The Regulation and Certification of INGOs

This paper investigates perceptions of the extent to which NGO peer-regulation initiatives have been effective in enhancing levels of accountability across the humanitarian and development sector. It is based upon semi-structured interviews with individuals with responsibility for accountability policy from leading NGOs and focuses on two of the best-known initiatives: HAP and Sphere. It finds that the initiatives have prompted positive changes in practice, but there are significant concerns about their deleterious impacts. Participants describe a host of challenges, including the tendency of peer-regulation to become excessively bureaucratic and labor-intensive. They cast some doubt on the potential of the initiatives to assist NGOs to be more accountable to people and communities.