Accountable Now is an organisation that works globally to support civil society organisations (CSOs) to be transparent, responsive to stakeholders and focused on delivering impact. Our Members are internationally operating CSOs like Amnesty, BRAC, CIVICUS, Greenpeace, Oxfam, Plan, Restless Development and Transparency International, who drive this agenda together with us.
Accountable Now was founded in 2008 under the name International NGO Charter of Accountability by 10 leading CSOs, including development, humanitarian, environmental, rights-based and advocacy organisations. As Membership and global collaboration increase, our collective voice has strengthened. Today, we have 27 Member Organisations which are active in more than 150 countries and impact stakeholders all over the world.
Annually, our Independent Review Panel assess reports by all our Members. In addition, our Member Organisations form a vibrant community of practice supporting our strong voice for a more accountable enabling environment for civil society globally.
The Secretariat of Accountable Now has been hosted by the International Civil Society Centre in Berlin since 2010. The Centre helps the world’s leading International CSOs maximise their impact for a sustainable and more equitable world.
Current Context
With growing pressure on civil society space, strong accountability for CSOs is needed more than ever. There has been a developing hostile narrative about the effectiveness and efficiency of CSOs in the Global North. There has been suspicion, resistance or even the shutting down of CSO operations by governments in the Global South. Enabling CSOs to be accountable for their agendas, successes and failures builds their legitimacy and protects against these pressures.
Accountability, therefore, is not an issue on the shelf with many other issues, it is the framework, premise, context and condition by which injustice is challenged and sustainably changed. It is the air in which civil society’s role can thrive.
Accountable Now sits at the heart of this drive for greater accountability. Since our foundation we have been a well-recognised, market leader in accountability with a compliance based framework. Under the previous leadership of Karenina Schroeder and together with our members, Accountable Now have moved away from compliance to a principles base, developing a dynamic accountability practice that is adaptable for both large and small CSOs. This has strengthened CSO engagement with supporters, communities, activists and donors for better results.
In addition, Accountable Now has been the driving force for bringing together nine well-established civil society accountability networks from around the world to develop the Global Standard for CSO Accountability. The Global Standard is built from the bottom up, carving out the significant existing overlap on core parameters for CSO accountability in all participating codes. In late April 2017, the nine Project Partners met in New Delhi and agreed on the final version of the Global Standard. Accountable Now Members have agreed to adopt the Global Standard as our Accountability Commitments in June 2017.
Future Plans
Our Strategy Beyond 2015 lays out our three goals in support of CSOs achieving better impact for people and the environment. These goals are:
- Continuously improving accountability standards, practices, tools and monitoring through amongst other things;
- Thought leadership that shows accountability is a driver of quality and impact
- Encouraging accountability with CSO leadership
- Fostering digital stakeholder engagement by helping CSOs develop creative ways of using technology to do accountability
- Enhancing public trust through, among other things;
- Building the brand as the recognised vehicle for high standards of accountability
- Commissioning a study that compares the performance of Members and Non Members
- Enhancing the sense of internal ownership
- Enlarging the membership
- Improving global collaboration through among other things;
- Working with numerous national CSO accountability networks from around the world to develop a collective Global Standard for CSO Accountability
- Ensuring the Standard reflects a truly global yet nationally-tested approach
- Working with donors to shape contracts to include accountability reporting, in turn ensuring that their grantees are responsive to their stakeholders.
Accountable Now is seeking an
Executive Director (m/f)
In Berlin
who can take this work forward serving, with excellence, CSOs around the world.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
The Executive Director will be tasked with:
- Providing strategic leadership to the Accountable Now and Global Standards Board
- Taking the lead in developing cutting edge thought leadership and accountability programmes and nurturing relationships with potential funding partners to finance these initiatives.
- Leading, managing and inspiring a small, high performing team ensuring the professional management of Accountable Now’s day to day operations
- Managing and overseeing relationships with existing members and accountability networks and foster relationships with potential members and accountable networks
- Representing Accountable Now at relevant conferences or other fora to increase its visibility and acceptance with relevant stakeholders
- Liaising with other CSO accountability initiatives like CHS or IATI to keep informed about the newest developments, seeking alignment wherever possible
- Overseeing the delivery and professional conduct of Accountable Now and Global Standard Board meetings, AGM, workshops, webinars and Independent Review Panel sessions.
Person Specification
You will have:
- Experience working at a senior level within International CSOs [or local CSOs]
- Proven ability to build relationships of influence with multi-stakeholder groups
- Experience of leading, managing and inspiring small teams of highly capable people
- Strong communication skills capable of writing powerfully and simply
- Comfortable working in a small office context with limited resources and support
- Passion for and confidence in accountability as a means of bringing excellence and legitimacy to the CSO community
Reporting Lines
- With regard to financial performance, membership development and achievements against strategic objectives as set by the Accountable Now Board, the Executive Director reports to the Accountable Now Board under direction from the Board Chair. The Accountable Now Board convenes virtually on a quarterly basis and at least once a year on a physical basis.
- With regard to the work contract and working conditions the Executive Director currently reports to the Executive Director of the Centre. In biannual reviews they assess potential synergies between the Centre’s and Accountable Now’s activities.
We offer
- A permanent contract with a six months’ probation period
- A thorough insight into the world’s leading CSOs and the opportunity to improve their accountability and impact
- Cooperation with accountability networks from all parts of the world to advance a globally shared and aligned accountability practice
- The opportunity to be part of a young, international, dynamic and ambitious organisation with capable and energetic colleagues supporting the world’s CSOs, large and small.
Terms and Conditions
The role is full time and permanent and will preferably be based out of Berlin, Germany. The salary will be circa €70K depending on the competencies and experience of the successful candidate. The package also includes a generous annual leave allocation commensurate with the seniority of the position. The Executive Director will likely be required to travel overseas four to six weeks per year and therefore must have a valid passport and be able to travel without restrictions.
How to apply
Accountable Now is working with Macaulay Search to conduct this appointment process.
The closing deadline for applications is 5pm on 14th September 2017. Interested candidates are directed to email their application to sam.stephens@macaulaysearch.com
Your application should comprise:
- A covering letter of not more than one and a half pages outlining your motivation and relevant experience for the role.
- A full CV, including educational and professional qualifications, a full employment history showing the more significant positions, responsibilities held and relevant achievements.
- Please also indicate where you heard about the opportunity
Successful applicants will be invited to a skype interview on 28th or 29th September. A smaller number of candidates will be invited to face to face interviews which are planned for 10th October.
Thank you for your interest in the work of Accountable Now. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with Macaulay Search using the above email address should you have any questions regarding this appointment process.
TransparencyRightsPolicy & Advocacy Accountable Now Seeks Executive Director Accountable Now works globally to support civil society organisations (CSOs) to be transparent, responsive to stakeholders and focused on delivering impact. English Accountable Now https://accountablenow.org
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