THE SPHERE PROJECT
APPLICATION
FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE BOARD
You
can download this application form in Word Format to fill it
1. APPLICATION SUBMISSION
PLEASE NOTE:
In order for this application to be considered, it should be:
- accompanied by a letter of endorsement signed by the Director,
or equivalent, of your organisation (NGO family or network). A
scanned letter can be sent by email if necessary.
- accompanied by copies of: the organisation/network’s constitution
(or other relevant document) and latest annual report.
The closing date for applications to the new Sphere Board is 4
December 2005.
Applications should be sent:
by email: alison.joyner@ifrc.org,
by post: The Sphere Project, Box 372, 1211 Geneva 19, Switzerland
by fax: +41 22 730 4905.
Initial receipt of applications is being handled by the Sphere
office, but all decisions on membership applications will be taken
by the Sphere Board.
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2. BACKGROUND
Applicants should recognise the following
‘Guiding Principles’ which have informed the criteria for
Board membership:-
1. In recognition of the NGO/Red Cross
Movement genesis of the project, and the quest to retain and protect
this strong identity, the new Sphere Board will ensure the financial
sustainability of the project by sharing the financial responsibility
of the operating costs of a minimal, core, function. This will ensure
that the project can operate at a minimal level independently of donor
contributions.
2. The Sphere Project Board is committed to diverse representation to
reflect the global scope of the project.
3. Board members will represent either networks or families of non governmental
humanitarian organisations (NGOs and the Red Cross Movement) a)
with a significant constituency, to provide the broadest possible reach
into the global humanitarian sector.
4. Board members will be represented by senior, experienced individuals
who understand how Sphere is used and applied in the field.
2.1 Name of your organisation/network (see
below criteria 1 and 2):
Note: throughout this document, ‘organisation’ is taken
to mean a non governmental organisation (NGO) or Red Cross movement
family, or a network of such organisations. Please see footnote b)
in the accompanying paper Sphere Project New Governance Structure for
definitions of these terms.
2.1bis Date of creation:
2.2 Main mandate/mission statement:
2.3 Country in which head office is based:
2.4 Country/ies where the organisation works:
2.5 Number of staff (international and national):
2.6 Budget (USD):
2004:
2003:
2002:
2.8 Sources of funding (% private
donations / institutional. If possible please give an indication of
which institutional donors fund your work):
2.9 Please give details of any partner organisations
with whom your organisation works
3. MEMBERSHIP CRITERIA (see The
Sphere Project New Governance Structure)
Criteria 1 and 2:
- Credible standing in the humanitarian community
- Represent significant and credible NGO networks, or families of organisations,
in the humanitarian community
Please note that in the interests of enhancing
as far as possible the promotion of Sphere, only organisations that
represent an NGO network or family can be Board members.
1) How will your NGO network or family share information
about Sphere Board meetings and other activities (both at headquarters
and field level) between its members?
2) What policy issues has your organisation been most
engaged in over the last 2-3 years?
3) What influence do you think your organisation has
had on these debates? Are you able to share any evidence for this?
4) If your organisation is applying as a network,
which member of the network will represent the network on the Sphere
Board? (Please provide evidence that such representation has the full
backing of the network)
Criterion 3
- Thorough commitment to, understanding of and experience
in working with Sphere
1) What are the key interventions that your organisation
has initiated to implement Sphere (in head office and/or in the field)?
2) Do you have a Sphere focal person, or someone for
whom Sphere is an important part of their job description, in head office
and/or in field offices?
3) How do you manage Sphere training of your staff?
4) Do you monitor the implementation of Sphere in
your organisation, and if so how?
5) What do you think are the main challenges of the
Sphere Board in creating greater awareness and application of Sphere
to improve the quality and accountability of humanitarian response?
Criteria 4 and 5
- Capacity to promote and enable application of Sphere within constituency
and beyond;
- Capacity to interact (solicit input and provide feedback) with the
agency’s wider (national, regional, or global) constituency on
Sphere
1) Which global, regional and national inter-agency
fora does your organisation belong to?
2) How has your organisation contributed to the promotion
of Sphere in these fora?
3) In the countries where your organisation is present,
have you conducted training with local partners? (please give a few
examples)
Criterion 6
- Capacity to contribute financially or in-kind
In-kind contributions for board membership could be a variety of
services/support; only when these alleviate core costs would the organisation
be eligible to vote.
1) In order to ensure the independence and financial
sustainability of the Sphere Project, Board members will be asked to
contribute to core costs of a basic Sphere office (including the Sphere
Project Manager). The contribution may be up to $25,000 (current estimations
for 2006 are approximately $22,000) Does your organisation have the
financial capacity and desire to make such a contribution?
2) If the answer to question 1) was no, in what ways
might your organisation contribute in-kind to support the Sphere Project?
3) If your answers to 1 and 2 are ‘no’,
then please indicate how else you envisage your organisation might be
able to contribute to Sphere?
4) What do you envisage might be the main contribution
of your organisation to Sphere?
Criterion 7
- Capacity or commitment to mobilise funds to cover air-fare and accommodation
to attend Board meetings
1) Sphere Board meetings are likely to be held up
to three times a year, and will take place in different locations round
the world. Will your organisation be able to cover the costs for a representative
to attend such meetings (air fare, accommodation)?
Criterion 8
- Capacity to mobilise external funding for Sphere;
1) How would your organisation be able to support
the mobilisation of external funds for the Sphere Project?
Criteria 9 and
10
- Commitment to providing a representative to the Board who is in a
position of responsibility and influence within the network or family
- Commitment that the organisation representative will serve the three
year term.
1) Who from your organisation
will represent the organisation in the Management Committee? What is
his/her position in the organisation? What is his/her experience with
Sphere?
2) Will your representative be allowed the time to
attend all Sphere Board meetings (3 per year for 3 years), and to contribute
sometimes to voluntary work such as participation in working groups?
Please add any other comments or information that
you would like to provide in support of this application.
Form completed by:
Date:
a) The term network is used to describe
a grouping of different humanitarian organisations that join together
(on a country basis or across countries or regions). The term family (or
alliance or federation) describes those organisations that share a common
name/identity, but have different chapter headquarters in different countries
