People In Aid Annual report 2012

1 November 2011 - 31 October 2012People In Aid Annual Report

Photo Credits:Front page - CARE InternationalPage 10 - CARE InternationalPage 20 - International Aid ServicesPage 27 - Sierra Leone Red Cross SocietyPage 29 - Janet Cousens, Act for Peace

Members as of November 2012Accion Contra El Hambre FullAct for Peace FullAction Against Hunger UK FullActionAid Australia FullActionAid Bangladesh FullActionAid Brazil FullActionAid France FullActionAid Gambia FullActionAid Ghana FullActionAid Greece FullActionAid Guatemala FullActionAid India FullActionAid International FullActionAid Ireland FullActionAid Italy FullActionAid Kenya FullActionAid Malawi FullActionAid Mozambique FullActionAid Nepal FullActionAid Nigeria FullActionAid Sierra Leone FullActionAid Sweden FullActionAid Tanzania FullActionAid Thailand FullActionAid Uganda FullActionAid UK FullActionAid USA FullActionAid Zambia FullADRA International FullAfrica Humanitarian Action FullAga Khan Foundation Afghanistan FullAgency for Co-operation and Research in Development FullAll India Disaster Mitigation Institute FullAmnesty International FullArticle 19 FullAustralian Aid International Ltd FullAustralian Red Cross FullAustralian Volunteers International FullBritish Red Cross FullBuild Africa FullCAFOD - Catholic Agency for Overseas Development FullCanadian Red Cross FullCARE Australia FullCARE Austria FullCARE Canada FullCARE Denmark FullCARE France FullCARE Germany FullCARE International Secretariat FullCARE Japan FullCARE Nederland FullCARE Norway FullCARE Thailand - Raks Thai FullCARE UK FullCARE USA FullCatholic Relief Services USA FullCBM Australia FullCBM International FullCESVI FullChildFund International FullChristian Aid FullChristian Children’s Fund of Canada FullChurch World Service - Asia/Pacific FullChurch World Service - Pakiastan/Afghanistan FullCONCERN Universal FullCONCERN Worldwide FullCord FullCordaid FullDanish Refugee Council Full

Department for International Development FullEmergency Nutrition Network FullEveryChild FullFred Hollows Foundation FullGlobal Alliance for Improved Nutrition FullHabitat for Humanity International FullHAP International FullHealth Poverty Action FullHealthNet TPO FullHelpAge International FullHuman Relief Foundation FullICCO (Interchurch Organisation for Development Co-operation) FullIntermon Oxfam FullInternational Aid Services FullInternational Alert FullInternational Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies FullInternational Medical Corps USA FullInternational Nepal Fellowship FullIrish Red Cross FullIslamic Relief Deutschland FullIslamic Relief Italy FullIslamic Relief Worldwide FullJanaki Women Awareness Society FullJoint Aid Management FullLeprosy Mission International FullMalaria Consortium FullMalteser International FullMarie Stopes International FullMedair FullMedecins sans Frontieres Belgium FullMedecins sans Frontieres UK FullMedica Mondiale FullMercy Corps FullMercy Corps Scotland FullMERCY Malaysia FullMerlin FullMines Advisory Group FullMission Aviation Fellowship International FullMission Aviation Fellowship UK FullMission East FullMOPAWI FullMS ActionAid Denmark FullMuslim Aid FullMuslim Hands FullNew World Hope Organization FullNiza I.S.M. ActionAid FullNorwegian Refugee Council FullOxfam America FullOxfam Australia FullOxfam Canada FullOxfam Deutschland FullOxfam France FullOxfam GB FullOxfam Hong Kong FullOxfam International Secretariat FullOxfam Ireland FullOxfam Japan FullOxfam Mexico FullOxfam New Zealand FullOxfam Novib FullOxfam Quebec FullOxfam-Solidarite Belgium FullPeacebuilding UK FullPeople In Aid FullPlan International FullRedR UK FullRetrak FullRoyal Australasian College of Surgeons FullSafety Foundation for Development FullSamaritan’s Purse Full

Save the Children Sweden FullSave the Children UK FullSightsavers International FullSOS Kinderdorf International FullSUAS Educational Development FullTEAR Australia FullTearfund FullThailand Burma Border Consortium FullThe Brooke FullThe HALO Trust FullTraidcraft Exchange FullTrocaire FullUnitingWorld FullVoluntary Service Overseas (VSO) FullWar Child Netherlands FullWar Child UK FullWater and Sanitation for Africa FullWaterAid FullWelthungerhilfe FullWomankind Worldwide FullWorld Vision International FullWorld Vision UK FullYouth With A Mission England FullZOA FullAntares Foundation AssociateBritish Council AssociateCentre for PHHA (Public Health in Humanitarian Assistance) AssociateCentre for Safety and Development AssociateCiC - Employee Assistance AssociateCinfo AssociateComhlamh AssociateDisasters Emergency Committee AssociateHealthLink 360 AssociateInsideNGO AssociateInterHealth Worldwide AssociateOxford HR Consultants Ltd AssociateThe International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease AssociateThe Travel Doctor - TMVC AssociateViva Network AssociateVoluntary Organisations in Cooperation in Emergencies Associate British and Irish Agencies Afghanistan Group NetworkMuslim Charities Forum NetworkNigeria Network of NGOs NetworkWishes Alliance NetworkAfram Plains Development Organisation PartnerAkuapem Community Development Programme PartnerBinaba Area Community Health Project (BACH) PartnerConsortium of Christian Relief and Development Associations PartnerDwelling Places PartnerFundacion Acceso PartnerHIJRA PartnerLiberia Red Cross Society PartnerNew Energy PartnerOboomma Rural Action Programme PartnerProfessional Network Association PartnerProNet North PartnerRural Aid - Ghana PartnerSierra Leone Red Cross Society PartnerThe Brooke India PartnerThe Brooke Pakistan PartnerTilganga Institute of Ophthalmology PartnerUganda Red Cross Society PartnerVSO Jitolee Partner

| 3

ContentsMember list.................................................................2A word from our Executive Director…………………….4 –5Who are we?..............................................................6 –7Our history………………………………………………….8 –9Keeping abreast of trends and standards…….....….10 –11Knowledge exchange……………….……………….12 –13The Humanitarian HR network (HHR)………………...14Our specialist networks……………………………………...15Our resources……………………………………..….16 –17Our support services……………………………………… 18Working with partners……………………………………….19Recognising achievement…………………….....…...20 –21Where we work……………………………………….22 –23Members’ Survey 2012……………………………………….24Our finances………………………………………………….25Charitable giving: Our year in review………………………26Support good practice…………………………………….27People In Aid into the future………………………………..28Supporters.......................……………………………..30 Trustees and staff........................................................31

4 |

Performance

ReturnOnInvestment

DiversityTraining

TaleCommunityDistanceManagement

StrengtheningCapacity

Resourcing

Change

Security

Coaching

SafetySafety

Future Of WorkLeadership

Jonathan Potter is People In Aid’s Executive Director, responsible to the Trustees and

funders for the operational and financial performance of People In Aid, to the members

for ensuring People In Aid responds to staff needs needs effectively and efficiently, and

to staff for a productive working environment.

92%of members

feel ‘well treated’

94%would ‘recommend us to another agency’

89%find our work ‘practical and grounded

in reality’

| 5

ReturnOnInvestment

TaleCommunityDistanceManagement

StrengtheningCapacityChange

LeadershipA word from our Executive DirectorWhen I joined People In Aid in 2001 there were 22 members, 13 of them UK-based (60%). This year we reached 201 members, and a much lower percentage (29%) are from the UK. They are headquartered in 45 countries, they work in 193 countries, they spend over GB£15 billion on fulfilling their development and humanitarian missions and employ over 250,000 people.

