Quality Principle 6:
Communication
Development and humanitarian organisations communicate truthfully and ethically.
Rationale
Quality Principle 6 recognises the importance of our communications in building and maintaining trust with all stakeholders. Integrity in all our communication is critical to building and sustaining confidence among donors and stakeholders. Ensuring that communications are developed with integrity provides organisations with credibility among key stakeholders, including the communities that it seeks to support and donors from whom it receives support.
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ACFID Members’ donors and supporters should have a clear understanding of Member organisation’s values. These values should be aligned to the values of the ACFID Code of Conduct and the way Members’ work should be communicated. To demonstrate integrity, marketing materials should reflect both the Member organisation’s values and the values of the ACFID Code of Conduct to which it is a signatory.
This Quality Principle recognises that it is important to maintain the reputation, credibility and trust of NGOs amongst all stakeholders and foster the principles of fairness and cooperation amongst NGOs in the sector. Accurate communications about our own and other NGOs is important in building trust and credibility in the public domain and amongst other stakeholders including partners and communities. Misinformation or negative information about one NGO will impact on the perception of the sector as a whole. The Commitment to truthful communications (6.1) does not discourage the use of a responsible complaints mechanism where a legitimate concern with another NGO arises. The Code of Conduct has a robust complaints mechanism which should be followed. It respects the principles of confidentiality, independence and response.
Communications have a critical role not only as a marketing tool, but as an important component of our overall approach to accountability and transparency. The Quality Principle includes reference to the ‘ACFID Fundraising Charter’ which is articulated in Quality Principle 8.
Quality Principle 6 is implemented through two Commitments by ACFID Members.
Commitments
COMMITMENT 6.1
We are truthful in our communications.
COMMITMENT 6.2
We collect and use information ethically.