GOVERNANCE

Governance I  Accountable Leadership I Inclusive Decision-Making I Institutional Integrity 

Governance, Accountability and Transparency : Download PDF/ View full documents
CORE VALUES & GUIDING PRINCIPALS: Read More / Download PDF
M&E FRAME Work: Download PDF

GRACE believes effective development requires strong governance, clear accountability and responsible stewardship of resources. Our governance and management systems are designed to protect organizational integrity, strengthen program quality, manage risk and ensure that decisions remain aligned with our mission, values and responsibilities to communities, partners and regulators.

Executive Board

GRACE’s Executive Board provides strategic oversight and serves as the organization’s highest governance body. The Board guides institutional direction, approves key policies and strategies, reviews organizational performance and supports accountability for financial, legal, ethical and programme responsibilities. Board oversight also helps ensure that organizational growth remains grounded in integrity, inclusion, community ownership and measurable impact.

The organization is governed by a seven-member Executive Board, comprising a Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, General Secretary, Assistant General Secretary, Treasurer and two Executive Members. The Board provides strategic oversight, policy guidance and institutional accountability.

With four women and three men, GRACE’s leadership reflects its commitment to gender-inclusive decision-making and meaningful women’s participation in governance.

The Executive Board oversees strategy, financial stewardship, organizational policies, compliance, risk management, partnerships and institutional development, while the management team is responsible for effective implementation of programmes and day-to-day operations.

GRACE’s governance approach is grounded in transparency, integrity, participation, accountability and responsible stewardship of resources, ensuring that organizational decisions remain aligned with its mission and the needs of the communities it serves.

Management & program oversight

GRACE’s management and technical structures translate strategic direction into responsible programme delivery. Management oversight covers programme quality, finance, human resources, safeguarding, procurement, risk management, compliance, monitoring, learning and partnership management. Technical and project management mechanisms support quality throughout the programme cycle—from assessment and design to implementation, reporting, learning and scale-up.

Accountability to communities

We are accountable first to the people and communities with whom we work. GRACE seeks to provide accessible channels for information, participation, feedback and complaints, and to use community feedback to improve programme decisions and service quality. Safeguarding, confidentiality and respectful treatment are expected across all activities and relationships.

Policies & controls intro

Our institutional framework includes policies and procedures covering key areas of governance, program quality and fiduciary responsibility. These include:

·       Code of Conduct

·       Programme Participant Protection & Child Safeguarding

·       Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)

·       Gender Equality and Inclusion

·       Anti-Corruption & Anti-Fraud

·       Procurement

·       Financial Management

·       Internal, External & Foreign Audit

·       Human Resource Management

·       Anti-Money Laundering & Counter-Terrorist Financing

·       Occupational Health, Safety & Environmental/Social Management

·       Emergency Response Procedures

·       Information Disclosure

·       Travel, Vehicle and Cost-Sharing Procedures

Transparency statement

GRACE is committed to continuous improvement in transparency and institutional accountability. We aim to make key governance information accessible through annual reports, strategic plans, approved policies, organizational structure, leadership profiles, financial reporting and clear contact channels for feedback and concerns.

Governance downloads

Executive Board     |     Senior Management     |     Organogram     |     Strategic Plan     |     Policies     |     Annual Reports     |     Audit & Financial Information

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL)
MEAL & Quality Assurance

Evidence I  Accountability I  Learning  I  Adaptive Management  I Quality

At GRACE, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) is an integral part of how we design, manage, improve and demonstrate the results of our programs cycle . Our MEAL approach helps ensure that interventions are relevant to community priorities, aligned with agreed objectives, implemented with quality, and continuously improved through evidence and learning.

GRACE applies a results-focused and participatory approach from programme design through close-out. We develop clear results frameworks, indicators, baselines, targets and data-collection plans that enable teams to track progress, identify challenges and make timely management decisions. Quantitative and qualitative evidence is used together to understand not only what changed, but also why it changed, for whom, and under what conditions.

