Christian Aid achieves HAP Certification
It is a great pleasure to confirm that the Christian Aid has successfully completed the quality audit process against the HAP 2007 Standard in Humanitarian Accountability and Quality Management. The HAP certification audit covers all of Christian Aid’s activities, including humanitarian, development and advocacy work.
Christian Aid was founded in 1945, as Christian Reconstruction in Europe in response to the post war needs. After several name changes, the organisation became Christian Aid in 1964. Currently, there are 41 sponsoring churches from Britain and Ireland. The Board, appointed by the sponsoring churches, is trustee of the vision, purpose and values of Christian Aid, supplying a mandate to work for poverty eradication.
Christian Aid undertook the HAP certification audit as part of its continual work towards improving and strengthening accountability, especially towards their partners and beneficiary communities involved in all their international programmes. The audit provides a public means of verification to Christian Aid and its stakeholders of their commitment to the Principles of Accountability and Humanitarian Action and furthermore, highlights their achievements in promoting good accountability practices across the organisation and with their partners.
Christian Aid was audited against the HAP 2007 Standard in Humanitarian Accountability and Quality Management during the months of June, August and September 2009 in London, UK and Dublin, Ireland (Head Offices), programme sites in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Delhi, India and submitted self-assessment reports from a further 15 country-based programme sites.
HAP Certification is valid for a period of 3 years and Christian Aid will need to apply for re-certification before the certificate expires in December 2012. A mandatory mid-term progress audit will take place in 18 months time to verify that commitments made, progress plans and corrective action requirements are current. This will include a Head Office audit and an audit of one programme site.
A quality assurance audit consists of a sample testing process that incorporates; an examination of documentary evidence, interviews with staff both at Head Office and at a selected programme site, interviews of aid beneficiaries and partners, and direct observation of common practices. This material is then combined with summary self-assessment analyses that are undertaken by country/regional representatives across the agencies international programmes. Based on the findings of this audit the HAP Certification and Accreditation Review Board (CARB) found Christian Aid in compliance to the HAP Standard and validates their quality assurance procedures.
To find out more about Christian Aid programmes visit their website at: www.christianaid.org.uk
To read more on HAP International membership and certification please visit our website at: http://www.hapinternational.org/projects/certification.aspx
