One audit for more than one purpose: Introducing HQAI CHS+ audits

Do you want to avoid juggling multiple assessments to meet the diverse requirements of different stakeholders?

Using CHS audit evidence as the primary data source for other reporting processes represents a way to increase cost-effectiveness, reduce audit fatigue, maintain the rigour expected from assessment holders and save time and effort.

What is HQAI CHS+?

HQAI offers a tailored auditing service beyond the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) requirements. This bespoke service allows audited partners to add additional requirements to their scheduled HQAI CHS audit, resulting in a more comprehensive assessment with extended scope, cost, and timeframe.

Ultimately, by using one audit to respond to multiple requirements, HQAI CHS+ audits are intended to bring efficiency to the audited partners, saving time, effort, and cost.

How does it work?

HQAI auditors add these additional requirements to the scheduled CHS audit using the same audit processes (document review, interviews, observation). We categorise these extra criteria based on their coverage by the CHS audit (fully informed by the CHS audit, partially informed or not informed), so to add to the audit only those requirements (the + of the CHS+) that are not already covered.

What can be added under the +?

A recent pilot confirmed that HQAI CHS+ audits can directly inform typical requirements in the areas of:

Governance and internal quality control
Quality project management
Downstream delivery with implementing partners
Safeguarding, PSEAH, code of conduct
Complaint mechanism and do no harm

Hence, requirements with an existing link to the CHS are most readily added to the scope of a CHS audit. Examples of additional requirements that could be added to an HQAI CHS+ audit include a charter of accountability, an environment charter, child protection standards, and inclusion standards.

Simultaneously, donor due diligence requirements can be relatively easily added. Tools for CHS+ bridges already exist for the following donor requirements: DG ECHO ex-ante Programmatic Partnership Assessments, UN PSEA assessment, DANIDA due diligence, and FCDO due diligence.

How many requirements can be added?

HQAI creates a bridge between its CHS audits and other requirements by individually analysing and classifying each commitment and requirement. The number of requirements that can be added will depend on their nature (i.e., how closely related they are to existing CHS requirements and the level of effort required to assess whether they are being met).

HQAI will work closely with audited partners to evaluate the feasibility of adding extra requirements, considering all time and resource constraints.

Are you ready to achieve greater efficiency?

Passporting allows for an organisation to waive part or the totality of a funder’s due diligence by providing another due diligence assessment that is recognised as sufficiently robust by the said funder.