HAP Publications
HAP's research and communication activities have been brought together under one common strategy. This strategy is one of the key reasons for the semi-independent nature of HAP's research. HAP's research role is intended to reinforce and improve studies into the practice of accountability through strategic partnerships with academic institutions, UN bodies and other organisations concerned with humanitarian accountability.
Our research activities provide three functions:
- to carry out small projects (either desk studies or through member agencies), to collect case studies, tools, examples of good practice;
- to commission studies to consultants, individuals researchers, member agencies, research institutions, or through cooperative arrangements with other initiatives;
- to act as a support function to the program areas of HAP, collecting and correlating material for the Resource Library and also carrying out other required work when necessary.
HAP's communication and advocacy work goes beyond a purely supportive function for the Standard and capacity building aspects of HAP's programme. Instead, we seek to engage with strategic research insitutions that can strengthen the case for downward accountability beyond our own internal capabilities.
Latest reports from HAP
The 2010 Humanitarian Accountability Report
Published in May 2011, the 2010 Humanitarian Accountability Report is a valuable resource for individuals working in the humanitarian sector. It offers a detailed and informed review of developments and trends observed in the field of humanitarian accountability in 2010.
The report begins with an overview of accountability in the humanitarian system written by John Borton, an experienced consultant and researcher. Borton identifies areas of both positive development and continuing need in relation to accountability. Positive developments include an increase in the proportion of evaluations considering accountability to intended beneficiaries and the positive impact of certification systems, such as HAP’s, on organizational performance and accountability towards affected communities. Progress still needs to be made in addressing the issue of too many inexperienced NGOs accessing affected populations in high profile emergency responses and failures of leadership within the humanitarian system.
The report continues with an analysis of the Sixth Annual Survey of Perceptions on Humanitarian Accountability, which shows a gradual improvement in the accountability deficit in 2010. The report also presents a detailed overview of the earthquake that struck in Haiti in January 2010, based on focus groups held by HAP staff with survivors of the disaster. This chapter offers unique insights into issues and trends identified regarding accountability and the international community’s response to the earthquake. Finally, the report ends with a summary of the main actions taken by HAP members in 2010 and the highlight of the main trends and challenges faced by HAP members in their efforts to improve humanitarian accountability.
The 2010 Secretariat Report
The 2010 Secretariat Report provides an overview of initiatives and activities carried out by the HAP Secretariat during 2010.
The first section includes a brief summary of progress achieved against the strategic and organisational objectives as set in HAP’s 2010-2012 Strategic Plan. The second section introduces some highlights from the year based on the main output indicators in the workplan, before reporting progress against each of the activities in the workplan for 2010. The last section includes a financial overview for the year.
Download the 2010 Secretariat Report.
'Change starts with us, talk to us!'
Published on 7 December 2010, 'Change starts with us, talk to us!' is a report about beneficiary perceptions on the effectiveness of measures taken by humanitarian agencies to prevent sexual exploitation and abuse by humanitarian aid workers. The study is based on consultations with beneficiaries and was conducted by three independent researchers between July and October 2010 in Haiti, Kenya and Thailand.
Report on prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse
Press release
Discussion between Katharina Samara (HAP) and Manisha Thomas (International Council of Voluntary Agencies) on World Radio Switzerland
Past publications
The 2009 Humanitarian Accountability Report
The 2009 Humanitarian Accountability Report opens with an overview of the principal developments and trends in relation to accountability in the humanitarian system in 2009, written by John Borton, a renowned independent consultant. The report highlights the main challenges to improving accountability to crisis-affected communities as follows:
- Evaluations of humanitarian action do not assess accountability to beneficiaries and affected communities either explicitly or systematically
- Accountability to crisis affected communities is poorly developed within at least two UN agencies that perform critical roles within the humanitarian system and within most of the clusters that are integral to current humanitarian reform efforts.
The report also includes an analysis of the positive practices and challenges of accountability and quality programming as perceived or experienced by disaster survivors in Southern Sudan. This is one of the few opportunities to hear directly from programme beneficiaries and it highlights some of the issues that are consistently raised by users of aid services.
A summary of member agency activities offers insight into how members are working towards achieving their accountability and quality commitments, globally.
This year's report is available as a PDF to download or in hardcopy. To order a hardcopy please follow the link on the left-hand menu bar.
Humanitarian Accountability Reports for previous years are available below (click on the covers to download the pdf versions):
To complain or not to complain: still the question
Released on 25 June, 2008 To complain or not to complain: still the question, is the result of seven months participatory-based research with nearly 300 disaster survivors in Kenya, Namibia and Thailand. The commissioned report was conducted by Kirsti Lattu and is available to download from our Resource section or by clicking To complain or not to complain!
(738kb pdf format)
The Guide to the HAP Standard (Oxford: Oxfam Publishing, 2008)
The Guide to the HAP Standard is a companion to the Humanitarian Accountability and Quality Management Standard (2007). Aimed at leaders, managers and staff of humanitarian agencies, it is also relevant to individuals and organizations generally interested in accountability and humanitarian affairs.
