Abstract

What is HAP? The Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) is a multi-agency initiative to improve the quality and accountability of humanitarian action. What is the HAP Standard? The HAP Humanitarian Accountability and Quality Management Standard (2007) provides an industry standard for humanitarian accountability. It represents a broad consensus on what matters most when an agency responds to an emergency. How can the HAP Standard improve humanitarian practice? A part of the HAP Standard is a voluntary certification scheme, which together with the Standard itself represents a breakthrough in helping humanitarian agencies be more accountable to disaster-affected populations. How can this Guide help? The Guide to the HAP Standard and accompanying CD-ROM feature: • a detailed account of the Standard • advice on securing certification • practical support on implementing the benchmarks • advice on achieving best practice • extensive references and resources sections • the full text of the HAP Standard. This practical guide provides everything needed for humanitarian agencies and practitioners who want to improve their accountability and quality systems and who are aiming for HAP certification. It will also be useful to government departments involved in disaster management and to international bodies interested in accountability and good practice in the humanitarian sector.