International Medical Corps - HAP International

2011 ANNUAL REPORT FOR HAP
INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CORPS
Introductory comments
International Medical Corps has further strengthened its commitment to quality assurance and accountability by becoming a full member of
HAP in March 2011. During the reporting period we have achieved the HAP requirement of new members to produce a publicly available
Accountability Framework (AF) endorsed by our CEO and have reviewed and strengthened our Code of Conduct (CoC) to reinforce and
reaffirm the obligations and standards of conduct and behaviour expected and required of our employees, consultants, volunteers and
interns. International Medical Corps has placed particular emphasis on our commitment to ensuring we contribute to the prevention of
sexual exploitation and abuse of vulnerable people in countries in which we operate and the obligation on all of our stakeholders to report
any suspected or actual breaches of the code of conduct as part of our commitment to accountability to the individuals and communities that
we serve. We would like to offer to the HAP membership a brief overview of the key activities we have undertaken during 2011 pertaining to
the Accountability Framework and Code of Conduct as we work towards strengthening our commitment to maintaining and achieving the
HAP standards in all of our humanitarian and development operations worldwide. International Medical Corps would like to express its
thanks to HAP and the membership for the support and encouragement we have received during 2011 and look forward to working closely
with our colleagues in the humanitarian and development community on raising standards on quality assurance and accountability across the
sector in 2012.
1. Establishing and delivering on commitments
Key goal for 2011 Achievements/challenges/lessons learned 2012 objectives
Create a dedicated department for Director of PPA appointed in November To train our country offices on the
1

program performance and
accountability (PPA)
Apply to HAP for full membership
Conduct a self-assessment baseline
survey against the HAP standard 2010
Devise and adopt an organizational
accountability framework endorsed
by the CEO and senior management.
2. Staff competency
2010 and department created with
subsequent appointment of a dedicated
PPA officer.
Full membership approved by the HAP
Secretariat in March 2011
Baseline self-assessment survey
conducted against the HAP standard 2010
completed in June 2011
Consultation exercise with stakeholders
completed and the organizational
accountability framework formally
endorsed and adopted by International
Medical Corps’ CEO
A key lesson learned during our first year
of membership is the importance of senior
management regularly reinforcing to all
staff that the HAP process is seen as an
organizational priority and that all
departments need to be involved in the
development and implementation of the
Accountability Framework in order for it
to be understood, supported and
progressed organization wide.
development and implementation
of a national level accountability
framework appropriate to each
context of operation and to provide
tools and resources to enable them
to conduct a baseline selfassessment
against the HAP
standards 2010
To dedicate further resources to
the HAP process within available
budget parameters
Key goal for 2011 Achievements/challenges/lessons learned 2012 objectives
To make all IMC employees aware of A series of briefings and awareness raising Learning modules to be developed
2

the HAP initiative and that
accountability and quality assurance
initiatives are organizational priorities
Review the International Medical
Corps Code of Conduct to ensure it
meets the HAP standard 2010 and
provide refresher training for staff on
their obligations under the Code of
Conduct with special attention to the
understanding of prevention of
sexual exploitation and abuse in our
countries of operation
3. Sharing information
sessions were held for all staff in IMC HQ
locations in Los Angeles, Washington DC,
London, and Split outlining the HAP
process and the development of the
Accountability Framework
The HAP initiative was a key topic at IMC
Regional Conferences as part of further
awareness raising of the HAP process
During 2011, 1,858 staff, interns,
volunteers and consultants received
training and awareness raising sessions in
HQ locations and countries of operation
on the Code of Conduct and how they can
contribute to the prevention of sexual
exploitation and abuse of vulnerable
people in developing countries and the
responsibility of all to report suspected
breaches of the code of conduct
A Learning and development working
group was established with dedicated
staff assigned to identifying how the HAP
components could be incorporated into all
IMC learning and development
opportunities for staff members as we go
forward
for integrated training on the code
of conduct, PSEA, Ethics Point,
Child Protection Policy etc. and
strengthening of
induction/orientation training for
all new employees in this regard
Integration of staff development
goal setting on accountability as
part of annual performance
evaluation
Initial and refresher training to be
conducted in country and field
office locations (SEA, child
protection, EthicsPoint, Code of
Conduct)
Key goal for 2011 Achievements/challenges/lessons learned 2012 objectives
3

Make the Accountability Framework
and Code of Conduct publicly
available
4. Participation
The Accountability Framework and Code
of Conduct were made publicly available
on our websites
Dedicated intranet site created for
program performance and accountability
providing a central resource for colleagues
on key accountability and quality
assurance materials
To rollout an IMC guide for country
offices on best practice in sharing
information for our stakeholders in
each country of operation
Posting of executive summaries of
evaluations of IMC programs on
our websites on a dedicated page
for quality and accountability
Country office reporting
mechanism put in place so that HQ
can monitor and support the
creation and dissemination of
information products made widely
available to stakeholders
Key goal for 2011 Achievements/challenges/lessons learned 2012 objectives
Conduct wide ranging consultation
exercise with our stakeholders as part
of the baseline self-assessment
against the HAP standards 2010 and
development of the Accountability
Framework
A cross section of IMC HQ and country
office staff both international and
national, donor representatives, NGO
counterparts, beneficiary
representative groups in Haiti, Kenya
and Tunisia and HAP colleagues were
consulted in the development of the
Accountability Framework
A key lesson learned was the
To provide training, tools and
materials to country offices to enable
and empower them to strengthen
their engagement with stakeholders
and most importantly beneficiary
representative groups in the design,
monitoring and evaluation of IMC
programs
4

importance of encouraging
participation from a wide spectrum of
stakeholders to develop an
Accountability Framework that has the
support and contributions of as many
interested parties as possible within
available resources.
5. Handling complaints
Key goal for 2011 Achievements/challenges/lessons learned 2012 objectives
Review internal systems and
procedures for receiving, handling
and responding to feedback and
complaints from stakeholders and
strengthen existing feedback and
complaint procedures to include the
availability of Ethics Point for all
field offices
6. Learning and continual improvement
Review of systems and procedures
completed and recommendations made
to HR department to strengthen
transparency and accountability in this
regard.
Ethics Point to be launched and
utilised by country offices and HQ
locations worldwide
Adoption and roll-out of IMC General
Complaint Policy and staff field
handbook to guide its implementation
Development of minimum
requirement checklist for field
complaint systems
Training at Country Office level for 4
pilot countries to establish/document
local level complaint systems and
ensure integration within general
complaint policy
5

Key goal for 2011 Achievements/challenges/lessons learned 2012 objectives
Review current approach to
monitoring and evaluation and
identify ways to strengthen our
existing approach.
Establish working groups comprising
a cross section of HQ staff to look at
staff wellbeing, training needs on
staff development and decision
making and accountability
Recruit further specialist staff to
enhance the Health Technical Unit
with particular focus on monitoring
and evaluation
Health Technical Unit significantly
enhanced and specialist staff recruited
to further strengthen our monitoring
and evaluation capacity and support to
country offices
A key lesson learned was the recognition
that IMC needs to develop an evaluation
policy to strengthen our ability to learn
from experience and strive for
continuous improvement in everything
we do
Develop and adopt an evaluation
policy to ensure greater predictability
and consistency in learning from
experience to feedback into best
practice both for IMC internal
purposes and to contribute to
learning and improvement for the
humanitarian and development
sectors generally
6