It is one of ActionAid’s main priorities to be transparent and openly accountable to all of its stakeholders: the public, funders, partners, and perhaps most importantly, the poor people with whom we work.

ActionAid’s accountability learning and planning system (ALPS)
ALPS lays out a framework for involving communities and partner organisations closely in all aspects of our programme work, including: planning; budgeting; monitoring and reviewing.  In time, the hope is that this system will allow more creative and honest assessment of change and create space for staff to listen to and engage with the concerns of poor people. More critically, the approach puts poor people at the centre stage in learning, analysing and responding to their own situation.

ALPS  also requires ActionAid to carry out an independent review of its work at all levels every 3-5 years.

In 2004 we did just that, with a far-reaching review of the ‘Fighting Poverty Together’ strategy. This process was called ‘Taking Stock II’ and provided a comprehensive assessment of our work at the international level and how the sum of our work at all the different levels adds up.

Taking stock II
The findings from Taking Stock II are documented over nine reports covering:

• rights based approaches
• gender and women’s rights
• reflections on ActionAid work
• organisational development
• finance
• ALPS review
• fundraising and communications
• ActionAid stakeholder survey.

The findings show what is distinct about our work now, compared to our earlier work. They also critically look at what we have achieved (or failed to achieve) through our rights based programmes and actions around the world.