ACBAR

Membership mandatory criteria/Requirements

Eligibility Requirements

• Applicant NGO must have at least 24 months of operational presence.
• Applicant NGO must have an ongoing project with a minimum value of USD 50,000 funded by a current donor at the time of application.

Submission Requirements

Eligible NGOs are requested to prepare and submit the following documents:

• Formal application letter (signed & stamped by Director/Country Director)
• Completed ACBAR Membership Form
• Signed & stamped NGO Code of Conduct (page 7)
• Registration Certificate (Ministry of Economy)
• Statutes of Operation (Bylaws/Asasnama & NGO Profile)
• Completed Directory Information Form (2 pages)
• Completed Request Information Form (2 sheets)
• Two endorsement letters from current eligible ACBAR member NGOs
• One endorsement letter from a current donor
• Organizational organogram
• Most recent Annual Report
• Annual Budget for the current year
• Most recent Audit Report
• Six-month activity reports (1st & 2nd) submitted to MoEco with receipt slips
• List of Board of Directors.

Membership Fees

• Annual Membership Fee: 0.1% of total yearly expenses
• Registration Fee: USD 50 (or AFN equivalent). Plea.se note: Payment should only be made upon official request from ACBAR.

Application Process

NGOs meeting the mandatory criteria are requested to submit the required information via the online application form.
Following online submission, hard copies of all documents must be submitted to the ACBAR office.
All submitted information must be current, accurate, and complete.
For any questions or clarification regarding the membership process, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We look forward to receiving your applications and to strengthening coordination and collaboration across the NGO community.

Membership-benefits

Being a member of ACBAR could make a major positive difference for your organization.
 
ACBAR exists to serve and facilitate the work of the NGO community/civil society actors in order to efficiently and effectively address the humanitarian and development needs of Afghans. ACBAR supports its members throughout the country and has an excellent track-record and reputation among the aid community. ACBAR’s credibility has enabled us to successfully voice the concerns of NGOs and to coordinate effective responses to issues of critical importance to NGO work in the country. As such, ACBAR plays a crucial role in representing the interests of NGOs to the government and donor community. ACBAR strives to ensure that the reputation of NGOs is preserved and that the important role they have been playing over the past 40 years in Afghanistan is recognized and supported.

ACBAR is in a unique position to provide information on the work and impact of NGOs in Afghanistan and assist communication between the Government and NGO community to help resolve problems both at the provincial and national level. Further to this, ACBAR facilitates coordination mechanisms to allow for information sharing on important issues throughout the country. ACBAR engages in policy decision making with the Afghan Government and the international community to promote a strong and consistent NGO / civil society voice. This activity also includes regular research and baseline surveys on various topics. For example, ACBAR promotes the structural inclusion and participation of NGO / Civil Society actors in the monitoring and implementation of the Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS) and in policy level forums.

ACBAR plays a central role in promoting the NGO Code of Conduct, highly regarded by members, donors and governmental authorities as a necessary step toward increased professionalism, transparency and accountability of NGOs in Afghanistan. ACBAR’s leadership in establishing the Code, training members and hosting the secretariat provides the basis establishing quality standards for NGOs / civil society organizations.

There is a strong need to improving access to information in the constantly changing context of Afghanistan, many of ACBAR‘s stakeholders have wide-ranging information needs. ACBAR’s permanent presence Kabul , Mazar-e-Sharif , Jalalabad, Herat , Kunduz, Bamyan, Khost and Kandahar, in addition to work throughout the country has allowed for coordination activities to be carried out at the provincial level, in areas where there is a strong concentration of NGOs. ACBAR’s current information tools for members are very much appreciated and in demand. ACBAR members receive regular information regarding ACBAR’s advocacy related activities undertaken on behalf of NGOs.

The need to strengthen coordination at provincial and national level:
There is a need to address the negative perception of NGOs and civil society actors. The limited positive impact on Afghan citizens’ life, the numerous stories of corruption reported by the media, and the large amount aid which the country receives, has created a climate of general suspicion, frustration and accusation. Grounded or not, the general perception of NGOs/CSOs by the population, the authorities and the media is negative. The perception of corruption that affects the NGO / civil society as well as most actors in Afghanistan, is definitely an issue that needs to be addressed. Through its communication strategy with press, the promotion of its Code of Conduct, and its plan to monitor the level of compliance of the signatories of the Code of Conduct, ACBAR intends to improve the general perception of NGO by the population even to far remote areas.
 
ACBAR’s coordinated advocacy aims to improve and strengthen the consistency of messages released by NGO’s. This is achieved through the better collection of systemized data and resources to facilitate knowledge sharing and evidence based research. ACBAR is in a strong position to improve interaction with governmental institutions and major stakeholders for advocacy initiatives.
 
ACBAR has adopted an advocacy strategy which is aimed to firstly coordinate advocacy messages around humanitarian issues; and secondly to lobby towards the governmental institutions and donors for more involvement of NGO / civil society actors in policy level forms

For more information please contact:

Info/Coord Manager - information@acbar.org