UNNGOF scoops the Advanced QuAM Certificate again!
NGO Accountability and transparency have become a buzzword within the sector, among the citizens and the state. NGOs receive huge amounts of money to implement development programs and transform communities. This however calls for matched delivery of transformative programs in the communities they serve, good accountability systems and institutional practices that guarantee sustained trust and legitimacy from the constituencies they serve.
The NGO sector has over the years grown exponatiously to approximately 14000 NGOs to-date; This has had advantages and disadvantages. On a negative side, we have seen a number of brief case NGOs, governance crises, and unacceptable practices like non compliance to acceptable ethical practices.
It’s against this background that a section of leaders in 2006 initiated the Quality Assurance Mechanism (QuAM). QuAM is an initiative by NGOs aimed at supporting organizations to perform according to acceptable ethical standards in terms of programming, governance and management practices. It is a voluntary mechanism that assesses NGOs compliance to agreeable standards at provisional, standard and advanced levels. The mechanism also provides opportunity for self learning and reflection by an NGO and provides a framework for both internal and external self assessment with a solution focus approach. Organizations then put in place interventions that respond to the identified gaps in order to operate effectively.
On Thursday 25th July 2019 at Imperial Royale Hotel, the QuAM secretariat convened a QuAM Assembly. The assembly received the progress update, proposed reforms including the alignment of QuAM to global standards and certified 26 organizations. UNNGOF was among the few that were awarded the Advanced Certificate. The certification provides evidence of growth in terms of systems, ways of work, and approaches that resonate with the QuAM parameters at advanced level. This great achievement is important for UNNGOF as it builds confidence and trust in the institution.
Moving forward, the assembly resolved to elect a new council and 2 members representing the regional partners i.e Rev. Borad Matovu representing Western and Central and Mr. Swadiq Abbas Abdisud representing the North and East cluster. While Ms. Gorette from WUGNET is to represent the thematic constituency. The two promoters i.e DENIVA and UNNGOF were given responsibility to identify their representatives and the two eminent persons to the position of chair and vice chair. The secretariat would further undertake the recruitment of the National QuAM coordinator and explore options for financing QuAM. “We shall not grow QuAM unless we invest money into QuAM” Said Richard Ssewakiryanga ED-UNNGOF.
