ActionAid Bangladesh (AAB) is committed to stand by people living in poverty and help them get rid of poverty and injustice. The Country Strategy Paper IV of AAB sheds light on the organisation in terms of understanding the reasons of poverty and exclusion and the ways of addressing it. Since partnership plays the most important role in defining the impact of AAB, it is important to clearly state, the meaning of partnership‟ for AAB and how it intends to practice what it preaches. It is also important to state how AAB intends to work or not work with organisations that foster poverty and deepen inequality. Partnership is an overarching and necessary strategy that cuts across geographies and different levels from local to international, projects and programmes. Our partnership policy has been developed to support and enhance the quality of relationships, and to ensure mutual accountability to our partners and vice versa.
VISION
A world without poverty and injustice in which every person enjoys their right to a life with dignity.
MISSION
To work with poor and excluded people to eradicate poverty and injustice. AAB‟s approach to development builds on the idea that human development is the central concern and defines development as a process of expanding people‟s freedoms.
IMPORTANCE OF PARTNERSHIP AND PARTNERSHIP POLICY
Our past experiences have unfolded a need for qualitative change in the meaning of Partnership. AAB therefore considers that its partnership with communities and grassroots organisations, particularly with poor and excluded people, that will contribute to that Change. AAB believes that no single actor can ensure rights. This necessitates the need for multi-dimensional partnerships with key players such as government, civil society, people's movements, alliances, networks, forums, NGOs, donors and the media in carrying forward and strengthening policy advocacy work. Partnership Policy (PP) is essentially a language of communication among the entities that constitute partnership. The PP aims to strengthen the bond among partners. It is also a continuous process of negotiation to come to a common ground for intervention in the social world in order to change it.
PARTNERSHIP VALUES AND NON-NEGOTIABLE PRINCIPLES
A snapshot view of these values and non-negotiable principles are outlined in the table below.
| VALUES | NON-NEGOTIABLE PRINCIPLE |
| Adherence to human rights based approach | 1. Active participation of rights holders in promoting their rights to development through people‟s agency and their rights to basic services and resources.
2. No Partnership with organisations working to establish anti- poor, neo-liberal economic systems. 3. No partnership with organisations practicing exploitative micro-finance. |
| Gender sensitivity and child rights promotion and protection | 4. Zero tolerance of violence against women, child rights violation within the organisation, its programme and by the Senior Management of the partner organisation. |
| Transparency | 5. Practice of financial integrity and financial policy adherence.
6. Practice of open information system for the programme participants and staff on the partnership with AAB. |
| Participation and local knowledge | 7. Participation of stakeholders to contribute to the quality of the programme implementation
8. Partners take into consideration the local context and knowledge, realistic and priority demands of the people during programme planning through PRRP. |
| Law of the land and fairness in the process | 9. Adherence to the laws of the land (zero tolerance for criminal acts, fraudulence by the organisation or its top management if proved guilty). |
| Common cause; Shared values; Mutual accountability | 10. Adherence to the contract signed between AAB and partner
11. Respecting the independence of programme implementation by the partner. |
| Mutual respect and shared learning | 12. Adherence to ALPS.
13. Practice of day to day communication among AAB, partner organisation and LRP team. 14. Provide space to incorporate learning incurred from the annual reports, mid-term reports or any other formal process of learning. |
DEVELOPMENT OF PARTNERSHIP
ActionAid will enter into partnership with, Legally registered organisations, networks, alliances, coalitions or movements. Organisations/ groups that are not legally registered but recognised by their constituencies, or where the political context makes it difficult for organisations AAB will partner with to register; such organizations can enter into partnership with AAB through or in conjunction with other organisations that are legally registered. Furthermore, the emerging organisations (registered or unregistered) that AAB nurture for long-term partnerships with recognition and moral support.
PROCESS
ActionAid Bangladesh will enter into a partnership both proactively (seeking partners) or reactively (when sought by partners), using the minimum standards stated in this policy. The Operational Strategic Plan and Priorities identified by AAB will be the basis for determining the type and profile of partners ActionAid Bangladesh seeks. AAB will follow the subsequent process (as appropriate) to identify, select and build /establish partnership with a suitable organisation or group.
1. Identification and Selection of a Partner
2. Long term Partnership
3. Short term (Project) and Strategic Partnership
4. Partnership Building (Long Term and Short Term)
5. Partnership Extension - Long Term Partnership
PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT
- MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS IN PARTNERSHIPS
- PARTNERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES
- COMMUNICATION AND COORDINATION
All communications shall be made in written form. Any verbal/telecommunication regarding any management decision or information sharing should be subsequently recorded and endorsed by the concerned parties to avoid information gaps.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITY DOCUMENTS IN PARTNERSHIPS
1. Partnership Agreement
2. Programme Memorandum (or Project Document)
3. Programme and Financial Reporting Formats
4. Strategy Paper with Operational Plan
5. Phase-out Plan
6. Monitoring System
PROGRAMME MONITORING AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
ActionAid has a well-established Accountability, Learning and Planning System (ALPS) and participatory methodologies to ensure multilevel accountability and programme quality. ALPS is AAB‟s overarching Accountability Framework - strongly driven by principles, and sets out necessary personal attitudes and behaviours alongside organisational processes for planning, strategy formulation, learning, monitoring reviews evaluations and audit. ALPS defines our standards, not only about what we do but also how we do it. ALPS is part of AAB‟s human rights-based work. Monitoring and Knowledge Management will be a continual process throughout the programme period and it is mandatory for partners to comply with the ALPS in any Monitoring and Knowledge Initiatives.
PARTNERSHIP PHASE-OUT
The nature of partnership with AAB comes with a timeframe. AAB therefore has certain processes and procedures to ensure timely phase-out from a Partnership Agreement. Phase-out of partnership can be of different kinds: Planned, Forced or Early / Premature Phase Out, depending on the quality of the programme and/or the interest of the rights holders. To phase out, AAB will adhere to the following processes:
a. Planned Phase-out i.e. Agreed Way Ahead
b. Forced Phase-out, due to the lack of quality of the programme, financial mismanagement, and/or lack of interest from partners including the rights holders
c. Early or Premature phase-out i.e. before the agreed time-frame due to the withdrawal of supporters, donors, or cancellation of projects
Phase Out with both Long-Term and Strategic Partners will involve different processes.
