Islamic Relief has a strongly held vision and mission – based on
Islamic values and the humanitarian imperative – that guides our work
and approach. This has led the organisation to develop and accept a
code of conduct that guides our staff in delivering the highest quality
services to the most needy and destitute communities in the world. We
firmly place the needs and rights of the poorest at the heart of our
planning and strategising.
But how do we assess the quality and appropriateness of our
activities? How do we ensure that our clients; the poorest and most
vulnerable, are empowered to access, influence and critically assess
the service we provide? How do we know that our work is driven by the
needs of poor people and not influenced by competing interests of other
stakeholders?
Do communities really know who Islamic Relief is? Do our beneficiaries
understand our mandate and what standards and services we are obliged
to provide and to whom? Are we transparent to both beneficiaries and
donors about the way we utilise resources and the results we achieve?
This manual sets out to introduce, explain and advise on how best
Islamic Relief Worldwide (IRW) can answer some of the above questions. It sets in place
an Accountability Framework in which we can all strive to improve the
quality of our work in the eyes of our beneficiaries and the rest of
the world.