4. Q&A Roles and Responsibilities
Compliance with CARE’s Humanitarian Accountability Framework (HAF) is a CARE-wide obligation and priority. It is the responsibility of every CARE staff member to treat quality and accountability (Q&A) as integral to his or her role. All CARE Country Offices and CARE Members should have plans in place for operationalization the HAF in their particular context and for relevant monitoring its implementation.
| Position | Key responsibilities |
| All staff | – be aware of and adhere to CARE’s Humanitarian Accountability Framework (HAF) |
| CI Secretary General | – regularly report to the CI Board on CI-wide HAF compliance and progress (including sharing the annual Performance Metrics report, which includes consolidated scores against CARE Humanitarian Quality and Accountability Commitments and Humanitarian Performance Targets |
| CARE Member Senior Management (especially Lead Members with Country Office oversight) | – ensure that CARE Members have in place plans of action for implementing and reviewing their own performance against the HAF, with a focus on the Performance Targets and Commitments 7, 8 and 9
– ensure that all staff are aware of and adhere to CARE’s HAF – alongside CEG, ensure that CARE’s humanitarian programming complies with Q&A standards as set out in the HAF and CHS |
| Humanitarian & Operations Director (HOD) | – ensure that CEG has in place a plan of action for implementing and reviewing its own performance against the HAF, with a focus on Performance Targets
– alongside CARE Member Senior Management, ensure that CARE’s humanitarian programming complies with Q&A standards as set out in the HAF and CHS – oversee the collation of annual Humanitarian Performance Metrics reports – ensure that CARE keeps to its commitment on transparency in publishing its Performance Metrics reports, CHS verification outputs, evaluations and other learning outputs |
| CEG Humanitarian Operations Team | – Ensure maintenance and management of Humanitarian Crisis & Response Database with related platforms for data access and visualization
– Prepare regular global Crisis Overviews – Prepare annual Humanitarian Performance Metrics reports |
| Country Directors (CD), Country Office (CO) Senior Management Teams (SMT) or Emergency Response Team (ERT) and Emergency Team Leader (ETL) | – alongside CO Focal Point, ensure that COs have in place plans of action for implementing and reviewing their own performance against the HAF, with a focus on all CHS commitments
– maintain overall responsibility for HAF compliance, including relevant systems, measurement processes and application of lessons / improved Q&A practice – ensure adequate resources are allocated for Q&A activities across all humanitarian programming – facilitate Rapid Accountability Reviews (RAR) and After Action Reviews (AAR) during the course of any emergency response (Type 2 or above) – report periodically on HAF compliance to CEG |
| Crisis Coordination Group (CCG) | – ensure planning of appropriate response specific reviews and evaluations as well as related management response to key accountability & performance issues as raised by RPS
– engage critical CARE stakeholders in management response on in a particular response – alongside CEG REC and MEAC, maintain oversight over HAF performance measurement processes within a particular response (primarily RARs, AARs, evaluations). |
| CO Focal Point (FP) for Programme Quality and Accountability (PQ&A) | – alongside CD / SMT / ERT / ETL, ensure that the CO has in place a plan of action for implementing and reviewing performance against the HAF, which is reviewed regularly and adapted as required
– ensure that the HAF is incorporated in programme plans, monitoring, evaluation and review – ensure that effective accountability mechanisms are in place – provide relevant training and mentoring for CO and partner staff – alongside CD / SMT / ERT / ETL, facilitate RARs and AARs during the course of any emergency response (Type 2 or above) |
| CO Project Manager(s) | (all alongside the FP for PQ&A)
– ensure application of HAF throughout the programme cycle, including monitoring, evaluation and review – ensure that effective accountability mechanisms are in place – provide support to project staff (CARE and partners) to implement the HAF – ensure adequate resources are allocated within project budgets for quality and accountability activities |
| Regional Emergency Coordinator (REC) | – guide COs in their adherence to the HAF
– provide technical support on programme quality and accountability standards and measures, as per the HAF – support (alongside with CO-FP for PQ&A) facilitation of response reviews and AARs – support CO in engaging critical CARE stakeholders in management response to critical performance issues |
| CEG Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability Coordinator (MEAC) | – maintain oversight over HAF performance measurement processes (primarily RARs, AARs and CHS verification)
– provide technical support to COs on HAF compliance – support learning between COs and emergencies – support HOD on CEG HAF plan of action – lead on compilation of Response Performance Summaries (RPS) – coordinate CHS verification processes – ensure maintenance of HAF performance data section of CEG database – support CO and REC in engaging critical CARE stakeholders in management response to critical performance issues |
| Field-based Accountability Officers | – conduct information campaigns
– facilitate participatory mechanisms – establish and maintain feedback and complaints mechanisms – investigate or support investigation of complaints (according to complaints policy) – ensure feedback to communities about management response to issues raised |
| Quality and Accountability Specialists (roster) | – provide support to COs in setting up and implementing quality and accountability systems suited to the operating context
– provide HAF-related training and mentoring to CO staff – lead or support RARs and AARs |
| CO Communications staff | – ensure communications support is in line with the HAF, especially in relation to Commitment 4 |
| CO and CI Human Resources staff | – ensure human resources support is in line with the HAF, especially in relation to Commitment 8 and Response Target 4 |
| CO and CI Finance staff | – ensure finance support is in line with the HAF, especially in relation to Commitment 9 and Response Target 3 |
The CARE Emergency Group (CEG) maintains oversight of CARE’s humanitarian Q&A performance – including leadership on Rapid Accountability Reviews (RAR), Response Performance Summaries, Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) Verification, Humanitarian Performance Metrics.