1. Introduction:
1.1.World Local Administration and Democracy Academy Foundation (WALD) is a non-governmental organization established in 1993 for public benefit, based on the idea that the fundamental organizations that will ensure that democracy and human rights will be established and sustained are local administrations, and the necessity of reviewing, continuously discussing and improving local administration principles.
1.2.This policy text explains the corporate promotion and visibility approach to be developed by the World Local Administration and Democracy Academy Foundation (WALD), the resources and limits of this approach; decision-making powers, enforcers, the responsibilities of all workers and members, and the general objectives of transparency and accountability works.
2. Purpose:
2.1.The aim of this policy is to measure and evaluate the works carried out in line with WALD's mission, purposes and objectives, and to transparently share the evaluation results with beneficiaries, donators, shareholders, partners and enforcers, thus ensuring complete activity accountability.
2.2.This policy text aims to maintain and improve the quality of all of WALD's works, to ensure and improve a sustainable trust relationship with different groups and persons in contact, as a fundamental quality of the whole WALD team and their operations.
3. Scope
3.1. The commitments in this policy document covers all WALD management bodies including the Board of Directors, its workers, volunteers, collaborating organizations, service providing consultants, financial advisors, lawyers, and independent experts.
3.2. This Policy document is an integral part of WALD's other policy documents and practice guides, and interacts with other policy documents to reinforce each other.
3.3. As a member of the international CHS Alliance (Core Humanitarian Standards), WALD internationally guarantees that its corporate operations will be subject to accountability and transparency.
4.Definitions:
4.1.Transparency
4.1.1. Making and implementing decisions in line with rules and regulations, through participatory methods,
4.1.2. Allowing people who will be affected by the decision -working team, beneficiaries, partners, donators- access to information,
4.1.3. Making the information accessible and clear.
4.2.Accountability:
4.2.1.Acting responsibly and accountably concerning powers, responsibilities and duties,
4.2.2.Implementing methods that will demonstrate that resources are used effectively and as intended,
4.2.3.Carrying out internal and external assessments and audits,
4.2.4.Sharing assessment and audit results through mandatory and voluntary methods.
5.Roles and Responsibilities:
5.1.The implementation, monitoring and updating of WALD Transparency and Accountability Policy is the power, duty and responsibility of the WALD Board of Directors.
5.2.In corporate terms, the Board of Directors is responsible towards people who are affected by a decision made at WALD. Furthermore, the final decision-makers in every process have to be accountable -justify.
5.3.WALD Transparency and Accountability Policy may be improved and updated through feedback during works, in this case, all the team has to be notified of the updated policy text.
5.4.Every member of the WALD team have to agree to comply with this policy.
6.Collaborating Organizations and Institutions:
WALD Transparency and Accountability Policy is shred with collaborating partners, and they are expected to be transparent and accountable, and act in line with these principles in their partnership.
7.Policies and Procedures:
7.1.WALD has policy texts that explain the working approach that is implemented by the Board of Directors, and these texts have to be updated and renewed regularly.
7.2.Non-Governmental Organizations sustain themselves through the support of individuals and other organizations. Supporters have the right to see and know whether their support is used in line with the purpose, and to see their effects.
7.3.Beneficiaries have the right to know the purpose and effects of the support and contributions that they receive, the decision-making processes and the factors that affect them, and to agree or reject these.
7.4.WALD and its collaborating institutions and organizations have the right to know each others' purpose and organization, resource use, relations with beneficiaries, their working and problem-solving principles, and objectives.
7.5. Team members working in the field have the right to know the operation method of the organization, its working approach and rules, their resource use, decision-making process, the effects of their work and their planning processes.
7.6. Practice guides and policy documents explaining WALD's principles and guiding in their implementation are prepared. These practice guides and policy documents interact with and reinforce each other.
7.7. Monitoring and implementation documents-forms are prepared for financial and administrative works in line with legal arrangements and WALD policy texts.
7.8. Every member of the WALD team is informed about policy texts, operation rules and code of conduct, and provided with written documents. They are only included in the team after they agree to the working approach and rules in addition to their agreements.
7.9. WALD policy documents are shared with donators, partners and government institutions, and published on the web site.
7.10 As a legal requirement, WALD provides the statement for the previous year in every April. This document explains the corporate operations, in addition to the financial status of the previous year.
7.11 WALD is audited by the internal audit board elected by the General Assembly every 6 months, and the audit report is shared with the WALD team.
7:12 The practice guide prepared to ensure participation in decision-making processes and for feedback aims to both receive feedback from enforcers and beneficiaries about the work, and to inform them about the practices.
7.13 All stakeholders; donators, partner organizations and institutions, government organizations and institutions, beneficiaries and enforcers are informed about WALD's purposes, management system, general assemblies and elections, works, project implementation processes, their results, and resource use through its web page, social media, periodical bulletin, annual activity reports and through the press.
7.14 An investigation system including independent investigators is established in order to examine the feedback and complaints concerning WALD's practices and enforcers.
8. Validity
WALD Transparency and Accountability Policy will enter into force after being approved by WALD Board of Directors. WALD Board of Directors is the application authority for all notices and complaints.