Humanitarian Quality Assurance Initiative, 2017-2019

Create a learning and improvement-oriented culture through robust monitoring, reporting and verification of the CHS. HQAI provides options for measurement of progress through independent verification and certification. 

HQAI enables stakeholders to be clear about what can be expected from organizations delivering assistance, and demonstrate with evidence what has been provided, and how, to the affected populations.

The aim is to help increase the operational capacity and effectiveness of organizations, through:

• Independent benchmarking: as a first step for organizations to obtain an objective diagnosis    of where they stand in the application of the CHS.
• Independent verification: is intended for the organizations that want an independent, objective and impartial public assurance that they are making demonstrated, measurable progress implementing the CHS.
• Certification for the CHS: certifies an organization’s systematic compliance with the standard with the inclusion of a mechanism for its maintenance.

Expected results:  

• HQAI aims at financial sustainability by 2021.
• It is foreseen that an increased number of organizations will have used/be using HQAI’s services (providing a revenue from services), the aim being 200 of them by 2021.

Results from previous phases:  

HQAI was successfully established in 2015 in parallel to the CHS Alliance. It is registered as a non-profit organization in Geneva and is accredited.

In the previous phase, HQAI has developped a vision, a strategy and a business plan; an office set-up; and financial and accounting procedures are in place. A methodology and tools for verification and certification against the CHS has also been developed, as well as a communication and marketing strategy and a reporting mechanism, all of which have been implemented.

Phase 3 01.01.2017 - 31.12.2019   (Completed)