CDC 132, 15 March 2012 [PDF 50kb] - AusAID

AusAID / NGO
Committee for Development Cooperation
A Joint Committee of the Australian Agency for International Development and
Australian Non-Government Organisations
Draft Minutes of the 132 nd CDC Meeting held on 15 March 2012
Attendees
AusAID
Mr Gary Powell, ADG NBB (Chair)
Mr Timothy Church (Legal Adviser)
Mr Russell Miles (Director NGO Policy, Partnerships and Program Section)
Mr Simon Cann-Evans (Director Mining for Development)
NGO Representatives
Mr Andrew Newmarch (World Vision)
Rev John Deane (ABM)
Ms Bridgette Thorold (Oxfam)
Apologies
Mr Adam Laidlaw (WaterAid)
Ms Zoe Mander-Jones (AusAID)
Secretariat
Ms Ruth Megirian (AusAID)
Ms Katharina Dollmann (AusAID)
Chris Wark (ACFID)
Observers
Ms Christina Nguyen (AusAID)
Susan Harris Rimmer (ACFID)
Welcome and Introductions
The Chair introduced himself and welcomed other new members to the CDC.
The meeting noted that Tim Church was an out-going member of the CDC, but that no
date had been set for his departure.
The meeting welcomed Simon Cann-Evans as a new member of the CDC.
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The meeting also welcomed Chris Wark who has taken over the role previously held by
Alex Oates as the CDC liaison point for NGO representatives in the CDC.
The Chair made the following opening remarks:
• AusAID has been restructuring to better position the organisation to manage the
increasing aid program. The restructure has been largely completed, although
some positions remain to be filled. NGO & Business Branch (NBB) reports to a
new First Assistant Director General, Margaret McKinnon in Africa and
Community Programs Division, reporting to James Batley, Deputy Director
General, Country Programs Group.
• The Chair acknowledged the leadership and contribution of the former Chair,
Therese Mills, who has taken up the position of ADG Scholarships and
Volunteers Branch, also in the Africa and Community Programs Division.
1. The meeting accepted the Minutes of the CDC Meeting 131 subject to including
Jason Alferink as an observer.
2. Action log
The meeting agreed that items should be removed from the Action Log where they
have been completed. Other items should be removed because they will be
addressed through implementation of the Civil Society Engagement Framework for
discussion later in the agenda.
The following item remains on the action log:
• Revision of the NGO Head Agreement.
Although the development of good practice guidelines for working with NGOs is no
longer an action item for the CDC, the issue of developing such guidelines may
come back to the CDC in the context of implementing action items in the CSEF. In
this respect, the Chair advised that AusAID is in the process of appointing a steering
committee to oversee implementation of the CSEF. The prupose of good practice
guidelines is to ensure consistency across Australia’s aid program on working with
civil society organisations.
3. Draft Civil Society Engagement Framework (CSEF)
The Chair acknowledged that consultation with the CDC had been delayed until after
AusAID’s consultation with ExCom on 7 March and that AusAID had not had
sufficient time to incorporate ExCom’s comments prior to the CDC meeting. ACFID
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was able to distribute ExCom’s comments to CDC members on the evening prior to
this CDC meeting.
It is expected that the CSEF will be launched in the next few months. It provides
guidance to how AusAID will engage with civil society organisations across the aid
program to address poverty up to 2015. The meeting noted that a strong civil
society is also a development outcome in its own right.
Russell Miles provided an overview of how ExCom’s comments and concerns would
be incorporated into the next iteration of the draft CSEF and sought input from the
meeting particularly in relation to the proposed ‘Intended Actions’.
The meeting noted that both Code of Conduct and the accreditation process remain
relevant to AusAID’s risk management practices in engaging with Australian CSOs.
NGO members sought further information as to how AusAID conducts risk
assessments of non-accredited NGOs (Australian, local and international), given the
level of funding that non-accredited NGOs receive from AusAID.
NGO members also noted that while accreditation is a risk management tool for
AusAID, recognised development expenditure (RDE) is used both for allocating
ANCP funds and as an indicator of independence from government. The draft
CSEF places greater emphasis on performance and less on RDE as the basis for
decisions on allocating funding. NGO members of the CDC sought to understand
the impact of a changed allocation model on the future of ANCP grant funds, and
discussed the merits of a ‘traffic light’ system as is currently used in AusAID’s QAIs.
The Chair reminded the meeting that no discussions or decisions had yet taken
place in respect of allocation models, and no timetable had yet been set for this work
to be undertaken.
NGO members suggested that some proposed action items on the draft CSEF were
currently not well-aligned with objectives. They also suggested that a greater focus
on ‘research’ as an action item could add greatly to how civil society is understood
as both a contributor to the development of civil societies as well as a contributor to
poverty reduction. The meeting also cautioned AusAID about unintended
consequences in relation to Objective 3 – Reduced risks and shared accountability.
4. Outsourcing of the Administration of Accreditation and Overseas Aid Gift
Deduction Scheme (OAGDS) Assessments
Ruth Megirian spoke to the paper provided to CDC members and provided an
overview of the rationale and history for outsourcing the administrative process for
accreditation and OAGDS and AusAID’s proposed approach to meeting future
demand.
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NGO members raised concerns about the extent of the concept of outsourcing and
the need to ensure that the integrity of assessment was not compromised. AusAID
indicated the proposed tender had been originally discussed last year and put on the
AusAID’s Annual Procurement Plan on AusTender.
CDC members also sought greater clarity about the proposed role of the CDC if
AusAID were to outsource accreditation (and OAGDS assessments) to an external
provider and how any concerns regarding the process would be managed with a
provider.
It was agreed that AusAID would provide more detail and clarity regarding the scope
of activities proposed to be outsourced at the next CDC meeting. It was suggested
that a communications strategy will need to be prepared to explain what any
proposed outsourcing of the administration of OAGDS and accreditation
assessments covers.
Action Item: AusAID to prepare a paper for the CDC on the extent of the
outsourcing proposed (including what it does and does not include) the role of the
CDC in relation to the accreditation process and management, taking into
consideration the implementation of the Civil Society Engagement Framework.
5. Organisational Reports
For individual applications, see Annex A.
The CDC noted the accreditation schedule and the large number of new applications
and re-accreditations scheduled this year. CDC members agreed to review OR
reports out of session if required.
6. Other Business
• The Chair advised that declarations of any conflicts of interest would be a
standing agenda item for all future CDC meetings.
• The AusAID Secretariat will instigate a system of purchase orders to clarify
AusAID’s policies on reimbursement to CDC for NGO members to attend
CDC meetings and simplify AusAID’s budgeting, invoicing and payment.
• CDC meeting dates for 2012 have been revised to:
23rd May
22nd August
21st November
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