HQAI Facilitation Fund
As a not-for-profit NGO, HQAI is committed to ensuring that its services are accessible to organisations working in the humanitarian and development sectors however small, whatever their budget, and wherever they are located.
Indeed, while auditing processes are recommended for organisations of all sizes, national and local organisations have found these services invaluable. Here’s what some of them have said about their experiences with HQAI:
CHS verification is not a one-time achievement but a commitment to ongoing improvement. It encourages organisations like ours to assess and enhance their policies, processes and practices continuously. Being verified against the CHS also publicly validates our commitment to upholding the highest standards of humanitarian practice and accountability internally. Showing that we are working hard to meet this global mark continually increases the credibility and trust we get from donors, partners and, most importantly – the people we serve.
Abdullah Al Kaff, Partnership Officer at Building Foundation for Development, September 2023
The simple reason is that local people are the first responders to any crisis as was evidenced by the Covid-19 pandemic and thus need to have the capacity to make important decisions in a limited time. Second, indigenous people know their context the best… While working for Friendship, before localisation even became a norm, I realised that unless the donors and people in need are brought together, the donor would never trust or understand the severity of the situation. Localisation has become the buzzword recently, but it needs to be implemented in a very systemic manner. There needs to be a clear understanding of what local and international organisations can do; considering that both have a very specific set of skills to offer. Simply put, an international organisation cannot understand the context better than a local individual and a local organisation cannot monitor as efficiently as an international organisation due to a lack of resources, as we can envisage in the coming years with the economic crunch everywhere, and human capital. Therefore, both organisations should try to fill each other’s gaps as opposed to engaging independently. We need to build this partnership together to make a global team and work towards better funding and aid. Let’s not look at local or national organisations as exclusive of each other and focus on the complementarity of the two.
Runa Khan, Executive Director of Friendship Bangladesh, March 2023 HQAI Annual Report 2022
The initial audit was a reality check on our systems and our accountability.
Rehema Kajungu, TPO Uganda, May 2022
Leaving no one behind
We understand that, for small and national organisations, the cost of an audit could be a barrier, as could the cost of auditor training for individuals. To address this, we created HQAI Facilitation Fund to support organisations that want to access HQAI's services, and individuals in covering their auditor training costs. Applications are made to an independent committee, which grants subsidies that can cover up to 90% of the cost of an audit or training.
Since 2017 the HQAI Facilitation Fund has granted subsidies worth 1,221,286 CHF to 17 organisations and 3 individuals in 12 countries.
Watch this video to learn what our local partners say about their role in the humanitarian and development sector.
Who can apply for the HQAI Facilitation Fund?
In a sector that offers so much diversity, the Committee gives priority to:
- National NGOs that bring direct assistance, internal auditors of such organisations and applicant HQAI external auditors established in countries with low HDI
- National NGOs working nationally through partners to bring assistance, internal auditors of such organisations and applicant HQAI external auditors established in countries with medium HDI
Apply for your subsidy!
HQAI Facilitation Fund is a not-to-be-missed opportunity and here is how interested organisations can apply to it:
- Decide which audit service you would like to request: certification, independent verification or benchmarking.
- Visit the application process site and indicate in your application the interest in the HQAI Facilitation Fund.
The detailed process of how the Committee grants subsidies and on what criteria these decisions are based are explained in the HQAI Facilitation Fund Policy (POL200).
Voices from our subsidised partners!
The Subsidy Fund is revolutionising organisations
TPO Uganda's take on independent verification against the CHS.
Takaful Alsham's CHS certification journey
"Since organisations can apply to the Subsidy Fund that covers up to 90% of the costs of the audit, it is accessible to any organisation," says Mohammed Ezaldeen, Takaful Alsham.
Another support option for small or national organisations is the Group scheme
Group scheme
The Group scheme allows for several organisations to apply collectively - as a Group - for our services and share the costs of the audit.
The Group scheme is very flexible and ideal for existing networks and alliances, but also for independent organisations that work together in one context (e.g. country, region, cluster).
