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CHS: independent certification 

The Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality & Accountability is a measurable and verifiable standard to asses and improve the quality of aid. ZOA's CHS certification is an important recognition of the quality and accountability of our work, and a critical tool to stay sharp in our daily work.

Accountability

Accountable to beneficiaries

Accountability is a general term for being accountable to different stakeholders such as donors, our constituency and our partners. Beneficiary accountability is more specifically the commitment to be accountable to beneficiaries and communities in our projects. It requires that organisations in their management, quality assurance and whole way of working take the views and priorities into account of those who are affected by their work.

Being accountable to beneficiaries

Being accountable to beneficiaries is very important in the humanitarian sector as there is a power imbalance between aid organisations and the people they work with. They often find themselves in vulnerable situations with limited means. For ZOA, being accountable to beneficiaries means structurally giving them the information they need to hold us to account. It also requires that our beneficiaries are able to participate in the projects as well as being able to give feedback and report a complaint in case something is not right. The CHS certification cycle will keep us on this process of continuous learning and improving on quality and accountability.

Member of the CHS Alliance

ZOA is member of the CHS Alliance which is a global alliance of 150+ organisations that aims to strengthen accountability and to put people affected by crisis at the centre by implementing the CHS. Quality and accountability have always been at the heart of ZOA’s activities. In 2019, the independent auditors from HQAI – the certification body – assessed the quality and accountability of ZOA’s policies and processes and their implementation in practice against the CHS-standard. The audit involved document reviews, interviews with staff, partners, input of communities and beneficiaries, other stakeholders and direct observation at selected country project sites. In 2020, ZOA received CHS certification. The CHS certification is valid for four years provided that annual periodic checks confirm the continuing conformity with the requirements of the standard. The current CHS certificate is awarded for a four-year period and runs till February 2024.

Learn more about the CHS alliance and HQAI on their websites.