Volunteer Role - Individual member to HQAI’s Advisory and Complaints Board (ACB)

Location: home-based

Duration: 4 years, renewable once

Specificities: Pro-Bono Governance Position

Start date: end 2024

Engagement: variable, depending on the number of requests; approximately 4 to 8 days per year (used flexibly hour by hour)

Background

HQAI’s objective is to improve the Quality and Accountability of organisations working in the humanitarian ecosystem through the provision and promotion of meaningful and adapted independent quality assurance. Its services are intended to build capacity in the sector and provide consistent, measurable data in the delivery of quality action, thus improving principled, accountable, efficient provision of aid to vulnerable and at-risk populations.

To all its stakeholders, HQAI is an accountable, open and trustworthy partner which applies the internationally recognised ground rules of auditing, which are impartiality, competence, responsibility, openness, confidentiality and responsiveness to complaints. Our policies, procedures and tools for independent quality assurance follow relevant ISO standards requirements. HQAI’s CHS certification scheme is accredited against ISO/IEC 17065:2012.

The Advisory and Complaints Board (ACB), as described below, is also a cornerstone of HQAI’s credibility toward its stakeholders.

Scope

This is a non-paid role as a member of HQAI’s Advisory and Complaints Board (ACB), offering the potential to support a unique quality assurance mission for the humanitarian and development ecosystem.

The ACB safeguards the rules of impartiality, confidentiality and avoiding conflicts of interest in the work of HQAI. In this function, the ACB acts independently from the Secretariat and from other corporate bodies but reports through the ACB Chair to the Board of Directors.

Tasks & Responsibilities

The ACB meets at least twice a year (online), or more frequently if the ACB deems necessary.

A minimum of 50% of the members of the ACB must be present at any meeting to form a quorum.

At each meeting, the ACB shall, as a minimum, review the following items

1. all quality assurance assessments completed since the previous meeting;
2. a justification of all Major Weaknesses or Major Corrective Actions issued during the reporting period;
3. all situations where a potential conflict of interest may have existed (questioning of impartiality), and the appropriateness of the actions taken to address each such situation;
4. all instances where audited partners and/or interested parties have expressed dissatisfaction with HQAI’s services;
5. any significant change in HQAI’s schemes (benchmarking, verification and certification);
6. HQAI’s updated risk matrix.

Once per year, the ACB conducts sample-based quality control of certification decisions.

The ACB may establish ad hoc sub-committees to consider specific matters which it deems to require in-depth study.

The Chair of the ACB will set-up an Appeal Panel in the event of an organisation appealing a quality assurance decision of HQAI (according to POL049 Appeal policy and PRO049 Appeal Procedure).

All meetings are facilitated by the Chair, who also reports ACB matters to the Board of Directors (four times a year) and holds additional responsibilities, including managing processes amongst ACB members and with the Secretariat.

The ACB membership is home-based. Meetings are usually online. Should face-to-face meetings be organised travel expenses will be covered by HQAI.

Also, read HQAI’s Articles of Association at this link: GOV001.

Qualifications and skills

The members of the ACB shall be well experienced (minimum five years) and qualified professionals in their respective fields. Collectively, they should represent the following expertise:

1. Knowledge of the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) and other relevant standards applicable to organisations that work with people affected by crisis;
2. Experience of verification and/or quality assurance and/or accreditation processes;
3. Experience in dealing with complaints and appeals in a mediator or ombudsman role;
4. Experience in the development of policies relating to impartiality and independence;
5. Experience in ethics and integrity;
6. Experience in legal matters;
7. Fluency in English.

The members of the ACB shall be able to represent the interests of the following HQAI stakeholders' categories:

1. national and international aid organisations;
2. international aid experts;
3. donors / due diligence processes;
4. auditors.

This is a key opportunity to invest your skills, experience and time in a gratifying pro-bono role to strengthen accountability in the aid sector. If you are excited by this proposition and can demonstrate ability to understand, analyse and review technically complex information, we would be delighted to hear from you.