to make a complaint and information on the Code’s independent mechanism to address concerns relating to an ACFID Members’ conduct.

Other Standards

Mapping the Code with other professional standards and principles in the humanitarian and aid sector in Australia and internationally

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