This growth reflects the effort of People In Aid’s staff, to be sure, but also the heightened recognition of the importance of HR and people management in ensuring the quality of programmes and the effectiveness of organisations working in the sector – and the critical contribution People In Aid’s advocacy, services and support have made to that goal.

This is our first ever Annual Report summarising our activities and impact. We have allowed others to speak about those achievements where possible. We receive regular feedback about the services we offer, about the changes we have catalysed and the impact we have had. We have commissioned evaluations of our work (January 2011 and October 2012) and run an annual Members’ Survey which indicates our success in delivering what members want (page 24).

The following report gives a snapshot of the work we have done over the past 12 months, but is certainly not a complete guide. The report is split into sections with each referring to a particular strand of our work. As you flick through, you will find pages on our interactive networks, connecting peers around the world, our benchmarking and learning, information on the international events we hold, the support we give agencies, the downloadable tools we offer and an overview of the last 12 months broken down region by region.

Interlaced throughout all of the sections of this report is information on the partnerships that are such a major contributor to the breadth of topics we can cover, to the globality of our reach, as well as to the cost-effectiveness of the whole People In Aid operation.

We have had a successful past, as you can tell by the timeline located on pages 8 and 9. This report shows that we remain relevant in a dynamic sector and profiles the lasting impact we have on aid agencies and their beneficiaries around the world. If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to engage with us and our network, whether it be through using our many free resources from our website, attending an event or supporting us in the work we do. We are a network created by the aid sector for the aid sector and as such, please do contact us if you have any needs to express, support to offer, or experience to share. Information on how you can support our work is found on pages 26 and 27.

6 |

Who are we?

MissionOur mission is to advocate, support, and recognise good practice in the management of people in the humanitarian and development sector.

VisionOur vision is of a world in which organisations work effectively to eradicate poverty and reduce human suffering.

Strategic planOur strategic plan for 2012–15 can be viewed on our website, includes our values and our strategic goals for the next three years.

What do we look like?People In Aid is a global membership organisation dedicated to improving HR and people management practices within the humanitarian and development sector. This year our network reached over 200 humanitarian and development agencies. Spread across 45 countries, they represent more than £15 billion of aid spent last year.

Our strategic mandates1. Advocate good practice. We gather

and present the evidence to persuade that good people management enhances organisational effectiveness.

2. Stimulate and facilitate learning. We create and offer spaces and opportunities that enable organisations to learn from us and others to improve human resources systems, policies and practice.

3. Strengthen capacity. We support and equip agencies with the skills and tools that enable them to strengthen organisations’ HR and people management capacity.

.4 Recognise achievement. We certify and publicly acknowledge the commitment and improvements agencies make in HR management.

How are we governed?Our members decide on People In Aid’s strategy and direction. An Annual General Meeting of members elects a Board of Trustees of up to fifteen individuals. These oversee the organi-sation on our members’ behalf. Our 2011– 12 Board members are listed on page 30 . Up to five Trustees can be from non-member organisa-tions to ensure the necessary diversity of skills, experience and views.

Image: The missions of People In Aid members

“Knowing that there’s a global

network of HR in non-governmental

organisations gives me a

professional identity and I

feel connected.”

HR Manager, international

humanitarian organisation

“[Being a member of

People In Aid] Enhances our global

reputation”CEO,

international organisation

| 7

Why are we important...to the sector?Our views and analyses are respected and listened to throughout the sector. We have the largest transnational membership of any certifying or standards-setting organisation.

Conservative estimates show us reaching over 5,000 managers and HR staff across well over 500 organisations working in the sector worldwide.

...to organisations?We make an impact on every level of management and HR capacity in NGOs. Through increased effectiveness, organisations are better able to show the streamlined nature of their donors’ funds and the increased impact this has on their beneficiaries.

...to staff?Humanitarian and development staff improve their performance by accessing our resources, and services. By strengthening their management techniques and HR practices they become better at their work.

15 Trustees

62 Partner Consultants

State of HRThis year, our annual State of HR report centers on the effect the global recession has had on our sector, focussing on what makes every single international aid organisation work – people.

For the humanitarian and development aid sector, the recession has had a marked effect on many. It has created huge challenges in everything from fundraising to deployment, from headcount to compensation.

This report draws on experience and research from across the past year and offers not just a snapshot of the year but also a look at the ongoing challenges and opportunities the recession has presented.

Access the report atwww.peopleinaid.org

Take the People In Aid Tour

www.peopleinaid.org/welcome 201 members

10 Staff

8 |

AP

RIL1

994

The evaluation of the Rwandan genocide brings attention to flaws in the aid system highlighting the need for quality, accountability, learning processes and standards.

1994

JU

NE

19

95 Research

report Room for Improvement finds weaknesses in how staff were managed and supported, and recommends an agreed HR standard for the sector.

2

MAR

CH 1

997

MAY

199

9

People In Aid becomes aregistered charity.

People In Aid Code of Best Practice is first published.

JULY

200

1

Seven agencies implement the Code and publish theirfindings in Ahead of the Field.

The Code is revised and is now known as the Code of Good Practice.

50 Members

MAR

CH 2

005

A 5-year core grant from DFID received.

Our website www.peopleinaid.orgis re-designed to improve access to essential resources.

People In Aid hires Regional Consultants in Australia.

People In Aid hires Regional Consultant in East Africa.

As part of the Joint Standards Initiative, People In Aid is dedicated to supporting organisations’ efforts to relieve the drought crisis in East Africa.

100 Members 150 Members

OCT

OBER

2011

Our history

F

EBRU

ARY

2003

AU

GU

ST 2

009

D

ECEM

BER

2007

APR

IL 2

006

| 9

2011 – 2012

People In Aid hires Regional Consultant in East Africa.

As part of the Joint Standards Initiative, People In Aid is dedicated to supporting organisations’ efforts to relieve the drought crisis in East Africa.

150 Members

NO

VEM

BER

2011

International Strategic HR conference on Tomorrow’s Organisation – the people issues and how you can prepare for them is held in London, UK.

APR

IL 2

012

NGO Local Pay Surveys: Building Community, Capacity andConfidence is held in Bangkok, Thailand.

M

AY 2

012

HHR Europe conference 2012 on What Duties? Who Cares? ntegrate Your Approach to Health, Safety and Security held in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

JUN

E 20

12

HHR Africa conference 2012 on Health, Safety and Wellbeing of Aidworkers is held in Nairobi, Kenya.

M

AY 2

012 Our Welcome

Page is launched at www.peopleinaid.org/welcome

M

ARCH

201

2

Jointstandards.org is launched, hosting key standards and guidelines for the sector from the Joint Standards Initiative (HAP, The Sphere Project and People In Aid).

200+ Members

DEC

EMBE

R 20

11

Our reserach on The Importance of HR Management in Supporting Staff Working in Hazardous Environments is first published.

Vanbreda International make a global investment in our staff care and wellbeing agenda.

O

CTO

BER

2012

We continued to offer NGO Global Pay, the companion to NGO Local Pay in collaboration with Birches Group for internationally-recruited staff at headquarters and in the field. Over 50 organisations are now subscribed to this. You can learn more about NGO Global Pay at www.peopleinaid.org/networks/globalpay.aspx

Our endorsement of the Agenda Consulting’s sector-leading benchmarking study, People Count Third Sector, continued this year, providing a powerful tailor-made tool which organisations can use to contribute to performance improvement and cost management.

