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Self Report 2017

The self-report on WHS Commitments below is organized according to the 24 transformations of the Agenda for Humanity. It is based on commitments pledged at the time of report submission. Click on the 'Expand' symbol to expand each section and read the reporting inputs by transformation.

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2B
Ensure full access to and protection of the humanitarian and medical missions

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility

  • ICVA commits to strengthen support to - €”and advocacy for - principled humanitarian action. Acknowledging that humanitarian principles are under severe threat, ICVA will advocate for the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, with a focus on humanitarian partnerships, coordination, financing and forced displacement.


  • Advocacy
  • Uphold the Norms that Safeguard Humanity

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    ICVA is a global NGO network promoting principled and effective humanitarian action. As such, ICVA continues to advocate for the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence across all of its endeavours.

  • Achievements at a glance

    Embedded in its statues, mission and strategic plan, ICVA continues to advocate for principled humanitarian action across all its areas of work. Most prominently through ICVA's continued engagement in the various IASC mechanisms, including the Principals, the Emergency Directors Group, the Working Group, the Humanitarian Financing Task Team and the Regional networks.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    ICVA is tracking its progress and impact of these activities in line with ICVA's 2015 - 2018 Strategic Plan and Work Plan. In November and December 2016, ICVA commissioned an independent review, identifying the impact of its work and progress in relation to the strategic plan. Information will be released upon the report's completion.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    ICVA will continue to promote principled humanitarian action across focus areas of humanitarian financing, coordination, partnerships and forced displacement. Into 2017 and beyond, this will include implicit advocacy throughout the organisation, and may also include specific initiatives promoting principled humanitarian action.

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Humanitarian principles

4A
Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • Acknowledging an evolving humanitarian landscape, ICVA commits to maintain strong partnerships with established humanitarian actors and promote stronger engagement with emerging humanitarian actors and regional organizations.
  • Partnership
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
  • ICVA commits to advocate for governments, donors, the UN, NGOs and all humanitarian actors to fulfill their responsibilities to be accountable to those affected by crises, and to better institutionalize strong partnerships based on the Principles of Partnership.
  • Advocacy
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
  • ICVA commits to provide support to NGO fora, through practical guidance on governance mechanisms, advocacy strategies and initiatives, and promote their engagement within the humanitarian system.
  • Partnership
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need
  • Recognizing insufficient opportunities for NGO engagement in humanitarian governance, ICVA commits to increase the understanding of, and sustained engagement by NGOs in humanitarian policy and decision-making processes, with a strong focus on national NGOs, NGOs from the global South and NGO fora.
  • Partnership
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to increase substantially and diversify global support and share of resources for humanitarian assistance aimed to address the differentiated needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises in fragile situations and complex emergencies, including increasing cash-based programming in situations where relevant.
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
  • Commit to empower national and local humanitarian action by increasing the share of financing accessible to local and national humanitarian actors and supporting the enhancement of their national delivery systems, capacities and preparedness planning.
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    ICVA, as a global NGO network, is committed in promoting inclusivity in the architecture and operations of the humanitarian sector. This is first achieved internally, whereby ICVA aims for 75% of members, and member engagement, to be with local and national NGOs, medium-sized NGOs and NGO fora.

  • Achievements at a glance

    ICVA maintained engagement with established humanitarian actors, including the UN, NGOs and Governments traditionally supporting humanitarian action. This occurs through ICVA's participation in the various IASC mechanisms, and continues to co-chair the IASC Humanitarian Financing task team. ICVA has strengthened relationships with humanitarian actors including ASEAN, LAS and IGAD, through a range of bilateral dialogue and events. ICVA coordinated three NGO briefings to Member States in Geneva, highlighting key NGO messages related to the Iraq offensive, the Humanitarian-Development nexus, and the 19 September Summit. ICVA held a series of consultations with NGO fora, and is now in the final stages of designing a two-year project to better support NGO fora, providing targeted support in strategy development, HR and advocacy. ICVA has successfully launched its first online Humanitarian Learning Stream, focused on humanitarian financing, reaching over 2000 individuals worldwide in its first few months.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    ICVA is tracking its progress and impact of these activities in line with ICVA's 2015 - 2018 Strategic Plan and Work Plan. In November and December 2016, ICVA commissioned an independent review, identifying the impact of its work and progress in relation to the strategic plan. Information will be released upon the report's completion.

  • Challenges faced in implementation

    While ICVA's secretariat is comprised of a small team and as such, has limited capacity to undertake a myriad of activities, much momentum has been built over the preceding six months.
    Time is also required to invest in and develop relationships with additional, diverse humanitarian actors.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    ICVA is tracking its progress and impact of these activities in line with ICVA's 2015 - 2018 Strategic Plan and Work Plan. Further engagement with diverse humanitarian actors is planned. An additional six NGO briefings to Member States are planned for 2017. ICVA is commencing a successive learning stream in 2017, focusing on coordination. ICVA's project to support NGO fora will be implemented as of the first quarter of 2017