The Guide explains:
- the HAP 2007 Standard
- how agencies can meet the Standard
- how agencies are certified against the standard
- how agencies can apply for certification
Download the complete Guide to the HAP Standard (pdf, 1.16 Mb)
The French translation of the Tools Section from the Guide to the HAP Standard is also available as a pdf (400 Kb).
HAP 2007 Standard
Like HAP's Principles of Accountability, the HAP 2007 Standard in Humanitarian Accountability and Quality Management has been developed through intensive consultation and field tests. It is based upon a simple but effective humanitarian quality management system that may be applied by all humanitarian agencies.
(449kb pdf format)
Translations: French, Spanish, Myanmar (Burmese) and Urdu
Building Safer Organisations Handbook and Guidelines
The BSO Handbook and Guideline assist trained investigators and managers to implement good investigation practices in the field. A compilation of the materials used by BSO facilitators, the Handbook is a reference for facilitators and former BSO workshop participants. The Guidelines, on the other hand, build on the IASC’s draft Model Complaints and Investigation Procedure and Guidance and accompany organizations from the first step of designing accessible complaints mechanisms to the final step of writing the investigation reports.
Read the Handbook (3291kb pdf format) and Guidelines (543kb pdf format).
Annotated Bibliography (last updated November 2009)
Since 2008, HAP has undertaken to archive an extensive bibliography covering the themes of beneficiary participation, accountability and management systems in humanitarian action and relief efforts. The bibliography is ordered by year (most recent publications are first) and all entries are made in alphabetical order using the author's surname.
This document will be continually added to and updated so visit often for the most recent copy. Click here to download the Bibliography (512kb).
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Presentations and Conferences
- November 2009 Presentation at the Innovations Fair, ALNAP, London UK (presenters: Coleen Heemskerk and Emily Rogers)
- November 2009 Humanitarian Accountability presentation, CDAC, London UK (presenter: Nicholas Stockton)
- November 2009 presented at the Accountability to Primary Stakeholders meeting, Cartigny, Switzerland (presenter: Nicholas Stockton)
- September 2009 Profit and Non-profit Accountability conference, Pisa Italy (presenter: Nicholas Stockton)
- September 2009 Improving humanitarian accountability and the HAP Standard, IRC Conference Ditchley Park, UK (presenter: Nicholas Stockton)
- August 2009 Presentation to People in Aid on regulatory collaborations (presenters: Sheryl Haw and Lieske Pott Hofstede)
- July 2009 Improving Accountability presentation to DFID, London UK (presenter: Nicholas Stockton)
- May 2009 presentation on Progress of the HAP Standard Review, BOND, London UK (presenter: Monica Blagescu)
- May 2009 participanted in the AFCID Code of Conduct revision meetings, Canberra Australia (present: Nicholas Stockton)
- May 2009 Presentation on Improving Accountability, Conference on Accountability at the Berlin Civil Society Centre, Berlin Germany (presenter: Nicholas Stockton)
- April 2009 Presentation on Humanitarian Accountability, Geneva Consultants Forum, Geneva (presenter: Barb Wigley)
- April 2009 NCVO Advisory Group, London, UK
- April 2009 Presentation to the Norwegian NGO consortium, Oslo, Norway (presenters: Coleen Heemskerk and Nicholas Stockton)
- March 2009 Accountability presentation to the Conference on Conservation and Human Rights, Washington, United States (presenter: Nicholas Stockton)
- March 2009 3-Day seminar on Gender-based Violence, Dtalk: Development Studies Center, Dublin Ireland (presenter: Jamie Munn)
- Feburary 2009 International Humanitarian Conference, Webster University, Geneva (presenters: Barb Wigley and Jamie Munn)
- December 2008 ALNAP Biannual Meeting, Berlin Germany (presenter: Monica Blagescu)
- October 2008 3-Day seminar on Gender-based Violence Dtalk: Development Studies Center, Dublin Ireland (presenter: Jamie Munn)
- July 2008 Understanding HAP's Accountability to Beneficiaries briefings to UN, INGO Directors, and local NGO Forum in Myanmar (presenter: Monica Blagescu)
- May 2008 Understanding Power and the HAP Standard Amsterdam Global Conference on Sustainability and Transparency hosted by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the University of Amsterdam Business School. (presenter: Jamie Munn)
- May 2008 Accountability towards beneficiaries KPMG International Not-for-profit Event, workshop 1 (presenter: Nicholas Stockton)
- March 2008 Accountability Lessons Learnt Bangladesh (presenter: Monica Blagescu)
- March 2008 Accountability for Protection Delivery UNHCR / NGO retreat on International Protection (presenter: Nicholas Stockton)
- Feburary 2008 Gender-based Violence seminar Dtalk: Development Studies Center, Dublin Ireland (presenter: Katharina Samara-Wickrama)
- Feburary 2008 Briefing on HAP World Vision Zimbabwe (presenter: Monica Blagescu)
- January 2008 Humanitarian Accountability DfID Partners Meeting (presenter: Nicholas Stockton)
- January 2008 Master Class on Accountability Global Connections, UK (presenter: Sheryl Haw)
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