Julie Bishop address to Council 2010
Advocacy and Public Policy Committee (APPC)
Role of APPC
APPC is an advisory committee to the ACFID Executive Committee. It coordinates advocacy, policy development and campaigning/educational activities among ACFID member agencies. APPC identifies critical areas for ACFID's strategic advocacy engagement, particularly on government aid policy, human rights and the role of NGOs in development. It pursues engagement with government at a number of levels, as well as collaboration with the academic sector and greater education of the community on development issues.
Terms of Reference
Endorsed by the Executive Committee on 16 March 2011
The Advocacy and Public Policy Committee’s objective is to work with ACFID members and the Secretariat to strengthen ACFID’s public policy and advocacy program.
The APPC will work to achieve this objective through:
- engagement with the government on policy issues related to development, including informing the aid budget
- providing oversight and guidance to ACFID Working Groups on Policy and Advocacy, including the Make Poverty History (MPH) Campaign.
- providing guidance to ACFID, ACFID Working Groups and the Universities-ACFID Linkage Network on research priorities.
- providing guidance to ACFID on key external stakeholders and engagement strategies.
- supporting capacity building within the sector for evidence-based advocacy and communication of key messages.
Links to ACFID Strategic Plan 2011-2015
The work of the APPC links directly to following directions and objectives:
Strategic Direction 1: Advocacy and leadership
1.1 Deliver a sustained and comprehensive program of advocacy work, focused on a small number of well-chosen issues, regularly updated.
1.2 Champion human rights, gender equality and women’s empowerment and the role of civil
society in our advocacy and programmatic work.
1.3 Influence Australia’s foreign policy and aid program.
1.5 Bolster public support for aid and development.
Strategic Direction 2: Sector development
2.1 Bring our members together to act, share and learn collectively so they have greater impact.
2.3 Set and champion standards of good practice and accountability
2.4 Foster the partnership with and environment in which government policies and practices contribute to the sustainability, capacity and vitality of our sector
Membership
Committee representatives are nominated by ACFID member agencies. The APPC has eight members plus two co-chairs, one co-chair is appointed from ACFID’s Executive Committee (ExCom). ExCom appoints the members for a rotational 2-year term (4 each year) according to the nomination procedures adopted in June 2001.
The membership of the APPC committee should comprise the following:
- NGO staff with experience in advocacy, policy development, and campaigning on global development and poverty reduction issues;
- people with expertise in at least one of ACFID’s strategic advocacy work areas and with links to institutions or international networks in support of those work areas; and
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people with a commitment to sector-wide advocacy and whose organisations can allow them to make a reasonable time commitment to the work of ACFID through the APPC.
There should also be:
- one member with good knowledge of media and communication;
- a balance between larger and smaller member agencies; and
- a reasonable balance in gender composition.
Accountability
ExCom has established the APPC under the ACFID Rules 9.1 and 9.2. ExCom will review these APPC ToR at its June meeting each year.
The ACFID Constitution states:
9.3 All committees and working groups must:
a) seek the prior approval of the Executive Director before inviting any representative of an organisation which is not a member of ACFID to attend meetings of, or otherwise participate in, the committee or working group;
b) operate in accordance with terms of reference or guidelines specified by ExCom, if any, and in pursuance of the objectives of ACFID;
c) keep minutes of their meetings, and provide a copy of such minutes to ExCom on request;
d) provide reports to ExCom or the Council on their activities, as and when requested by the ExCom;
e) notify ExCom of the place and time of proposed meetings of the committee or working group;
f) provide copies to ExCom of any draft documents produced by the working group which may have policy implications, for approval by ExCom before the final document is produced and before any such document is released or published; and
g) provide copies to ExCom of other papers, reports or other formal documents that the committees or working groups produce from time to time.
9.4 The Executive Director, or such member of ExCom or the Secretariat as the Executive Director may nominate in his or her place, is entitled to attend any meetings of committees and working groups established by ExCom.
Ways in which APPC operates
Annual Plan |
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ExCom links |
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Secretariat links |
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Meetings
The APPC meets quarterly, rotating between Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. When in Canberra, the APPC aims to undertake lobbying and advocacy work with government departments and politicians as a adjunct to the committee meeting.
The work of the APPC is coordinated with the work of the ACFID Development Practice Committee to minimise unnecessary overlap and maximise constructive cooperation. APPC also coordinates closely with the ACFID Humanitarian Reference Group and the Make Poverty History Coalition. APPC has an additional role in overseeing the policy work and advocacy activities of ACFID Working Groups and regularly invites Working Group Chairs to attend APPC meetings.
