Introduction

Aid practitioners work long hours in risky and stressful conditions, often intensified during crises. To safeguard staff well-being and that of the communities they work for, it is essential to examine the intersections between people management, organizational culture, accountability, and power dynamics within organisations and across partnerships through a lens of care, accountability, compassion, and responsibility.

Organisational culture plays a decisive role in shaping how power is exercised, how accountability is understood, and whether partners and staff feel safe to speak up, influence decisions, and access support. Structural inequalities between international and local organisations, donors and implementers, and headquarters and field teams continue to affect working conditions, stress levels, decision-making authority, and accountability relationships.

Organizational leadership is central to setting and modelling an accountability-driven culture. Leaders have a responsibility not only to care for their staff, but to embed accountability into organizational culture, recognize and value the power and contributions of local and national partners, use power responsibly, prevent harm, and foster equitable, respectful, and trust-based partnerships grounded in shared decision-making and mutual accountability.

Discussion Topics (at HNPW)

This Area of Common Concern will explore the following questions:

• How does the current crisis threaten organisational values and accountability?

• What changes when care, culture, accountability, leadership, and power are examined together—both within organisations and across partnerships?

• How can organisations cultivate accountability-driven cultures that recognize and build on the existing power and leadership of local and national partners, while addressing power asymmetries in ways that promote well-being, dignity, trust, and collective accountability?