Public Accountability and Governance
At times of overseas emergency, the DEC brings together a unique alliance of the UK's leading aid charities.
The DEC is a member organisation and at present has 13 UK-based charity Chief Executives as Trustees. The DEC constitution requires the Board to be chaired by an independent Trustee, and the Board includes a further 5 independent Trustees including an Honorary Treasurer. Independent Trustees chair all Board sub committees, and are in the majority on the Committees for Audit and Membership.
The Member organisations are all leading UK charities with well developed arrangements for public accountability and the DEC is careful not to duplicate effort or expense. The agencies taking part in the appeal provide information to the DEC on what their programme will achieve for the affected people and report quarterly on progress to ensure that funds raised are used on activities relevant to the appeal causes.
The DEC Trustees report back on an annual basis on what the appeal has achieved; updates are also added to the DEC website. Their annual report includes details of how Members and the Secretariat have performed against agreed priorities including cost effective fundraising, achieving outcomes and upholding standards. Members report on their improvements each year.
The DEC Members are required, on a sample basis, to commission and publish an independent evaluation of what their share of the appeal fund has achieved including how they were accountable to the beneficiaries in disaster zone. In addition, the DEC may commission cross cutting themed evaluations, when these are required to complement the evaluations of member organisations.
The National Audit Office and Ernst and Young supported the development of the accountability framework which was introduced in 2007-08 financial year.
The DEC has clear membership criteria, which all member organisations must demonstrate that they meet. These include financial and legal requirements, and quality criteria including being a signatory to the Red Cross Code of Conduct and having a demonstrable commitment to agreed humanitarian standards.
November 2008
