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1. What is Credibility Alliance?
2. Who is taking this initiative to enhance credibility?
3. Why are we talking about credibility?
4. What do you mean by enhancement of credibility?
5. What are the major initiatives undertaken by CA?
6. What are the guiding principles of CA?
7. What is the structure of CA?
8. How different is the Credibility Alliance from other networks and federations?
9. Is the process donor driven?
10. Do you see the role of Government / donor agencies in endorsing/ implementing the Norms developed / activities of CA? |
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| 1. What is Credibility Alliance? |
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| Credibility Alliance aspires to be a nodal agency for good governance practices in the voluntary sector. It is an initiative by a collective of voluntary organisations committed towards enhancing accountability and transparency in the voluntary sector through good governance. CA was registered in May 2004 as an independent, not-for-profit organisation after an extensive consultative process over a period of two years involving thousands of voluntary organisations all over India. As an organisation CA aspires to build trust among all the stakeholders through improving governance within the voluntary sector. |
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| Credibility Alliance is a professional body that will set norms or standards of governance. These norms shall operate on the principle of self-regulation that respects the autonomy and seeks to preserve the spirit of innovation in the voluntary sector. As an initiative whose hallmark has been the participatory approach, Credibility Alliance shall develop suitable norms through wide-ranging consultation with and participation of diverse organisations within the sector. It plans to achieve this by developing a large membership base. The members shall participate in the process of evolving suitable guidelines based on voluntary disclosure of information and adhere to them. This shall promote the ideals of accountability and transparency within the voluntary sector. In addition, Credibility Alliance is developing an Accreditation System based on the norms to strengthen and enhance the legitimacy and the credibility of the sector. Capacity building initiatives required to equip voluntary organisations to meet the norms shall also be promoted. |
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| 2. Who is taking this initiative to enhance credibility? |
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The beginnings of Credibility Alliance was in December 2001, when a meeting was co-hosted Charities Aid Foundation and Childline India Foundation on the “Need for an NGO Consultative Framework”. A cross-section of organisations, with experience in working in relevant fields participated in it. At the meeting it was decided that a set of ‘minimum' norms for good governance, accountability and transparency of the voluntary sector would be developed. A working group was formed and it was decided that the process of defining norms have to emerge through an inclusive/participatory method. They also agreed upon to share the leadership, financial and administrative and secretarial functions on a periodically rotating manner.
At this stage, it was felt necessary to understand and bring together various parameters that had already been developed by various organisations such as Charities Aid Foundation, Childline India Foundation IndianNGOS. Com, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Voluntary Action Network of India, Society for Service of Voluntary Agencies, (expand) MACS (expand) MACRIL. Some of the processes and criteria used abroad were also looked into (those in Philippines and USA.). The norms were discussed among this group and sub-committees were formed to further develop good practice guidelines. The working group developed the set of norms for good governance in the voluntary sector. |
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| In the first part of 2002, as part of the consensus building exercise, the norms were mass mailed to over 15,000 partners/members/affiliates and feedback was solicited. Feedback was received from more than 500 organisations, with more than 94% of the organisations agreeing on the need for minimum norms of governance for the voluntary sector. |
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| In July 2002, the national meet at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, 78 organisations met to discuss the plan of action to disseminate the norms to grassroots organisations. As a part of this exercise, more than 20000 copies of the Norms booklet were circulated in addition to circulation through the Net, 75 regional, state and district level meetings were held all over India and nearly 2000 organisations participated in the process. The feedback gave an overwhelming mandate for the Credibility Alliance initiative with 96% agreeing to the need for such norms and willingness to comply with and be a member of an organisation promoting such norms. |
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| A National Workshop in New Delhi November 2003 decided to give an independent institutional structure for Credibility Alliance with formal registration as an organisation for promoting the cause of good governance in the voluntary sector. Thus, Credibility Alliance was registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 on the 29th May, 2004. |
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| 3. Why are we talking about credibility? |
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| The voluntary sector is not organised and the regulatory mechanisms in place do not adequately provide us the opportunity to enhance our credibility. In contrast, the Government is accountable to people through the democratic process and the business sector is accountable to its stakeholders. In this context a self-regulatory framework, built by us from WITHIN the sector, that allows for the establishment of norms, their promotion and adoption, and ultimately certification that organisations meet these norms, would strengthen and enhance the credibility of the voluntary sector. It would be a positive recognition of the ideal of good governance, as it would also increase its transparency and accountability. In the long run, it would also preserve the autonomy of the sector. |
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| 4. What do you mean by enhancement of credibility? |
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| Credibility implies instilling confidence amongst the public and community to the effect that an organisation is working efficiently towards its stated objectives. There are several ways to enhance the credibility of an organisation. The initiative of Credibility Alliance aims to enhance the credibility of the voluntary sector through promoting “Credibility Alliance Norms of Good Governance” and by building capacities of organisations to comply. (hyperlink CANGG) Compliance to the norms is voluntary, because the underlying principle is one of self-regulation. |
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| 5. What are the major initiatives undertaken by CA? |
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- Consensus and membership building.