Now in our 13th year of offering salary benchmarking to

the sector, this year we again collaborated with The Birches Group and InsideNGO on NGO Local Pay. The surveys create reliable, tailored compensation data for the international NGO community.

This year’s subscriptions have been an overwhelming success with over 200 offices participating across five countries in East Africa alone:

• Ethiopia 27• Kenya 55• South Sudan 53• Tanzania 38• Uganda 31

On a global scale, over 1,400 participants now take part in the surveys stretching across over 150 countries worldwide, including Thailand, Haiti and Afghanistan. Visit www.peopleinaid.org/networks/localsurveys.aspx

1 0 |

Keeping abreast of trends and standardsOur staff, including our highly skilled HR Services Team, work with partners and agencies around the globe to ensure the sector stays ahead of the curve when it comes to emerging practices.

Benchmarking

“As a first time participant in 2011 the study output has been extremely valuable in areas where our records are

robust and we have been able to provide good input enabling us to compare our performance against our

chosen peer group of participants.The study has also been really helpful in identifying where we are lacking in effective management information and giving us a

framework to make improvements.”Director of HR, international humanitarian

and development organisation

Twitter We profile resources and information on a different HR and people manage-ment theme during the first week of every month. The past year has covered:

Learning and Development, Retention, World Humanitarian Day, Globalisation, Coaching, Diver-sity, Recruitment, Reward, Future of Work, Safety and Security, Talent, Leadership

Follow us @peopleinaid

“[People In Aid] is an organisation taking lead not only on buidling and strengthening HR systems

and procedures, but it is making a strong impact on motivating the sector’s leadership to become

innovative in cultivating a work culture which is diverse, stimulating, rewarding and accomplishing for

employees.”

People In Aid NewsletterThis year’s themes:

Preparing for the FutureCoachingReward

issuesper year3

45%agreed that the newsletterhad changed the way they worked in 2012

89%felt the newsletter was relevant to their needs

“

“

Reflections from the newsletter contributors have helped me think more broadly about the competencies, leadership and management development. For example, the future of people management issue makes me think again about how we should be addressing issues of heavy (impossible?) workloads. I do find the newsletter extremely useful in my work.”Learning and Development Consultant.International Humanitarian Organisation, 2012

I find the newsletter so interesting and informative that I would be happy to receive them each month. It is hard to find information on HR topics for the humanitarian sector, and a regular publication such as this is invaluable.”Human Resources Specialist, International.Development Organisation, 2012

4000+ Readers150+ Countries

1800+ Organisations

Recipients were asked to feedback in January:

| 11

More than 150 organisations of varying sizes worldwide have been involved in the study since the beginning. Topics covered over the past year include recruitment, retention, employee relations and reward strategy.

For more information visit www.agendaconsulting.co.uk

The INGO Management Agenda 2012Our ongoing collaboration with Roffey Park on the INGO cut of their Management Agenda research continues to provide a snapshot of how organisations are really operating in the current climate.

The report presents a robust way of triangulating the environmental scanning process that individual organisations undertake as part of their annual planning cycle, and the data gives crucial insights that inform and underpin organisations’ people strategy.

Results from this year’s INGO Management Agenda report show that employees across all sectors remain concerned about job security. The financial performance of INGOs has remained at a similar level compared to last year, although some organisations report a net reduction in income once inflation is taken into account. Tackling underperformance will be key to enhancing success, but this remains a key issue for many INGOs.

Keeping abreast of trends and standards

Supporting those working in the fieldFor over a decade, People In Aid has delivered first-rate support to HR and people managers working in the humanitarian and development sector. As we as a sector continue to tackle complex aid situations worldwide, we also recognise the need to provide the same quality of service to those operating on the ground, at the epicentre of crises.

It is with this in mind that in October 2012 we designed our first regular email newsletter aimed specifically at those working in the field. It is our hope that the resources, tools, links and information profiled in the quarterly email will make an impact on the way that aidworkers conduct their work, manage and function within their team and, most importantly, respond to the needs of the beneficiaries they serve.

Members’ UpdateOur Members’ Update is an e-newsletter combining news, new resources from People In Aid, blog posts, book reviews and other useful and topical information sent to our members every six weeks.

1 2 |

Our events don’t stop at the doorOver the last year we have worked directly in over 17 countries. Though teleconferences, videos and event webpages, however, we have allowed thousands of others worldwide to benefit from our resources.

“People In Aid provides a great network and source of information for all NGOs who are wanting to build on their current capacities, processes and policies.”HR Manager, international development organisation, UK

Our key learning summaries from the HHR conferences in May and June were particularly well-received this year, with blogs from the events alone being read over 1,000 times. Last November’s International HR Conference and December’s Boundary Spanning Leadership workshop as well as October’s Collaborative Leadership for Social Impact event also offered those unable to attend on the day access to videos, interviews with speakers, key learning bullet points, participant comments and much more.

Knowledge exchangeAs part of our work, we create spaces in which organisations can learn, train staff and network with others to improve the performance of their organisation through better HR and people management practices.

Case studyVSO is the world’s leading independent internationaldevelopment agency working for change through volunteers. Last year, VSO sent their Training and Development Advisor to take part in a Debriefing Staff workshop run by People In Aid.

“To achieve success in our development work improving our internal processes

is critical.”VSO Annual Report 2012

Previously, VSO’s post-deployment focus, although there, was small in comparison to the work they do on briefing volunteers – unless volunteers had returned early due to either personal reasons or issues to do with their placement.

Having implemented their over-arching ‘People First’ strategy recently, prioritising their staff and armed with their learning from the Debriefing Staff workshop the year before, VSO pledged to offer debriefing to all volunteers – not only to those who returned early from assignments.

“After I left the [People In Aid] Debriefing workshop in June, I went back to my Manager, told her about the fantastic training and pointed out some things that we could be doing as an organisation….we looked at the whole process of debriefing, and made recommendations for change based on the workshop.”

The change in the debriefing policy helped achieve VSO’s mission to develop a longer relationship with their volunteers and develop mutual support of each other. Volunteers are now more likely to advocate and champion the VSO cause, because their experience with VSO is seen in an increasingly positive way.

“Each time I come out of that room after debriefing, I have a sense that I am doing the right thing... I think our new approach to debriefing makes it a very valuable process for ALL aid workers – whether they’ve had a positive or negative experience, I think this is something that can be used by everybody.” Training and Development Advisor & Debriefer, VSO

View all these at www.peopleinaid.org/events

International HR Conference: Preparing for the future of workWe hosted our annual conference in November 2011, bringing together over 70 people representing at least 45 agencies across 14 countries. The conference explored the people-related issues organisations will face over the next ten years as well as the future socio-economic challenges, ensuring that the humanitarian and development sector is prepared.

92% of participants rated the conference as very good or excellent.

“Most conferences are simply a history lesson – people tell you what

they have done, what successes and disasters they have been

involved with. This conference was not about yesterday, it was about getting aid organisations ready to

face the future.”Mike Johnson, Chairman,

FutureWork Forum

Speakers on the future-thinking topics included the President of Corporate and Government Affairs at Manpower, the President of Federal Public Service Social Security in Belgium, as well as the Chief Executive of WaterAid.

85% of participants said that the conference was of significant use to them.

