Humanitarian Forum Indonesia together with Public Interest Research and Advocacy (PIRAC), held a focus group discussion with the theme "Accountability in Disaster Funds Management".

The focus group discussion looked at how Media, non-faith and faith-based NGOs assess their standard of accountability in humanitarian work, for example in responding to disaster, helping the refuges, distributing aid for disaster survivors etc.

This discussion is a continuation on the field research that has been done a couple of months ago in four provinces (Aceh, Yogyakarta, West Sumatera and West Java).

"This focus group discussion aims to map and hear what the ladies and gentlemen’s perspective is on accountability, based on what we have done so far. We want to see this as the data for the next step in formulating a standard of accountability in humanitarian fund management in Indonesia", Hamid Abidin, Director of PIRAC said in his opening speech.

Humanitarian Forum Indonesia was represented by Sudibyo Markus, who opened the event by saying: "This is great opportunity for humanitarian actors in Indonesia to unite their perspective on accountability and to work towards their awareness in accountability".

The event, attended by participants from both faith and non-faith based NGOs and Media, is only the beginning to a series of focus group discussions on formulating a draft for a standard and mechanism of accountability in humanitarian management of funds in Indonesia.

The series, supported by the Ford Foundation, will culminate with the promoting, disseminating and training of the agreed accountability standard.