Publishing an annual report is, for HQAI, an exercise in the accountability we promote. We aim to be as honest about our own shortcomings as we expect from the organisations we audit. With that spirit, here are our reflections on 2023.
The Numbers
In 2023, HQAI completed audit engagements with 12 new organisations across four continents. Eight organisations achieved or renewed CHS Certification. Fifteen audit reports were published in full — including two where certification was not awarded due to significant gaps in accountability systems.
Those two non-certifications matter. Publishing them transparently is not a comfortable thing to do. But it is the right thing. If our published reports only ever showed success stories, they would mean nothing.
What We Are Proud Of
In 2023, we made meaningful progress on geographic diversity. Forty percent of our auditors are now based in Africa or the Middle East — closer to the contexts where most humanitarian action happens, and closer to the perspectives that should shape how accountability is measured.
We also expanded our subsidy programme, enabling 22 organisations — including 11 national NGOs from the Global South — to access HQAI services who could not otherwise afford them. The CHS should not be only for large, well-funded international organisations.
What Still Keeps Us Up at Night
Across our 2023 audits, the most persistent gap — year after year — is the same: the distance between an organisation's accountability policies and its accountability practice. Almost every organisation we audit has a complaints mechanism. Far fewer can demonstrate that community feedback is regularly analysed, acted upon, and reported back to affected people.
This gap is not a mystery. It reflects resource constraints, operational pressures, and a sector incentive structure that still rewards outputs over outcomes. Changing it requires more than an audit — it requires institutional commitment and donor pressure that values quality as much as quantity.
Looking Ahead to 2024
2024 brings the CHS revision process — the first update to the standard since 2014. HQAI will contribute technical expertise throughout, drawing on data from 200+ audits conducted since our founding. We look forward to a more inclusive, more practically grounded CHS emerging from this process.
Download the full HQAI Annual Report 2023 from our About page.