Website visitors HHR Europe Conference 2012 The International Strategic HR Conference HHR Africa Conference 2012 HHR Europe Conference 2011 Workshop

| 1 3

Speaking at other eventsWe regularly present and speak at events around the world, advocating for better HR and people management practices. The last 12 months were no exception and highlights included:• Guest lecturing on the Bioforce Humanitarian Programe Manager Master’s Programme in Lyon• As part of the Joint Standards’ Initiative, presenting and faciliating sessions

at the InterAction conference in Washington DC, hosted by the Emergency Capacity Building Project in Kampala

• Contributing to ECHO’s formulation of what is now called the EU Aid Volunteers (EVHAC), consulting in Brussels and presenting in Budapest

• Presenting and facilitating a discussion on core people-management issues in the aid sector for DFID in Scotland

• Participating in a 3-day ELRHA workshop discussing the professionalisation of aid workers in Qatar

• Giving the keynote address at a sectoral seminar entitled Can You Get Sued? in London

Leadership EventsOn December 5 2011, we joined forces with the Centre for Creative Leadership (CCL) to present a workshop entitled ‘Boundary Spanning Leadership’. The workshop, which drew its title from the best-selling book of the same name, explained how to re-energise and focus organisations, building a new culture of cooperation.

“As human beings, we all have needs for both unity and

separation, autonomy and affiliation, differentiation and integration.

Leaders must learn to constantly balance these competing needs.”

Chris Ernst, CCL

Following this success, we collaborated again in October 2012 on a workshop titled Collaborative

Leadership for Social Impact. The events profiled leadership concepts and, in an interactive format, gave participants practical

examples of how leadership helps in humanitarian and development contexts to take back to their organisations.

Videos, notes and more resources on the events can be found at www.peopleinaid.org/events/past.aspx

The same event will be offered in Brussels on 7 February 2013.

Over 2,000 people made use of the learning and collaboration opportunities we offered last year and our face-to-face events alone brought just under 500 people

together. Of those, 90% of those who responded to evaluations gave positive feedback on their event.

HHR Europe Conference 201223-25 May 2012,

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

HHR Africa Conference 201212-14 June 2012,

Nairobi, KenyaWhat Duties? Who Cares? Intergrate Your Approach

to Health, Safety and SecurityHealth, Safety and Wellbeing of Aid Workers

Post-conference evaluation: Post-conference evaluation:

of participants said the conference would have a high/very high impact

on their work organisation

of participants agreed that the conference learning would be a

significant help to them

of participants found the conference useful or very useful

of participants found the conference useful or very useful

81Attendees

80Attendees71% 87%

88% 89%17Countries

13Countries

52Agencies

49Agencies

1 4 |

The Humanitarian HR network – HHRPeople In Aid’s Humanitarian HR (HHR) conferences provide a unique opportunity for HR professionals to network with peers, discuss issues they face in daily practice as well as on topical matters from the broader humanitarian sector.

Formerly known as EPN or the Emergency Personnel Network, this year saw the 21st and 22nd such conferences dedicated to the Humanitarian HR community. The level of trust that has built up between participants provides a unique and effective platform for meaningful exchange and collaboration.

“The conference highlighted] the need to integrate security into every Job Description at every level of the organisation”

HHR conference participant, 2012

“The conference has enabled us to pursue the whole issue of staff duty of care both with enthusiasm and

confidence to plan for a new programme. This will enable us to increase retention rates, encourage recruitment of more skilled staff and, with a well

supported workforce, deliver improved care to beneficiaries.”

HHR conference participant, 2012

| 1 5

We offer a range of Networks (formerly known as Special Interest Groups) to our members, bringing together peers and specialists from different HR fields to network and share resources, ideas and information on current practice, challenges, opportunities and future plans.

RewardThe Reward Network has met twice in the last 12 months in the UK, covering themes including employment tax, pensions, salary benchmarking, pay and relocation. External speakers have included Towers Watson, Crowe Clark Whitehill and The Birches Group. In collaboration with The Birches Group, we also ran NGO Local Pay events on salary benchmarking in New York, Nairobi and Bangkok.

“Learning from the meeting will help

us understand HR issues in modern organisations in

terms of culture and communication.”

HR Advisor, international

development organisation, UK

In addition to these meetings, over 250 people are now members of the Reward online forum, which has seen discussions and debates across more than 70 topics this year with participants sharing policies and advice on subjects ranging from hardship entitlements to currency devaluation in Malawi.

HR ManagersThemes in the past year’s HR Managers’ Network have focused on unique challenges including fostering change by embracing resistance, building trust through engagement, and the transition and transformation of working environments.

“I really enjoyed the opportunity to link up with professionals & have space to discuss common issues.”

HR Manager, international humanitarian organisation, UK

Staff CareThe Staff Care Network has been meeting for the last six years, alternating between the three big topics of health, safety and security of aidworkers. In September we hosted a joint meeting with global insurance provider VanBreda International in Geneva, Switzerland, on duty of care which included speakers from the International Federation of the Red Cross, and insurance company Healix International.

Many of the 211 forum participants attended one of our Humanitarian HR conferences, this year themed on duty of care.

Learning and DevelopmentOur newest Network, having recently celebrated its first birthday

(with a cake), the L&D Network is a space for learning and development practitioners to link up with each other on issues around measuring impact and return on investment,

leadership and competencies – in short, changing the learning culture. The community converses on a highly popular LinkedIn group and the network has hosted three face-to-face meetings over the last year, attended by more than 45 people.

“After attending the L & D meeting I have gained more perspective about some of the issues I face- feel more confident”

80% of participants said that June’s meeting

would have a high or very high impact on their

organisation

HumanitarianHR

People In AidNetwork

Learning and

Development

HR ManagersReward

Staff

Car

eOur specialist networks

Case studiesThis year, we have focused on collecting case studies from organisations that have found our resources useful in shaping their own practices and policies. The sector as a whole can learn from these as they illustrate the value of increased efforts on improving HR and people management functions so that organisations can achieve their end goal more effectively.

Our six new case studies have shown the impact we have had on a range of members, from policy changes in large organisations, such as Concern Worldwide and VSO, to

the implementation of good practice in people management in smaller organisations, such as International Aid Services and Retrak. In total we have nearly 60 case studies on HR and people management topics ranging from simulation-based training to competency framework examples.

“[Our organisation’s] internal knowledge has increased on recent and relevant approaches in HR and learning is enhanced through exposure on diverse range of case studies available.”People In Aid Members’ Survey participant, 2012

Policy bankWe continue to host our members-only Policy Bank, encouraging collaboration and sharing of organisational policies amongst like-minded agencies so that others can use them as they build new and updated policies. Our most recent additions include contributions from Oxfam International, TEAR Australia and HelpAge International.

Resilience researchIn the current climate of increasing economic pressure and a culture of ‘doing more with less’, the topic of staff resilience is more relevant than ever. It often seems that

1 6 |

Case studyChurch World Service-Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS-P/A) is an INGO which implements humanitarian and development activities across Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Having joined People In Aid in April 2012, CWS-P/A identified staff care and rewards as critical areas for improvement; in parts of Asia, people are often raised in a culture of extreme hard work and self-sacrifice and the ability to take on more and more work is not usually recognised as a skill. Therefore people do not necessarily think about compensating the efforts that their staff put into their work. This is often replicated in the private sector and staff are often not fairly compensated.

In an effort to ensure transparency and to keep staff motivation levels high, CWS-P/A have made strides in ensuring staff are fairly and equally compensated through both monetary and non-monetary rewards and incentives.