  • Cross cutting issues

    ☑Humanitarian principles

5A
Invest in local capacities

Joint Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • ICVA reaffirms its commitment to help humanitarian NGOs better understand, influence, and access humanitarian financing. To this end, ICVA will gather, synthesize and disseminate information to NGOs related to developments in humanitarian financing. ICVA will convene webinars, teleconferences, face-to-face meetings and develop educational tools to help NGOs better understand what is happening in the field of humanitarian financing.
  • Capacity
  • Invest in Humanity
Partners: All ICVA Members

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to empower national and local humanitarian action by increasing the share of financing accessible to local and national humanitarian actors and supporting the enhancement of their national delivery systems, capacities and preparedness planning.
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    ICVA remains committed to supporting NGOs (especially local and national NGOs and NGO fora) to more meaningfully engage in influencing the humanitarian sector. In order to achieve this, NGOs must first have a better understanding of the humanitarian sector, including its structures, processes and actors.

  • Achievements at a glance

    ICVA has successfully launched its first online Humanitarian Learning Stream, focused on humanitarian financing, reaching over 2000 individuals worldwide in its first few months.
    This learning stream, primarily targeting NNGOs, SINGOs and NGO fora, includes webinars, briefing papers and short videos (translated into Arabic and French). Learning stream topics completed include: 1. An introduction to humanitarian financing; 2. NGO access to UN funding; 3. NGO engagement in pooled funding; and 4. NGO funding from bilateral sources.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    ICVA is tracking its progress and impact of these activities in line with ICVA's 2015 - 2018 Strategic Plan and Work Plan. In November and December 2016, ICVA commissioned an independent review, identifying the impact of its work and progress in relation to the strategic plan. Information will be released upon the report's completion.

  • Challenges faced in implementation

    There is an extremely diverse set of actors engaged in the humanitarian sector, with different levels of knowledge and capacity. It is challenging to develop products which remain relevant to a wide audience, while remaining short, succinct and accessible. Online learning platforms, while offering much more accessibility than in-person learning, has clear limitations related to the strength of Internet connections, which is often poor in more remote locations.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    From January - March 2017, additional relevant topics will be rolled out through the learning stream, including: NGOs and private funding and a bonus topic: The Grand Bargain explained, including an extended briefing paper which will be disseminated widely and support humanitarian actors to better understand the Grand Bargain and its 10 work streams.

  • Specific initiatives

    ☑Grand Bargain

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑4A - Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems

5D
Finance outcomes, not fragmentation: shift from funding to financing

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • ICVA commits to actively advocate to improve frontline responder access to funds; promote financial transparency; and increase multi-year funding, leveraging its current role as co-chair of the IASC Humanitarian Financing Task Team.
  • Financial
  • Invest in Humanity

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
  • Invest in Humanity
  • Commit to broaden and adapt the global instruments and approaches to meet urgent needs, reduce risk and vulnerability and increase resilience, without adverse impact on humanitarian principles and overall action (as also proposed in Round Table on "Changing Lives").
  • Invest in Humanity

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    This commitment is grounded in ICVA's belief that the humanitarian system must move away from a centralised, command and control, one-system-fits-all approach, to an ecosystem of diverse actors, where frontline responders receive adequate and timely resources. Promoting greater transparency of aid; increased support to local and national actors; and multi-year planning and funding are clear avenues to implement this commitment.

  • Achievements at a glance

    Transparency: Since the adoption of the Grand Bargain ICVA has engaged in bilateral conversations with the Netherlands, Development Initiatives (DI) and OCHA/FTS to explore options for NGOs to provide feedback on the roll-out of IATI-related initiatives. ICVA has also asked DI and Publish What You Fund to analyze the proposed GPPi 10+3 reporting template to identify potential synergies/ duplication with the transparency workstream.

    Localisation: ICVA has participated in the “IASC+” working group to develop a “localization marker.” ICVA is promoting greater investment in capacity through its partnership with UNHCR to systematically invest in its national NGO partners’ capacity. ICVA, APRRN, and Mercy Malaysia organized a strategic workshop held in Bangkok in September 2016.

    Multi-year funding: As co-chair of the HFTT, ICVA engaged in meetings and retreats, including a working session on multi-year planning and funding.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    ICVA is tracking its progress and impact of these activities in line with ICVA's 2015 - 2018 Strategic Plan and Work Plan. In November and December 2016, ICVA commissioned an independent review, identifying the impact of its work and progress in relation to the strategic plan. Information will be released upon the report's completion.

    ICVA is following the agreed self-reporting mechanism for the Grand Bargain, reporting on ICVA's engagement and progress across the various work streams.

    As co-Chair of the HFTT, ICVA participates in creating, implementing and reviewing the respective annual workplan.

  • Challenges faced in implementation

    There are a large number, size and complexity of humanitarian actors looking to improve the timeliness, effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian financing. With a very diverse set of actors, a significant amount of time, consultation and political leadership is needed to make both minor, and more structural change in the current humanitarian financing methods and architecture.

  • Next step to advance implementation in 2017

    Transparency: ICVA will develop and execute a plan, in partnership with DI and the Netherlands, to provide NGO feedback on the roll-out of the IATI initiative. The HFTT is developing “key messages” on interlinkages between IATI and FTS (why, when and how).

