Reporting

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Our Dynamic Accountability Reporting & Action Planning process is designed as a way for organisations to internally reflect, publicly commit, and jointly advance accountability practices.

A focus on continuous learning and action

We believe that accountability reporting is about more than due-diligence and compliance aimed at donors and governments, but rather a continuous process that involves reflection, learning, and course correction to ensure that organization’s work is efficient and effective.

What makes Accountable Now’s reporting and action planning process unique?

  • A more agile form of reporting – driven by stakeholders’ needs
  • Streamlined set of questions
  • Space for organisations to drive their own accountability priorities and focus
  • Flexibility to external demands

About Our Reporting & Action Planning Process

Our Dynamic Accountability Reporting & Action Planning process (co-created between Accountable Now, our members, the Independent Review Panel, plus external experts) follows a triennial cycle, designed to enable organizations to better see effects, impacts and results of implementation.

The process is comprised of annual Core Reports, plus Action Plans and Action Reports. Continue reading to learn about the reporting and action planning process and frameworks.  

Reporting and Action Planning Timeline

Year 1:
Submission of Core Report
Submission of Action Plan
Year 2:
Submission of Core Report
Submission of Action Report
Year 3:
Submission of Core Report
Submission of Action Report

The Core Report, which addresses a set of 5 Core Questions, offers a bird’s eye view of an organization’s accountability practices and demonstrates a commitment to living out their values.

 

  • What have been your most significant achievements and impacts this year and how has this been validated with your stakeholders?
  • If applicable – How have your organisation’s accountability processes been impacted by significant internal or external changes over the reporting period?
  • How has your organisation learned from reported incidents, complaints and grievances received in the past year?
  • Internally, how has your organisation practised a more dynamic approach to accountability?
  • How has your organisation worked towards being dynamically accountable to your external stakeholders (i.e partners, communities, programme participants, etc)?

Our Independent Review Panel carefully reviews and provides comprehensive feedback on all submissions. All reports are published on Accountable Now’s website to promote transparency and highlight commitment towards accountability. 

The Core Report is offered to our Full Members each year, Associate (Tier 2) and Friends (Tier 3) members can access this tool alongside accompanying support and IRP feedback at a discounted rate. Learn more about our membership tiers and benefits here.

** Our approach to reporting has been updated in 2023 to respond to emerging accountability demands. While our approach remains anchored to the Global Standard 12 Commitments, new accountability aspects such as informed consent, anti-racism, decolonization, and climate justice, among others, have been added to our guidance documents to support CSOs in the current context better.

Reporting Guidance Documents

Take a closer look at the documents that guide our members, Independent Review Panel, and Secretariat through the reporting process:

All you need to know about reporting and action planning, including an overview of the processes and cycle, reporting expectations, timeline, and more.

Information on the 5 Core Report Questions, plus guidelines for responses.

Overview of all Action Questions, plus mapping of the Core Questions and Action Questions.

Members' Accountability Reports

About the Independent Review Panel

Interested in learning more about how our reporting and action planning process can help your organisation advance its mission of helping people and the planet?

History of our Reporting Process

Our Current Reporting Mechanism
Our current reporting process, co-created with members, places a greater emphasis on learning and improvement - moving away from compliance. We believe that this focus will enable organisations to be more open about their areas of improvement and gather feedback to learn from them. Additionally, a reduction in the reporting burden makes the process more inclusive for a wider range of organisations.
Adopting the Global Standard
In 2018, Accountable Now’s members formally adopted the 12 Commitments, and we shifted our framework to align fully with the Global Standard for CSO Accountability's framework. The result was a comprehensive framework that allows organisations to thoroughly reflect on their practices on a biennial basis.
A Public Commitment to Accountability
The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) produces the world’s largest sustainability reporting framework including principles and indicators for their economic, environmental and social performance. Between 2008 and 2010, GRI was commissioned by Accountable Now to compile reporting guidelines for member organisations to ensure CSOs are fulfilling the same requirements we demand from governments and business. The guidelines focused on transparency, an important step towards ensuring accountability in terms of organisational operation.
2023 -
2018 - 2022
2010 - 2018