In order to do this, CWS-P/A reviewed their Reward & Retention Policy. During the process, they relied on many resources and articles posted on People In Aid’s website, including, critically, a case study on trends of staff turnover in developing countries, as well as a People In Aid research paper on Understanding and Addressing the Staff Turnover in Humanitarian Agencies.

“The materials helped a lot in making a comparison amongst developing countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan and relating it to our society; it also helped us to conduct a context analysis of the issue from international perspectives.” Deputy Director of Organisational Development, CWS-P/A

In line with one of the outcomes of this review, CWS-P/A are planning to train their managers on how to incorporate such measures and strategies within their programme framework.

“We believe that our teams are the most valuable assets of the organisation, and they need to be constantly encouraged, appreciated, valued and rewarded.”Deputy Director of Organisational Development, CWS-P/A

We now offer over 350 resources available to download from our website, ranging from one pagers such as How to Develop a Reward Strategy to the comprehensive HR Manual so that organisations have the opportunity to independently improve their HR and people management practices. These were downloaded over 50,000 times in the last 12 months.

Our resources

Our resources

publications. Recently these have included a brief analysis of ALNAP’s State of the Humanitarian System paper; profiling the Aid Worker Security Report 2011 a paper monitoring trends and issues in security for humanitarian operations; and examining the importance of preparedness in humanitarian response, as emphasised in the recently published Food Assistance Integrity Study from Transparency International, Kenya.

BlogsOur staff and Writer in Residence have used the News platform on the People In Aid website to comment on current affairs both within people management and HR as well as the sector as a whole. As well as providing real-time updates from sectoral events, thought-provoking pieces on the significance of coaching, the use of micro-lending as a means to alleviate poverty, and the importance of gender diversity in the workplace have all been well received.

Other resourcesWe continue to offer our range of over 300 downloadable tools and resources for the sector, the majority of which are available free on our website. Many of these have undergone substantial re-drafts over the past year to ensure they remain up to date.They range from one-page How To Guides to our comprehensive manuals on topics such as Successful Distance Management, People Management for Line Managers and many more.

The report you sent was very instrumental for me in building the confidence I needed to face those issues. I realised that it was not only me but all issues raised were not new or specific [for my organisation]. I am now using some of the recommendations from the report to bring understanding and hope to staff in a very persuasive way.”

Country Director, international environmental organisation, Mozambique

organisation’s understanding of resilience in relation to humanitarian and development workers lacks the depth and nuance it deserves, and is increasingly becoming divorced from an organisational context.

Following our grant from ECHO, we were pleased to be able to offer the research report on Building Resilient Managers in Humanitarian Organisations free of charge as a download from our website in July 2012. The report undertakes an initial exploration of

the personal skills and strengths and organisational structures and practices which can promote resilience in managers working for international humanitarian organisations. Spanish and French summary versions of the report are also available.

Reading the reports for youOver the last year we have kept our members and website visitors up to date with the latest people issues pulled out from wider sectoral

| 1 7

2011-12 Most popular downloads from www.peopleinaid.org

Literature Review of Turnover and Retention Motivating Staff and Volunteers Working in the South People In Aid Code of Good Practice Motivating Staff and Volunteers Working in the South (Spanish Version) The Importance of HR Management in Supporting Staff Working in Hazardous Environments Programme Managers Short training on Retention Talent Identification in Humanitarian Organisations January 2010 Newsletter - HR Effectiveness Approaches to Staff Care in International NGOs Motivating Staff and Volunteers Working in the south (French version)

1 8 |

Our support servicesOur support services range from the implementation of in-house workshops to policy writing, coaching and much more. Over the past year we have worked across over 20 countries, supporting more than 20 organisations on topics as diverse as leadership competencies, salary scales and staff capacity.

Partner Consultant NetworkOur network of specialist consultants has now passed the 60-mark. These pre-approved consultants work with us to deliver tailored support to organisations in over 20 different languages.

A snapshot of 2012Significant projects carried out by People In Aid over the last 12 months include:

Delivering a 2-day tailored briefing, debriefing and supporting staff workshop for UNOCHA. “Our section has started to incorporate different aspects in our briefing and debriefing methodology – and it works great.

People keep telling me that they are more relaxed than they were before the briefing, which is extremely rewarding for me.”

Chief of HR, UNOCHA

Developing a handbook of event facilitation methods, a reporting template, and a final global report for a series of five ECB Inter-active events held in Bangladesh, Bolivia, Indonesia, Niger and Uganda.

Case studyCARE USA had a long-established reward model that was slow to adapt to the organisation’s changing

environment. While wanting to remain competitive, the organisation had to assess the affordability of its current model – previously there had been a challenge in balancing consistency and flexibility within the pay philosophy. While this created some inconsistent practices, it also created opportunity to improve total rewards communications across the whole organisation to ensure transparency. After a consultation with People In Aid, CARE USA’s pay philosophy changed to a more inclusive total rewards programme including the adoption of guiding principles for the organisation. As the organisation reviewed and changed the pay philosophy, they also wanted to ensure that we recognised the overall goals of the organisation. By doing this, management

discussed how talent linked to these goals and how the compensation programmes could support them. The result was a pay philosophy which demonstrates CARE USA’s commitment to promote diversity and ensure fair, equitable and competitive pay practices.

The consultation and subsequent review has created strategic, investment and operational alignment to CARE USA’s global approach. Once fully implemented, the goal is to re-evaluate and measure the impact of the total rewards programme and the return on investment to energise the workforce and attract and retain the right talent to carry out the organisational business plan.

“The [People In Aid’s review] has created strategic, investment and operational alignment to CARE USA’s

global approach. Better dialogue has opened up across regions with the hope of more empowerment to leaders and an increased focus on the vision and

mission of the organisation.”Director of Global HR Services, CARE USA

“I cannot express my gratitude of the work

done with the facilitation with the team group. [The consultant] not

only brought out infor-mation from the group, he was able to capture

this in a way to make the group think more

objectively.”Director, international

humanitarian organisation, USA

“[People In Aid is a] great team to work with,

easy approachable, more like colleagues

than cold consultants or advisors.”

People In Aid Members’ Survey participant, 2012

| 1 9

CBHA competency frameworksA consortium of 15 British Humanitarian agencies, the CBHA, came together to improve the quality and effectiveness of humanitarian response using competency frameworks. These were designed to simply describe the knowledge, skills and attitudes an individual requires to do a job well. w became the lead partner on the project and helped facilitate agreement on the desired competencies, consulting with the UN, the private sector and the Red Cross in the process.

The competencies have, in the last year, been confirmed, finalised and tested. The testing period brought with it some core successes as part of the programme’s overarching value – to attempt things in a different, fresh way. Learning events were held in Nairobi and Jakarta with the final Humanitarian Staff Development Project Workshop, held in London in January 2012.

The process has broken new ground for NGOs – as well as demonstrating the value of competency frameworks, many have also accepted the value of a coaching support network. Both will undoubtedly be used effectively by the humanitarian sector in the future.

In the words of the programme’s evaluator:

“[People In Aid] made a meaningful, possibly vital contribution to the

CBHA’s capacity-related work which developed the competencies of

humanitarian workers and managers.

[People In Aid’s] strengthened competencies improved

humanitarian programmes.”

Joint Standards InitiativeOver the last 12 months we have worked with the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP)and the Sphere Project to form the Joint Standards Initiative (JSI).

The initiative is offered to the humanitarian sector to bring about greater coherence amongst standards, thus strengthening aidworkers’ ability to put these standards into practice around the world.

