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The CI Humanitarian MEAL group acts as a reference team to to strengthen CARE’s approach to humanitarian MEAL with the following objectives:

• Identify, prioritise and address areas of weakness in MEAL in CARE’s humanitarian programmes/responses;
• Create a Humanitarian MEAL Reference group and through this undertake a mapping of what exists within the organisation, capture and learn from good practice, and build on existing tools, processes, methods and approaches;
• Produce standard guidelines, templates and tools (including integration with relevant initiatives in the MEL Working Group) and use this to update Chapter 9 of the CARE Emergency Toolkit;
• Emphasise use of technology and other innovative approaches for effective and efficient MEAL;
• Disseminate and roll-out resources developed throughout the organisation, including a focus on capacity building for CO staff and ensuring that roster MEAL experts receive orientation.

Full Terms of Reference:2019-01-08_hummeal_wg_tor.docx

For information, please contact: Uwe Korus, Victoria Palmer or Margaux Saillard

CARE is committed to accountable development and humanitarian programming that advances and upholds the rights of the most vulnerable and excluded communities around the world, especially women and girls. CARE believes that, at its root, poverty is caused by unequal power relations that result in the inequitable distribution of resources and opportunities. We recognise that CARE (as an international organisation) and our partners (through their association with us) hold power derived from our resources, influence and connections. The difference in power between ourselves and our project participants can deter those in vulnerable positions from holding us to account. It takes courage to speak truth to power, but we are committed to systematically understanding and removing obstacles in the way of our accountability.

We recognise that our project participants are always the best experts in their condition, context and societies. Their feedback is essential to improve our interventions, to make them more effective and sustainable, to maximize positive outcomes and prevent harm.

We always welcome their expertise and the opportunity to do better through their feedback.

Feedback and Accountability Mechanisms (FAMs) must be in place in all areas where CARE operates (including where we operate through partners),to ensure that the opinions of project participants and members of the communities where we operate – including the most marginalised - inform our programming, irrespective of the duration or nature of the intervention (e.g. humanitarian, development, direct implementation, with partners etc.).

If operated effectively, a FAM will support CARE and its partners to meet the organization’s goals, values and commitments by ensuring that:

• Initial steps are taken towards redressing power imbalances</font><font 11.0pt/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>and that we are accountable to those we work with and for, by providing opportunities for participants (of all ages, genders and abilities) and partners to influence decision-making.
• Our interventions are relevant and appropriate to participants’ needs and aspirations</font><font 11.0pt/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>, by identifying changing needs, satisfaction level and inappropriate activities and taking appropriate action.
• Our interventions are implemented in a way that</font><font 11.0pt/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>respects communities and protects their well-being, safety and security, by identifying activities or behaviours which are causing harm and taking appropriate action.
• Gender equality and women’s voice are supported</font><font 11.0pt/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>, by identifying what is working and not working for women, men, boys and girls and providing opportunities for marginalized community members to voice their opinions and feed into decision-making.
• Trust with community members is built and maintained</font><font 11.0pt/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>, facilitating implementation and creating a solid relationship with the community upon which to intervene at a deeper level in the future.
• Reports of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse are identified and addressed</font><font 11.0pt/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>, acting as an early warning system and allowing us to respond and prevent further sexual misconduct or other sensitive issues.
• We continually learn and improve</font><font 11.0pt/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>the technical quality of our interventions through the feedback we receive and analyse, and our sharing of lessons learned.
• We promote safe stewardship</font><font 11.0pt/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>of the funding entrusted to us by donors and the public.

This guidance outlinesCARE’s standards for setting up and operating a Feedback and Accountability Mechanism (FAM). With the associated resources, this guidance also provides tools and practical examples that CARE teams and partners can use and adapt to their specific context as they develop, implement and manage an effective FAM.

This guidance includes the following types of resources:

1. Tools: practical templates that can be adapted to different operating contexts and used in managing the FAM;
2. Guidance: further suggestions and tips on a specific area related to setting up, using or improving a FAM;
3. Examples: resources already used in one of Care’s country offices;
4. Hyperlinks to further readings that can aid some of the processes described in this guidance.

When operationalising the FAM standards provided in this guidance, it is essential to ensure close alignment with other CARE’s policies, procedures and legal obligations. In particular, it is important to ensure training for staff, volunteers and partners and protocols for processing feedback (step 5), are aligned with CARE’s procedures and policies relating to whistleblowing, PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse), fraud, misconduct and protection from harm and GBV.

Whilst we always adapt our interventions to the context where we operate, programmatic realities and constraints, the FAM standards outlined in this document are applicable universally across all of CARE’s interventions, in both development and humanitarian programming. Whether programming is led by us or by our partners,This guidance has been principally authored by a small team(including Moiez Ahmed, Laura Hughston, Uwe Korus, Victoria Palmer, Meagan Patterson and Margaux Saillard) and draws from practical experiences in establishing and learning form feedback mechanisms in a range of settings and in developing policies and procedures for creating safe and inclusive processes. Throughout the writing of this guidance, the content and approach has benefited from extensive inputs from CARE staff from across the federation. The authors would like to extend our gratitude to the many CARE Country Offices who made their experiences and tools available for this guidance.

This guidance document therefore offers an insight into current good practice in both the development and humanitarian sectors and were informed by a range of global debates and initiatives to foster greater accountability. The HUM MEAL WG will howeverseek to continually improve this guidance and draw more on the practice and learning from CARE teams across the world.

We recognise that attaining excellence in our daily practice of accountability will required more than just this guidance. Sustained commitment, resourcing and honest reflection grounded in our experience and continued innovation will be required. In this spirit we commit to continuing supporting those across the CARE federation devoted to creating, operating and improving FAMs. Queries and requests for support should be directed to: CIFAMSupport@careinternational.org.