BOND AGM 2006 and Annual Conference
Challenging Ourselves: UK NGOs and Change in the 21st Century
Date: Wednesday, 22 November 2006
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Over 100 members attended the event held at the NCH Conference Centre in Highbury, London. In a break from BOND’s usual AGM format the inclusion of a conference provided members with a timely opportunity to discuss and debate key issues affecting and influencing their work. Evaluation forms indicate that the mix of excellent keynote speakers and panellists, together with the relevance of the topics and the high attendance, combined to create a dynamic and very enjoyable event.
'On behalf of War Child I am writing to thank you and your colleagues for organising such an effective meeting. In my view it was an object lesson in how an AGM can be made to be interesting and well attended while also being an exercise in accountability. You and your colleagues had clearly put a great deal of thought into the occasion and how members might be able to benefit from it. As a result it was very useful, a genuinely helpful opportunity for information exchange, reflection and networking. Thank you'.
Christopher Child, Campaigns Director, War Child
The Secretary of State for International Development, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, delivered the keynote speech. In the last few months the government has published a new White Paper, DFID has received a National Audit Office report on its funding relationship with civil society, and the OECD has completed a peer review of the UK's aid programme. All three set new challenges for DFID's relationship with civil society, and Hilary Benn spoke about his vision for the future of the relationship.
BOND AGM 2006: Hilary Benn Speech (pdf, 65.5 KB)
BOND AGM 2006: Hilary Benn Speech (word, 35.5 KB)
There were a range of discussion forums to choose from, all of which addressed an aspect of the theme of the day: what are the ways UK NGOs need to change in the coming years, to deliver the changes we are all working for? Some of these related to the themes raised by Hilary Benn's keynote speech in the morning; others drew on key work in BOND. They included:
Quality and the aid chain
You, as BOND members, have told our consultants on quality standards that you define quality in your work as being about the quality of relationships with, and accountability to, your beneficiaries. In your day-to-day work, what helps you work for this, and what holds you back? Do your relationships with donors and supporters help or hinder? BOND will be working in the next few years to help you strengthen this approach to quality; help us help you better.
Quality and the Aid Chain (pdf, 99.8 KB)
Quality and the Aid Chain (word, 38.5 KB)
Public support for development: broad but shallow
The OECD Peer Review of UK aid said that the government could depend on very broad public support for development, but warned that the support is very shallow, vulnerable to bad news stories, and so possibly not long-lasting. NGOs have played an important role - through fundraising, media work and campaigning - in broadening the support. But have we been responsible for keeping it shallow? And what do we need to do differently to deepen our supporters' understanding and commitment?
Public Support for Development (pdf, 104 KB)
Public Support for Development (word, 45.5 KB)
The demand side of governance: influencing as key in the south
The government's White Paper signals a shift in DFID's governance work from focusing on the state to supporting civil society and other influencers in pressing for capable, responsive and accountable governments. A welcome shift by government, but the devil is in the detail; what types of organisation and work should DFID's new Governance and Transparency Fund support? And are there places where it could do more harm than good?
The Demand Side of Governance (pdf, 110 KB)
The Demand Side of Governance (word, 47.5 KB)
I don't do environment, but it messes with my poverty work; what do I do next?
With a few exceptions, most organisations focus either on the environment or poverty, but not both. But environmental change can destroy the progress of our work on poverty. What are the steps a development organisation needs to take to integrate environment into its work?
Environment and Development (pdf, 106 KB)
Environment and Development (word, 45.5 KB)
Fundraising: what's happening to the pot?
What are the trends and what are the opportunities? Several significant funders have divided their budgets between open, competitive funding and strategic funding. How is this affecting fundraising strategies?