6.3 CARE’s Humanitarian Accountability Framework: Benchmark 4

Participation has been identified as one of CARE’s core commitments to humanitarian accountability under CARE’s Humanitarian Accountability Framework (for more details refer to Chapter 32 Quality and accountability). All programmes are required to reach the benchmark as described in section 6.3.1.

CARE has established systems that enable stakeholders to routinely input into our decision-making processes, including enabling stakeholders’ input into broader humanitarian policies and strategies, in addition to engagement on operational issues.

Who is mainly accountable in CARE?
National Directors, Secretary General, Country Directors, Programme Directors, Emergency Coordinators, Quality & Accountability Focal Points, Monitoring & Evaluation staff, CI Emergency Response Director.

What are the key references for this benchmark?
Sphere Common Standards 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6; HAP Benchmark 3; RCRC code Principle 6 and 7; CARE’s Programming Principles 1 and 3.

Indicators:

  1. CARE proactively identifies and works with representatives of the poorest and most marginalised people.
  2. Beneficiaries, or their representatives, participate in assessments, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and in decision-making to determine project activities throughout the lifecycle of the project.
  3. Beneficiaries and local communities are made aware of assessment, monitoring and evaluation findings.
  4. There is involvement of local government and partners in assessments, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
  5. Disaster response is built on local capacities, and emergency projects are designed to increase disaster response capacity.

CARE Emergency Toolkit links:
Chapter 30 ParticipationChapter 4 AssessmentChapter 9 Monitoring and evaluation

Supporting tools:
Annex 30.1 ALNAP Participation in emergencies handbookAnnex 30.4 IASC Gender handbook for humanitarian action