We place communities at the centre of accountability. Programme participants and stakeholders are encouraged to provide feedback, raise concerns and contribute to programme improvement through accessible and context-appropriate feedback and response mechanisms. Feedback is documented, referred when necessary, reviewed by responsible teams and used to strengthen programme quality, safeguarding and responsiveness.

Learning is treated as a management responsibility rather than an end-of-project exercise. GRACE promotes periodic reflection, review meetings, field learning, after-action reviews, documentation of good practices and lessons learned, and the use of evidence to adapt implementation. Findings from monitoring, evaluations, assessments and community feedback are translated into practical actions for programme teams and management.

Our MEAL system also supports transparency to donors, partners, government and communities through timely, accurate and evidence-based reporting. Data quality, confidentiality, informed participation and responsible information management are emphasized throughout the MEAL cycle. Where relevant, information is disaggregated by sex, age, disability and other contextually appropriate characteristics to strengthen inclusion and identify unequal outcomes.

Through MEAL, GRACE seeks to build a culture in which evidence informs decisions, communities influence programmes, teams learn continuously and resources are directed toward interventions that deliver meaningful, inclusive and sustainable results.

Core MEAL Functions

·       Programme design and results frameworks: Define outcomes, outputs, indicators, assumptions, targets, data sources and responsibilities at the design stage.

·       Baseline, monitoring and end-line measurement: Establish starting points, track progress and assess changes over the programme cycle.

·       Data quality and verification: Apply appropriate tools, validation, spot checks, source-document review and data-quality controls to improve reliability.

·       Community accountability: Maintain safe and accessible channels for feedback, complaints, suggestions and concerns, with clear referral and response processes.

·       Evaluation and assessment: Use internal or independent reviews, evaluations and assessments as appropriate to examine relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and learning.

·       Learning and adaptive management: Use evidence, review meetings and lessons learned to adjust implementation and improve results.

·       Reporting and visualization: Provide timely narrative and quantitative reporting for management, donors, partners and other stakeholders.

·       Knowledge management: Document case stories, good practices, innovations, learning products and evidence that can support replication or scale-up.

MEAL Principles

·       Participation and community voice

·       Do no harm, safeguarding and confidentiality

·       Accuracy, integrity and data quality

·       Inclusion and meaningful disaggregation

·       Proportionality and practical use of evidence

·       Transparency and accountability

·       Learning, adaptation and continuous improvement

How MEAL Supports Programme Quality

GRACE uses MEAL evidence to connect planning, implementation and management decisions. Programme teams review indicator performance, implementation progress, risks, community feedback and emerging learning at defined intervals. Corrective actions are assigned, followed up and documented so that monitoring leads to improvement rather than remaining only a reporting requirement.

Read more: MEAL & Quality Assurance:

Accountability at GRACE is operationalized through community feedback and response mechanisms, safeguarding systems, regular monitoring, evidence-based reporting and management follow-up. Our MEAL system helps ensure that community voices, programme evidence and learning are translated into decisions and improvements. [Read more: MEAL & Quality Assurance] https://gracebd.net/about/governance/accountability

Financial Management & Controls

Stewardship I Compliance I Transparency I Risk Management I Value for Money

Financial Management & Controls

GRACE maintains financial management and internal control systems that support transparent budgeting, authorized expenditure, accurate accounting, donor compliance, procurement integrity, risk management and audit readiness. Our approach emphasizes responsible stewardship, value for money and the traceable use of resources for intended programme results.

GRACE is committed to responsible financial stewardship, transparency and the effective use of resources entrusted to the organization. Our financial management and internal control systems are designed to support accurate accounting, budget discipline, donor compliance, risk management and timely decision-making while ensuring that prograo resources are used for their intended purposes.

Financial responsibilities are structured through defined authorization levels, segregation of duties and documented approval processes. Budget preparation, expenditure authorization, payment processing, accounting, bank and cash management, procurement, asset management, financial reporting and reconciliation are carried out through established procedures and supporting documentation. Management oversight and governance review provide additional assurance that financial decisions remain aligned with approved plans, organizational policies and applicable requirements.

