The Accountability, Learning and Planning System (Alps) is used by ActionAid International to lay out a framework for involving communities and partner organisations closely in all aspects of their programme work, including planning, budgeting, monitoring and reviewing. The system aims to put economically poor people at the centre of learning, analysing and responding to their own situation. Alps therefore places a strong emphasis on developing and strengthening downward accountability to stakeholders on the ground.

Alps can be understood as an "organisational charter of values and procedures that guide its planning and accountability strategies, the operational aspects, and the attitudes and behaviours it expects of its staff." It consists of a set of core requirements for planning and accountability; to complement these, a series of principles show how the core requirements can be met. Alps relies on the notion of a learning organisation and aims to be as minimal and flexible as possible in order to allow for continual further development and innovation.

The core elements of Alps are:

Principles. Alps seeks to strengthen accountability to people who are economically poor and who are regularly excluded from mainstream consideration and to strengthen organisational commitment to women’s rights. It emphasises critical reflection and promotes transparency. It requires a constant analysis of power.

Attitudes and Behaviours. Alps can only be effective if staff, volunteers, activists, trustees and partners hold attitudes and behave in ways that fit with a shared vision, mission and set of values.

Organisational Policies and Processes. Alps integrates cycles of appraisal, strategy formulation, planning and reviews. It also includes auditing processes to further strengthen the accountability of the system.


KEY PRINCIPLES

• Alps strengthens ActionAid's accountability.
• Alps strengthens ActionAid's commitment to women's rights and gender equity.
• Alps requires a constant analysis of and action on power imbalances.
• Alps aims to simplify reporting requirements and promote processes which emphasise critical engagement, mutual learning and downward accountability.
• Alps requires transparency, and the proactive sharing of information in relevant forms with all stakeholders, particularly economically poor people and those who are traditionally excluded.

Alps: Accountability, Learning, and Planning System [PDF], and One World Trust: NGO Accountability Initiatives.