Chab Dai Charter Assessment Tool: Commitment to Excellence – Protection, Collaboration, Participation and Transparency
History behind the Chab Dai Charter
The idea behind the Charter initially came from Chab Dai members and their desire for a collective set of principles and values.
In 2010, Chab Dai recognized the need for a Code of Conduct, or an outlined summary of values agreed upon by all members of the coalition. The first draft, put together in early 2011, was a simple outline of Chab Dai’s expectation for members. What they could expect in return for being a member of Chab Dai was outlined in the Chab Dai Member Packs.
In April 2011, the Code of Conduct expanded into what is now the Chab Dai Charter. The decision to develop a Charter was informed and based on our understanding that our members were looking for a holistic framework that could assess and highlight various aspects of their work, including: providing staff care, relationship building with other members, and compliance with national and international laws. Therefore, what is now known as the Chab Dai Charter outlines 15 principles that the coalition members can identify as collective values. These include principles that have been categorized into four collective values: protection, collaboration, participation, and transparency.
Outlining a set of these principles on their own was not enough because it did not identify tangible ways members could achieve or monitor their commitment to achieving them. Thus, Chab Dai created a supplemental Charter Implementation Tool (now the Charter Assessment Tool) to accompany the Charter Principles.This list of 85 action points practically outlines what each principle looks like in action. To include a holistic approach to reaching excellence, the action points were further divided into 5 key stakeholder groups: staff and organizations, beneficiaries, members, donors, and government.
Chab Dai actively sought feedback from coalition members.
Feedback on the Charter process was collected from members and partners during member meetings, a series of member visits across Cambodia, and subsequently through member pilot groups that focused on evaluating this Assessment Tool and Implementation plan.
The overall response from members has been very positive. Members who have signed the Charter see it as an opportunity to seek external accountability for anti-trafficking activities in Cambodia; and recognize the potential of the program to raise the standard of care for survivors within all sector programs. Members have also expressed excitement that Chab Dai is willing to assist them with assessment and planning.
What is the Charter?
Today the Chab Dai Charter integrates Chab Dai’s three Coalition Program activities: Jeut Nung Dai, Doorsteps, and Learning Community. The individual strengths that each project has, including social work and counseling training, organizational development and leadership coaching, and forum and large coalition meetings, will bring a holistic approach to implementing the Charter with Coalition members.
During the next two years, the progress towards achieving excellence will be monitored using a database, beginning with the results of each member’s Assessment Tool results. Chab Dai will work with each member to create one year and two year Improvement Action Plans based on the results of their assessment, and in line with their project’s vision and mission.
Through use of the Charter, members of the coalition will:
- Be better informed about how to build the technical skills of Cambodian national staff
- Benefit from an increased collective understanding of trafficking trends and emerging issues; and
- Continue to build trust with other members in order to continue referrals and collaboration.
The Vision Behind the Charter
The Charter’s aim is to facilitate a commitment to excellence in practice, and collectively lead the way forward in the coalition’s efforts to rehabilitate or prevent victims of trafficking and abuse.
The Charter is a shared vision for helping Christian organizations work together to end sexual abuse and trafficking, and continue to raise the standard of care in programs throughout Cambodia.
An excerpt from the Charter Principles: ‘Inspired and motivated by our faith we commit ourselves to raising the standard of care as we work alongside communities, victims, and survivors; as we work with staff, donors, and government; and as we seek to model best practice.’
The Implementation of the Charter
The outworking of the Chab Dai Charter is a long term and ongoing process for the pursuit of excellence, so that communities, and survivors communities at risk of trafficking and abuse have the best care possible in order to see healing and restoration.
Individual Organization Impact
- Improved organizational and project performance
- Raised standards of care for survivors and vulnerable communities and
individuals.
- More effective stakeholder participation
Collective Coalition Impact
- Shared learning of best and innovative practices, and documenting joint lessons learned
- Ongoing development of Chab Dai member staff
- Gained recognition and support of members for high quality of services from
the Cambodian government, partners, and donors
- Increased trust between members through Charter implementation process,
therefore increasing appropriate service referrals and program specialization
- Opportunities for joint advocacy
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Chab Dai Cambodia is a coalition of 50 Christian organizations working with victims and those vulnerable of being abused, exploited or trafficked through prevention, intervention, aftercare, reintegration and socially responsible businesses.