    Localisation: ICVA will support a HFTT study, symposium, and proposed “Framework for Change” on how to make funding for NNGOs more adequate and accessible in country contexts.
    ICVA will continue to engage in the process to develop the localization marker, and contribute to the IFRC-Swiss planned workshop.

    Multi-year funding: HFTT members are launching a study, released in June.

  • Specific initiatives

    ☑Grand Bargain

  • Other related Agenda for Humanity transformations

    ☑4A - Reinforce, do not replace, national and local systems

5E
Diversify the resource base and increase cost-efficiency

Joint Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • ICVA commits to actively engage in the implementation the Grand Bargain.
  • Operational
  • Invest in Humanity
Partners: All ICVA Members
  • ICVA commits to actively monitor the Grand Bargain, entailing a dual focus ofp articipating in monitoring the implementation of the changes proposed through the Grand Bargain process and, monitoring the impact of the Grand Bargain on NGOs and frontline responders.
  • Operational
  • Invest in Humanity
Partners: All ICVA Members

Individual Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Commitment Type
  • Core Responsibility
  • ICVA commits to support harmonizing and simplifying reporting requirements. The #LessPaperMoreAid project, supported by ICVA members, has demonstrated the impact of donor and UN requirements on NGO staff in the field as it relates to reporting, audits and partner capacity assessments. The project produced a Framework for Change with practical suggestions for improvement, and has been a key input into the Grand Bargain discussions related to harmonized and simplified reporting - both narrative and financial. ICVA commits to continuing this initiative to facilitate more simplified, proportionate, and harmonized reporting requirements by the end of 2018.
  • Financial
  • Invest in Humanity
  • ICVA commits to support the reduction of management costs and harmonizing UN-NGO partnership agreements. The Grand Bargain commitment on reducing management costs includes an agreement to harmonize UN partnership agreements with NGOs. Utilising its expertise in facilitating strengthened NGO partnership agreements with UNHCR, UNICEF and OCHA Country- Based Pooled Funds, ICVA commits to providing a platform for NGO engagement to ensure this harmonization positively impacts frontline responders, grounded in trust and guided by the Principles of Partnership.
  • Financial
  • Invest in Humanity

Core Commitment

  • Commitment
  • Core Responsibility
  • Commit to increase substantially and diversify global support and share of resources for humanitarian assistance aimed to address the differentiated needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises in fragile situations and complex emergencies, including increasing cash-based programming in situations where relevant.
  • Change People's Lives: From Delivering Aid to Ending Need Invest in Humanity
  • Commit to promote and increase predictable, multi-year, unearmarked, collaborative and flexible humanitarian funding toward greater efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability of humanitarian action for affected people.
  • Invest in Humanity

  • What led your organization to make the commitment?

    This commitment is grounded in ICVA's believe that the humanitarian system must move away from a centralised, command and control, one-system-fits-all approach, to an ecosystem of diverse actors, where frontline responders receive adequate and timely resources. Promoting greater transparency of aid; increasing support to local and national actors; harmonizing and simplifying reporting requirements, and promoting multi-year planning and funding are clear avenues to implement this commitment.

  • Achievements at a glance

    When the Grand Bargain was signed - ICVA, with support of members, published Less Paper More Aid which included proposed Frameworks for Change related to reporting, partner capacity assessments and audits. ICVA and Germany hosted an April 2016 workshop with Grand Bargain Sherpas to learn from this study and craft commitment language. ICVA and Germany, co-facilitated the 19 November workshop reconvening Grand Bargain signatories to learn about a proposed harmonized reporting template (by GPPI) and design a way forward.

    During the reporting period, ICVA, as part of the HFTT was planning for a session to decide on next steps to improve the interoperability of partner capacity assessments, to be held in January 2017. ICVA is preparing to host the first-ever workshop bringing together UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP and OCHA to brief NGOs on their ideas to harmonize partner selection, due diligence, agreement templates, budgets, reporting and shared audits.

  • How is your organization assessing progress

    ICVA is tracking its progress and impact of these activities in line with ICVA's 2015 - 2018 Strategic Plan and Work Plan. In November and December 2016, ICVA commissioned an independent review, identifying the impact of its work and progress in relation to the strategic plan. Information will be released upon the report's completion.

    ICVA is following the agreed self-reporting mechanism for the Grand Bargain, reporting on ICVA's engagement and progress across the various work streams.

    As co-Chair of the HFTT, ICVA participates in creating, implementing and reviewing the respective annual workplan.

  • Challenges faced in implementation

    Donors and humanitarian agencies are calling for increasing information on where and how their funds are utilised. Core donor requirements need to be met, however these reporting requirements are becoming excessively burdensome for agencies, especially NGOs with more limited capacity to invest in reporting. Instilling change in this arena is a slow process, requiring strong political leadership from donor agencies. Further, UN humanitarian agencies maintain their own standard partnership agreements and audit process for partnering with NGOs. However, these are often duplicative and require NGOs to undertake very similar processes for several agencies, required significant NGO time.

  • Specific initiatives

    ☑Grand Bargain

Attachments

  • WHS Commitments Attachments
    Transformation - 5E | Grand Bargain