GRACE applies budgetary controls throughout the project cycle. Approved budgets are translated into implementation plans and monitored against actual expenditure. Variances are reviewed to identify underspending, overspending, timing differences or emerging risks, enabling programme and finance teams to take corrective action and, where required, seek prior donor approval for budget changes.

Internal controls are designed to prevent and detect error, misuse, fraud and conflict of interest. Key controls include appropriate segregation of financial duties, authorization matrices, supporting-document verification, competitive and transparent procurement processes, bank reconciliation, cash controls, asset registers, advances and liquidation procedures, periodic financial review and audit follow-up. GRACE maintains zero tolerance for fraud, corruption, bribery, diversion of resources and other financial misconduct.

Financial reporting is prepared using documented records and reconciled information to support management, governance and donor requirements. GRACE aims to provide accurate, complete and timely financial information and to maintain an audit trail that enables transactions to be traced from authorization and supporting documents through accounting records and reporting.

GRACE also recognizes the importance of value for money. Financial decisions consider economy, efficiency and effectiveness while maintaining programme quality, safeguarding, environmental and social responsibilities, and compliance requirements. Procurement and expenditure decisions are therefore assessed not only on cost, but also on fitness for purpose, quality, risk and expected results.

Our financial control environment is reinforced by relevant organizational policies, including Financial Management, Procurement, Anti-Corruption and Anti-Fraud, Audit, Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing, Foreign Exchange Risk Management, Share Cost and related administrative policies. Together, these systems support responsible growth, institutional credibility and confidence among communities, partners, donors and regulators.

Core Financial Control Areas

·       Budget planning and control: Approved budgets, coding, expenditure tracking, variance analysis and documented budget revisions.

·       Authorization and segregation of duties: Defined financial authority levels with separation of requesting, approving, paying, recording and reviewing functions as appropriate.

·       Accounting and documentation: Timely recording, complete supporting documents, clear audit trails and organized record retention.

·       Bank and cash controls: Authorized banking arrangements, regular reconciliations, controlled cash handling and review of outstanding items.

·       Procurement controls: Transparent sourcing, competitive processes where applicable, conflict-of-interest safeguards, evaluation documentation and approval according to thresholds.

·       Advance management: Tracking, timely liquidation and review of staff, field and programme advances.

·       Asset and inventory management: Registration, tagging where applicable, custody, periodic verification and appropriate disposal controls.

·       Payroll and personnel-related controls: Authorized staffing, documented payroll changes, review and appropriate statutory or contractual deductions.

·       Donor compliance and restricted funds: Expenditure aligned with approved budgets, grant conditions, eligible-cost rules and agreed reporting requirements.

·       Fraud and financial risk management: Prevention, reporting, investigation and corrective-action arrangements consistent with organizational policies.

·       Audit and follow-up: Internal, external and project-specific audits as applicable, with management responses and tracking of agreed actions.

Financial Governance and Oversight

The Executive Board provides strategic oversight of financial stewardship, organizational risk and policy compliance, while management is responsible for day-to-day implementation of approved financial systems and controls. Finance and programme teams share responsibility for ensuring that expenditure is both financially compliant and programmatically justified. This shared-control approach helps connect financial accountability with programme results.

Read more: Financial Management & Controls

GRACE’s financial control framework is supported by its Financial Management, Procurement, Anti-Corruption and Anti-Fraud, Audit, Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing, Foreign Exchange Risk Management, Share Cost and related policies. [Read more: Financial Management & Controls]

How We Put Accountability into Practice??

GRACE translates accountability into practical systems across programmes and operations. Our MEAL processes track results, gather community feedback and turn learning into management action. Safeguarding and complaints mechanisms provide channels for concerns to be raised safely and confidentially. Financial controls, procurement procedures, audits and management oversight help ensure that resources are used transparently and for their intended purposes. Together, these systems strengthen our accountability to communities, donors, partners, staff, government and other stakeholders.