The JSI Working Group met in September 2012 to begin the process of shaping and overseeing the major consultation with our stakeholders, to gather views on the use and application of standards in the humanitarian sector and how we can become more coherent and relevant.

JointStandards.orgThe new JSI website was launched in April. The site provides access to the key standards in over 15 languages, as well as the opportunity to search for resources across the HAP, Sphere Project and People In Aid websites.

Horn of Africa responseThe 2011 East Africa drought was the result of the worst water shortage in the area for 60 years. An estimated 10 million people were affected by a

severe food crisis across Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya.

In October 2011, a Joint Standards Initiative team were deployed in the Horn of Africa in an effort to synergise the services offered by the initiative and offer a common quality and accountability platform to the wider sector during the drought response. The deployment engaged over 400 participants.

The findings from the activities in the Horn of Africa are detailed in a final report available on the Joint Standards Initiative website. The most prominent trend emerging from the deployment proved to be the lack of effective engagement from organisations with affected populations. In many cases, there had not been enough engagement with local staff and expertise, highlighting the importance of contextual information.Read more at JointStandards.org

Training Providers ForumPeople In Aid met regularly this year with other leading training providers in the sector: namely Bioforce, Bond, INTRAC, Mango, RedR, and Save the Children’s Humanitarian and Leadership Academy. Sharing our learning and experiences enables us all to improve the services we deliver ancd collaborate where possible. The Forum also runs in partnership with ELRHA (Enhancing Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance).

Working with partners

2 0 |

Case study

International Aid Services has worked with People In Aid on implementing the People In Aid Code of Good Practice and is certified Verified Compliant. The process of auditing and implementing the Code and achieving this level of

certification has improved IAS’ policies and practices as well as the way IAS is seen as an employer and an organisation.

When beginning the process, IAS had many staff policies and practices in place, but many of them were not communicated clearly to the teams they affected. Although the policies implemented were sufficient, the documentation surrounding them was not. When reviewing these procedures, IAS indicated reporting, tracking and documenting as areas for improvement.

“Ensuring our policies are in line with the People In Aid Code gives our staff confidence that the policies are applicable and standard in the sector.”Juliet Namukasa, Country Director, Uganda

Since implementing the Code, IAS has got a lot better at reporting, tracking and documenting it’s policies and practices. On the whole, the commu-nities IAS works with have benefited greatly from this process: implementing the People In Aid Code has made a tangible difference to the way HR is conducted at IAS, with the effects benefiting both the organisation as a whole as well as the way it is perceived by the community it works with.

“Our community sees IAS staff as exemplary, and this is down to HR.”

There has been more focus on internal staff devel-opment since implementing the code. For example, the Project Coordinator in North Uganda came in as a graduate with no project experience. Over the years IAS has developed her, which has had a direct impact on her effectiveness in the role and increased motivation in her team of 10. Vitally, the impact is also evident in the community she looks after – the organisation is communicating more clearly and has a fuller understanding of the community.

“The reaction of the community towards her indicates her impact – songs include her name and a baby was named after her recently. Not only has the training she received helped her do her job better, but she also passes these skills to her staff, is appre-ciative of the investment IAS is making in her and has been retained in the agency.”Juliet Namukasa, Country Director, Uganda

Recognising achievementWe offer members the opportunity to earn two internationally recognised Quality Marks which certify organisations as they Commit to or Verify Compliance with the People In Aid Code of Good Practice.

Organisations displaying a People In Aid Quality Mark are seen as leaders within the humanitarian and development sector.

“Becoming certified by People In Aid will put us on a higher platform in terms of professionalism and

ensures we are recognised as such. Certification is seen as a hallmark of good practice within our sector.”

HR Advisor, development association, UK

“I am grateful for the lessons I have learnt personally, by internalising the People In Aid Code, and the ones that have been successfully passed on to members of [our] community. These have made us more accountable to

our staff and resulted in ever-improving service delivery to the communities we work with. Now, even between country programmes, the lessons learned are being shared so that we can grow together organisation-wide.”


| 2 1

Key Tools There are 3 key tools, available on our website, which help People In Aid members achieve a People In Aid Quality Mark:

HR ManualThe HR manual is essential in that it provides a framework of principles, policies, procedures, guidelines, tips and templates to serve as a practical guide for HRmanagement in field, regional and head offices.

HR Audit TookitThe HR Audit toolkit helps develop a baseline of human resources, and then guides the development of a plan for improvement. The toolkit offers 3 types of audit – basic, full and enhanced. Undergoing the ‘full’ People In Aid HR Audit is a key milestone in implementing The Code of Good Practice.

Employee SurveyThe People In Aid Employee Survey comprises a set of questions that are designed to provide organisations with feedback and insights into how well the Code has been implemented and the levels of employee engagement that exist.

Having become a federation member of People In Aid in 2012, ActionAid International (AAI) has sought our support in order to achieve certification against our Code of Good Practice across the whole federation and gain the Quality Mark 1; Committed to the People In Aid Code of Good Practice by the end of 2012.

This is a unique and inspiring journey for all associates and affiliates of ActionAid and a first for People In Aid members. It means that each ActionAid associate, Affiliate and, through the Secretariat, each country programme of the AAI federation is engaged on improving their HR and people manage-ment practices; 27 People In Aid members in total.

Our HR Services Manager continues to work closely with the HR Project Coordinator based in the International Secretariat in Johan-nesburg, South Africa, to facilitate the process which is being adapted while ensuring all the requirements to achieve Quality Mark 1 are met.

British Red Cross CAFOD - Catholic Agency for Overseas Development CONCERN Worldwide EveryChild International Aid Services Islamic Relief Deutschland Mission East People In Aid RedR UK Save the Children UK Tearfund Womankind Worldwide World Vision UK

Agency for Co-operation and Research in Development (ACORD)CESVI Christian Aid HAP International HelpAge International HIJRA Islamic Relief Worldwide Mission Aviation Fellowship International Merlin Oxfam Australia Sierra Leone Red Cross Society Retrak Sightsavers International TEAR Australia The Brooke

“In order to achieve our new and ambitious

strategy ‘People’s Action to End Poverty’ it has become increasingly

clear that excellent staff and good management

are crucial to our success. Expressing

our commitment to the Code means that we are

prepared to examine our people management practices, get feedback

from staff, make improvements where we need to and hold all this

up for the scrutiny of a People In Aid appointed

auditor. By not becoming accredited, we risk

external scrutiny by not demonstrating that we are practicing best HR

standards in the sector.”