- Development and continual improvement of Norms.
- CA shall set up an accreditation mechanism to accredit registered VOs in India.
- CA shall certify Capacity Building agencies to the help VOs comply with the norms.
- Information and communication support for enhancement of credibility.
- Policy advocacy for enhancement of credibility.
- An interactive website which also serves as a valuable platform for VOs to get recognition as ‘good organisations'.
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| 6. What are the guiding principles of CA? |
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- The process of setting the norms for enhancing credibility of the voluntary sector is being initiated and led by the sector itself.
- The norms shall be designed in such a way that organisations - small and large, local and international, working in India, are able to comply.
- Compliance to the norms shall be voluntary, because the underlying principle is one of self-regulation. The Norms will not be imposed on any organisation.
- The promotion and modification of the norms will continue to evolve in a participatory manner.
- Accreditation/ evaluation against these norms shall be a separate process by agencies other than the Credibility Alliance.
- The Norms emphasise disclosure, in keeping with the principles of transparency and accountability, rather than for value judgement.
- By coming together in this way, the voluntary sector will be able to influence policy and decision-making at state, national and international levels, and with other fora outside the Voluntary Sector.
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| 7. What is the structure of CA? |
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| The membership of CA constitutes of registered VOs. Member organisations shall form the regional/state committees and the committees will nominate representatives to a national level general body, which will then elect the board. CA shall have a board from different sections of the civil society. The Board, in turn will nominate various committees to look into specific themes like revision of norms, accreditation and membership. A team of Programme Officers and a supportive administrative team would carry out the core executive functions of CA. This team would function under the leadership of the Executive Director. |
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| 8. How different is the Credibility Alliance from other networks and federations? |
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| Today, there are many collectives of organisations most of which focus on a particular agenda such as health, human rights, etc. Existing networks have not been giving enough emphasis on issues of good governance of the voluntary sector. It is also necessary to have a network that can promote issues of transparency and accountability across organisations with diverse agendas. |
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| 9. Is the process donor driven? |
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| No. The driving force for this initiative has emerged from within the sector itself, amongst grassroot organisations and networks as described in history. The process is taking forward the mandate that Credibility Alliance has gained through extensive discussion among a large number of voluntary organisations all over the country. The refinement and development of multi-layered norms would also be based on discussion among Alliance members. Donors and Government grant making bodies are involved to the extent of endorsing the CA norms for which CA is presently making efforts. |
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| 10. Do you see the role of Government / donor agencies in endorsing/ implementing the Norms developed / activities of CA? |
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| As part of its policy advocacy to enhance the credibility of the voluntary sector, CA is making efforts both with the Government and Donor agencies as well as with the Corporate sector to endorse the CA norms. For example, GIVE Foundation has already made it mandatory for its partner organisations to adhere to the Minimum and Desirable norms of CA. However, it should be noted that neither membership in CA nor accreditation nor self-disclosure through Transparency Profile is a substitute for legally mandated reporting and does not override any local or national legislation. |
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