From Compliance to Care: Integrating Accountability in Organisations
Executive Short Course
How can organisations move from compliance-driven accountability to relationships of trust, dialogue, and co-creation with affected communities? What are the concrete steps through which this commitment can be realised? This executive course explores accountability as a shared responsibility across humanitarian, development and peacebuilding actors. Drawing on real-world cases, it examines how leadership, funding structures, and organisational cultures (developing standards, auditing) can either enable or hinder people-centred and locally led action. Participants will learn to design adaptive strategies and advocacy tools that promote inclusive accountability.
At the end of the course, participants will be able to:
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Explain the evolution of accountability, from technocratic standards to relational and decolonial approaches
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Understand power dynamics within humanitarian and development ecosystems that shape accountability
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Analyse the main barriers that impact accountability mechanisms internally and externally
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Apply practical tools to strengthen trust, participation, and downward accountability in their organisations
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Develop an advocacy or organisational strategy to embed ethical accountability and people-centred approaches across programmes
Around 75 hours of work including:
- Synchronous live sessions (once per week). All live sessions are in group and mandatory – Usually in early afternoon CEST.
- Asynchronous self-study activities (individual or group work activities such as readings, interviews, podcasts, videos, in-class presentations, self-tests, case studies and simulation exercises, reflexive analysis, forum discussions etc.)
Online course requires app. 15 hours of dedicated work per week. We recommend that participants allow at least 25% of their time for the course and adapt their professional activity accordingly and with flexibility on working hours.
- Accountability as ethics and practice (origins and challenges of AAP)The ethics and practice of people-centered approaches (rationale and methods)
- From standards to power: Rethinking relationships with communities (AAP frameworks)
- Leadership and organisational culture (listening, reflexivity, gender and diversity)
- Donor perspectives and systemic constraints (funding, reporting, risk management and advocacy)
- Designing transformative accountability (evaluations and strategies)
- Programme managers and field coordinators in humanitarian and development organisations
- Accountability, protection and safeguarding specialists
- MEAL, quality assurance and organisation development professionals
- Health and social work practitioners working with vulnerable populations
- Broadband/high speed connection – 2.5 Mbps minimum
- Most weekly content is accessible via phone, but a laptop/PC is preferred
- Microphone and webcam
Interested in applying? Learn more about the admission requirements and application process here.