Chief Executive, ActionAid International

Quality mark 1 Quality mark 2

2 2 |

USA

Canadian Red CrossDistance Management Workshop

Canada

member organisations

North America

19websitevisitors 66,269

forum users190

member organisation

South America



Central America

2websitevisitors 197

ECB Inter-Active

Bolivia


Asia


forum users273


Europe


forum users605


Australasia


forum users60


Africa


forum users292

Where We Work = previous support services work = regional membership and website statistics

UKCAFOD Policy ReviewCompetency & Leadership Behaviour Frameworks ReviewCompetency FrameworkCore Humanitarian Competencies GuideECB Inter-ActiveHSDP - Learning and EvaluationCAFOD Organisational Current State AnalysisPLAN International - Reward onsultancy IFRC Preparation for Employee Survey

Europe

InterAction: Sudan Chad Sta� Care

Belgium: MSF Tailored Briefing, Debriefing and Supporting sta� workshopFrance: Bioforce Humanitarian Programme Manager moduleGermany: Transparency Interna-tional HR Policy Review and DevelopmentNetherlands: Oxfam Novib Successful Distance Manage-ment-Taster In-house WorkshopSwitzerland: Duty of Care Policy CreationSwitzerland: IFRC HR seminar Oct 2012Switzerland: Preparation for Employee SurveySwitzerland: UNOCHA Tailored Briefing, Debriefing and Support-ing sta� workshop

South AfricaActionaid International Security AuditCore Humanitarian Competencies Guide

Africa

Ethiopia: OCHA Sta� Capacity Building & Career DevelopmentProject Kenya: Facilitation session plus 6 coaching sessionsKenya: IRC Communication Workshop and 1:1 coachingNiger: ECB Inter-ActiveUganda: Organisational Climate and GED AssessmentUganda: ECB Inter-Active Project

IndonesiaECB Inter-ActiveBangladesh and Indonesia:Humanitarian Core Skills Development Workshop

PhilippinesPLAN International - Reward consultancy in the Asia region

Sri LankaSta� Capacity Building & Career Development

AsiaAfghanistan: Organisational Climate and GED AssessmentMalaysia: World�sh Facilitation of Leadership Matters ProgramNepal: PLAN International Reward consultancy in the Asia regionBangladesh: ECB Inter-Active

forum users3

| 2 3

USA

Canadian Red CrossDistance Management Workshop

Canada


North America


forum users190

member organisation

South America



Central America

2websitevisitors 197

ECB Inter-Active

Bolivia


Asia


forum users273


Europe


forum users605


Australasia


forum users60


Africa


forum users292

Where We Work = previous support services work = regional membership and website statistics

UKCAFOD Policy ReviewCompetency & Leadership Behaviour Frameworks ReviewCompetency FrameworkCore Humanitarian Competencies GuideECB Inter-ActiveHSDP - Learning and EvaluationCAFOD Organisational Current State AnalysisPLAN International - Reward onsultancy IFRC Preparation for Employee Survey

Europe

InterAction: Sudan Chad Sta� Care

Belgium: MSF Tailored Briefing, Debriefing and Supporting sta� workshopFrance: Bioforce Humanitarian Programme Manager moduleGermany: Transparency Interna-tional HR Policy Review and DevelopmentNetherlands: Oxfam Novib Successful Distance Manage-ment-Taster In-house WorkshopSwitzerland: Duty of Care Policy CreationSwitzerland: IFRC HR seminar Oct 2012Switzerland: Preparation for Employee SurveySwitzerland: UNOCHA Tailored Briefing, Debriefing and Support-ing sta� workshop

South AfricaActionaid International Security AuditCore Humanitarian Competencies Guide

Africa

Ethiopia: OCHA Sta� Capacity Building & Career DevelopmentProject Kenya: Facilitation session plus 6 coaching sessionsKenya: IRC Communication Workshop and 1:1 coachingNiger: ECB Inter-ActiveUganda: Organisational Climate and GED AssessmentUganda: ECB Inter-Active Project

IndonesiaECB Inter-ActiveBangladesh and Indonesia:Humanitarian Core Skills Development Workshop

PhilippinesPLAN International - Reward consultancy in the Asia region

Sri LankaSta� Capacity Building & Career Development

AsiaAfghanistan: Organisational Climate and GED AssessmentMalaysia: World�sh Facilitation of Leadership Matters ProgramNepal: PLAN International Reward consultancy in the Asia regionBangladesh: ECB Inter-Active

forum users3

Nº Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) % Agree & Strongly Agree with KPI2011 TOTAL

% Agree & Strongly Agree with KPI2012 TOTAL

Difference

40% response rate 42% response rate

1 I feel well treated as a member 86 92 +6%

2 People In Aid listens to my views and needs 64 71 +7%

3 Information and Training resources anticipate and are relevant to my needs 70 84 +14%

4 People In Aid’s work has caused us to place more emphasis on people and management issues* 59 79 +20%

5 The code is a valuable resource for our organisation* 69 79 +10%6 Membership is good value (in terms of money and saving time) 77 74 -3%7 I would recommend People In Aid to another agency 86 94 +8%

8 I believe People In Aid provides output which is practical and grounded in reality 85 89 +4%

of high quality 82 84 +2%

relevant to our HR needs 75 87 +12%

9I believe People In Aid helps us to improve and build capacity in human resource management 80 80 0%

10I believe People In Aid provides effective co-ordination and knowledge sharing 77 80 +3%

11I believe People In Aid provides a forum to stimulate new ideas and innovation in human resource management within the sector 75 78 +3%

2 4 |

* Th

ese

ques

tions

wer

e m

erge

d in

this

yea

r’s s

urve

y.

Members’ Survey 2012Overall, we received incredibly positive feedback from our membership this year.Every year, our Board of Trustees measures the performance of People In Aid to ensure that we continue to succeed in our mission to improve organisational effectiveness across the humanitarian and development sector worldwide.

The results of the survey will provide them with the vital feedback they need to make sure that we work effectively into the future, enhancing the benefits for you and your organisation.

100908070605040302010

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 130

KPI Number

20112012

% agree/strongly agree

Overall, we received incredibly positive feedback from our membership this year.

“Particularly pleasing from this year’s stats is the increase in opinion that the information and support we provide is of relevance to the sector’s needs, as responses to both KPI 3 and 8c show. Though one KPI has fallen we were expecting that, having increased our membership fees ever so slightly to help increase its overall contribution to our income. We will continue to ensure that members feel well treated, supported and, as per the 94% agreeing with KP 7, would recommend People In Aid to another agency.”Says Jonathan Potter, Executive Director, People In Aid

Alongside the statistics we received a wealth of comments on People In Aid and our activities. One member summed up the value of the networking opportunities to them, commenting that “Networking helps us to benchmark, to share information, ideas, policies, procedures and to ensure we are not working in a vacuum.”

Outside of the KPIs themselves, we also received encouraging comments about People In Aid in general with one member labeling us “a very useful platform for civil society organisations to build their existing capacity, and learn and share the best practices in HR and people management.”

| 2 5

Our financesAs a charity we rely on funding from organisations committed to improving organisational effectiveness within the humanitarian and development sector and professionalising the practice of human resources and people management. The charts below show where our income comes from and how we spend it. Full accounts are available to download at www.peopleinaid.org/about/finances.aspx

Expenditure 2011-12

Income 2011-12

Support services work

Other donations

| 2 5

2 6 |

In our work, when the people management systems fail or good HR practice is not in place, the consequences could be a matter of life and death for some. What the aid sector and governments have acknowledged after more than 60 years of financial support to reduce global poverty is that money has not solved the problem. What has made a difference, however, is how organisations like People In Aid improve the way in which humanitarian and development agencies perform – enabling greater effectiveness and impact. Better performing NGOs mean that more lives are saved and more communities get to live in dignity and security.

Since our inception we have received generous support from institutional funders. However, in 2011 we took the important decision to seek philanthropic support from companies, trusts and foundations, as well as from other income streams, so that we would be better equipped to address the persistent challenges our sector faces in the area of HR and people management. This has translated into the hiring of a fundraiser and the development of an initial two-year strategy, which is constantly reviewed and updated in order to remain relevant to donors.

After one year, we secured a global strategic partnership with Vanbreda International that will enable us to enhance our products and events in staff care and wellbeing. We also launched a corporate partnership scheme attracting several new partners, and secured new income from trusts and foundations.

