Non-Development Activity Policy
1. Goals
Through this policy the Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) aims to:
- Ensure that DTP fulfils its obligations in relation to ACFID’s Code of Conduct and make a clear separation between development and humanitarian and non-development objectives and activities. This policy addresses our ACFID compliance obligations when communicating with or soliciting donations from private donors and the public, including fundraising for restricted and unrestricted purposes from aid agencies, sponsors and supporters, and fundraising from the general public;
- Maintain honest and transparent processes in all of its operations, processes and relationships, including with funding bodies, partners, participants and supporters;
- Ensure that DTP’s programs and activities respect and promote universal values of human rights and do not promote particular religions, ideologies or partisan political activities;
- Ensure the funding and other resources it generates advance human rights and empower civil society in the Asia-Pacific region through quality education and training, and the building of skills and capacities in individuals and non-governmental organisations.
2. Scope
This policy applies to everyone who represents DTP in a formal capacity; including but not limited to Board Members, staff and volunteers.
DTP defines its development activity i.e. direct engagement through community education and promotion and protection of human rights as: all activity related to the delivery of its human rights education and advocacy programs, the circulation of enewsletters, the holding of round-table events, and preparation of resources.
All DTP’s activities are related to our community education. However, activities indirectly related to community engagement and hence defined as non-development activities include, but are not limited to: networking; fundraising; professional development; administrative and financial activities.
3. Definition of Aid and Development Activities
DTP is committed to ensuring that funds and other resources designated for the purpose of aid and development are used only for those purposes. As defined by the ACFID Code of Conduct, DTP refers to aid and development activities as those activities:
undertaken in order to reduce poverty and address global justice issues. In the non-government organisation sector, this may occur through a range of engagement that includes community projects, humanitarian response and emergency management, community education, advocacy, volunteer sending, provision of technical and professional services and resources, environmental protection and restoration, and promotion and protection of human rights.
DTP’s aid and development activity can be distinguished by the following principles:
- gives priority to the needs and interests of the people being served;
- encourages self-help and self-reliance among beneficiaries and thus avoids creating dependency;
- involves beneficiary groups to the maximum extent possible in the design, implementation and evaluation of projects and programs;
- respects and fosters internationally recognised human rights, both socio-economic and civil-political; and enhances gender equity, peace-building, and civil society;
- seeks to recognise and advance the dignity of beneficiaries in all activities undertaken and to operate independently of any religious or political affiliation, while respecting diversity of race, gender, ethnicity, age, religion, and political affiliation.
4. Definition of Non-Development Activities
DTP is solely an educational institution, and has no sectarian or political affiliations. As such, no funds are used to promote a particular religious adherence or to support a political party, or to promote a candidate or organisation affiliated to a particular party.
5. Compliance
This policy provides a framework for DTP’s compliance with the Commitment to accountability to our stakeholders in the ACFID Code of Conduct, in particular Compliance Indicator 7.3.2 which states that Members development initiatives constantly demonstrate the separation of development activities from non-development activities.
DTP is committed to ensuring that funds and other resources designated for the purpose of aid and development are used only for those purposes.
DTP will have a clear separation between aid and development and non-development objectives and activities. This separation will be clear in all fundraising, program designs and related activities in public communications and in all reporting including annual reports.
Funds raised for aid and development purposes will not be used to exploit people and communities who are vulnerable and will not place any conditions or obligations on recipients in terms of non-development, religious or political outcomes that would affect their access to services being offered.
Partner agreements (MoU or equivalent) will require the partner to agree that DTP funds designated for aid and development purposes will not be used to fund any non-development activity.
Ongoing dialogue between DTP and its partners will reinforce the definitions of development and non-development activity and the need for separation between development and non-development activity.
Non-development activities are NOT considered to be Recognised Development Expenditure, nor acceptable for receipt of funding derived from Tax Deductible gifts.
6. Guiding Principles
DTP’s commitment to empowering civil society, and to participatory methods of teaching and learning are consistent with, and reflect good development practice. Effective and sustainable development that addresses poverty, discrimination and marginalisation calls for the participation of the poor and their representatives and advocates. Building the knowledge and skills of these advocates, organisations and communities, including to more effectively demand good governance and pro-poor policies is therefore a valuable contribution to wider development interventions.
DTP is committed to working in partnership with others, and to recognising the knowledge, skills and perspectives of its partners and the participants in its programs. DTP recognises its responsibility for the funds it disburses through its program partners.
7. Implementation
DTP will:
- Accurately represent its development and non-development activities to the people it works with, donors and the public, in all public communications and reporting, including in its annual reports.
- Where DTP transfers funds to its international partners to meet the local costs of training programs and associated activities, these partners will be asked to acquit those funds fully and accurately to the requirements of DTP, in accordance with the accounting standards of ACFID’s Code of Conduct and DTP’s funders in accordance with its contractual obligations.
- Funds and other resources designated for the purpose of development will be used only for these purposes and will not be used to promote a particular religious adherence or to support a political party, or to promote a candidate or organisation affiliated to a particular party.
- Funds raised for DTP programs will be used in a way that is consistent with the values and principles of the International Bill of Human Rights and will not be used to exploit people and communities.
- Communicate clearly that it respects freedom of belief and conscience and participation in DTP’s programs is conditional only on a commitment to human rights and human dignity.
- Integrate this policy into its procedures and programs manuals.
- Review and renew this policy every three years.
8. Reviewing this Policy
The DTP Board of Directors adopted this policy on Non Development Activity.
Date of Adoption: 13 August 2012
Revised and Renewed: November 2021
Date for Renewal: 2024