Although we have only been actively fundraising for a year, early feedback is encouraging from the corporate sector in particular, as well as among trusts who view an investment in People In Aid as pivotal in improving the overall performance and accountability of the international humanitarian and development architecture.

In the forthcoming year we intend to build upon our fundraising efforts by emphasising our project-level opportunities, quantifying the power of HR and people management on local communities and extending our geographic reach within Africa in particular.

Charitable giving: Our year in review

“It is clear, with the growing prominence of CSR issues at the World Economic

Forum, that organisations like People In Aid have an increasingly important role to play not only in the future

of the NGO world but in the corporate sector as well. Better management and HR practices result in more

effective organisations and, essentially, improve overall performance.”

Future of Work Research Consortium,

London Business School

“People In Aid is valued as the ‘go to’ for agencies

on HR issues within the humanitarian sector. Such

credibility enables it to leverage support and

advocate best practice on HR. [...] At the strategic level [the support] has

created crucial space for People In Aid senior staff

to position themselves in key humanitarian

debates, and maintain [People In Aid’s] credi-

bility and leverage in the sector, which in turn feeds

into the perceived value and weight that People In Aid and its Code of Good

Practice has among its members.”

Independent Progress Review, 2012

The right people, supported in the right jobs, are able to transform the lives of millions each year

| 2 7

Support good practicePeople In Aid was created and mandated after the Rwandan genocide to ensure that organisations do not allow their people management systems to fail their staff – and ultimately humanity.

We address global weaknesses in how ‘people’, the primary instruments of social change, are sourced, developed and protected.

We do this by providing direct project support, research, training, practical tools and networking opportunities that improve organisational effectiveness, enabling organisations to save lives and protect the livelihoods of millions of people each year.

Our unique ability to leverage exponential change – change that translates into how aid is applied – offers a donor the opportunity to make a donation that will impact not just us but many – over 200 members, representing more than 250,000 aid workers and volunteers across 100 countries.

Finally, if you were to distill the main reasons why support of our work is worth it, consider this:

ReachWe have the largest transnational membership of any certifying or standards-setting organisation.

Value for moneyWe estimate that organisations spend between 50 – 80% of their annual spend on people-related costs. Considering how much is spent on staff and people-related issues by the sector we are a tiny spend which has big impact on a wide audience.

MandateOur work is driven and endorsed by our members, which means that whatever we do will have an impact on organisational workplans.

CredibilityOur views and analyses are respected and listened to at every level of the sector, including CEOs, Boards and government bodies.

QualityFunding us means that minimum standards in HR in emergencies will will be made in countries of operation.

Capacity strengtheningMore than half of our membership network are small to medium-sized organisations, funding us means that smaller organisations in particular will continue to have access to products and trainings that they could not otherwise afford.

2 8 |

People In Aid into the future

Our sector is changing. Lower funding, increased capacity of Southern organisations, alternatives to traditional Western models of humanitarian response, the blurring of boundaries between development work and humanitarian risk mitigation or preparedness, and the increased involvement of the private sector, to name a few. Constants do remain, however. Two of them are core to People In Aid’s work: quality and people.

Over the next year, People In Aid will continue to adapt to the changing landscape to ensure that our members and other organisations receive the support and services they need for the future. We will, as ever, respond to feedback, listen to what is needed and offer our own analysis of what organisations need to think and do to become more effective and deliver quality programmes to beneficiary communities.

Though we will focus on many HR and people management themes throughout the year, last year’s thinking on leadership competencies, staff care and reward will continue, as will our work on diversity.

During the year People In Aid USA became a registered entity and held its first Board meeting. Our representative in East Africa contributes hugely to debates and service delivery in that important region. Both of these are an important part of our future in terms of being closer to our

members and their work, bringing in funding and increasing the global perspectives from which our network can benefit. Funding from Australia and South-East Asia was not forthcoming during the year to support work in those regions, but the Trustees remain committed to ensuring that regions and countries receive suitably contextualised support offered by whatever form of organisation is best suited to deliver in that context.

Last year saw an increased focus on tailored support services requested by organisations. This will continue as we work to influence organisations’ policies and practices to ensure those suffering as a result of disaster and poverty are benefiting from a more effective and streamlined aid process.

The next few months will also see People In Aid continue to take a leading roll in the important sector-wide initiative, the Joint Standards Initiative. This collaboration with HAP International and the Sphere Project on humanitarian standards will, over the next 4 months, consult a broad range of stakeholders to gather views on what a more coherent standards architecture might look like.

We will continue to ensure that we capture the stories of our impact, documenting the very real difference People In Aid makes to the effectiveness of the aid sector as a whole. These stories, to be produced, disseminated and accessed in various different ways

will provide a wealth of material to share with other agencies, ensuring they see the benefit of more effective HR and people management functions within their own organisations. It is our aim that these stories also encourage others to support the work we do.

Finally, we will continue to work closely with all of our stakeholders both within and outside the sector offering humanitarian and development agencies the means to improve their HR and people management practices, ensuring that the needs of beneficiaries are more effectively met.

Neil Casey, Chair, People In Aid

Jonathan Potter, Executive Director, People In Aid

| 2 9

We would like to thank the following for their generous financial support in 2011 - 12:

Global Partner:

Alexander Beard Group

British Red CrossCaSE InsuranceDanChurchAidGo SouthcoastOxfam GBPeninsula Business Services LtdSave The Children UKThe Souter Charitable TrustThe Steven Cockburn Charitable TrustWorld Vision International

Irish Government UK Government

Platinum Partner:

Vanbreda International

3 0 |

People In Aid Trustees from AGM 2011

The self-appraisal conducted by the Board in September 2012 was very positive, stressing a good ‘sense of team’, and excellent engagement with strategy and monitoring.

Neil Casey – Independent (Chair)Joan Coyle – Save the Children InternationalHarriet Dodd – Plan International (Co-opted in

July 2012)Olawale Fajobi – British Red Cross (Vice-Chair)Paula Feehan – ActionAid UK Nick Gallagher – VSO International Jacquie Heany – CAFODKaren Hein – IndependentRichard Marshall – World Vision InternationalGirish Menon – WaterAid (Co-opted in July

2012)Duncan Milroy – Independent (Treasurer)Ann Start – RetrakSimon Thompson – IndependentSue Turrell – Womankind worldwide & Oxfam

GB (From February 2012)Willem van Eekelen – Independent (Vice-Chair)

People In Aid Staff & Consultants in 2011-12

“The team at People In Aid are always really professional, helpful and approachable.”


Jonathan Potter, Executive DirectorKatja Pesari, Operations ManagerLisa Smith, Head of FundraisingBen Emmens, Director of HR ServicesMaduri Moutou, HR Services Team LeaderAlicia Oughton, HR Services Team LeaderEmmanuelle Lacroix, HR Services ManagerErika Stankeviciute, HR Services ExecutiveAdam Bentham, Communications ManagerRoisin Mulligan, Communications ExecutiveEmma Firth, Head of FinanceMathews Chanza, Finance ManagerTeresa Kamara, Regional Consultant, East AfricaLucy Quarterman, Regional Consultant, AustraliaAngie Zogopoulos, Regional Consultant, Australia

Further information about People In Aid can be found on our website

www.peopleinaid.org.

Contact us:[email protected] +44 (0)20 3137 3590People In Aid, 356 Holloway RoadLondonN7 6PAUK

People In Aid is a registered UK charity no. 1078768, and a company limited by guarantee no: 3772652.

Documents

People In Aid Annual report 2012