Criteria, roles and procedures for Akvo partners

The various criteria, roles and responsibilities, and procedures for field and support partners are described here.

Support partners

An Akvo support partner preferably fulfills the following criteria, where applicable:

is an organisation with professional staff, working in multiple regions or countries on water and sanitation, health, education or economic development projects.
has a substantial track record of successful international development projects.
is embedded in international networks and has multiple links with other professional organisations.
is accredited by a national accrediting body which inspects public interest bodies, and ensures they meet high standards of management and integrity, awards public certificates confirming that the organisation is well-run and deserving of support.

An Akvo support partner:

can introduce new field partners into the Akvo Marketplace and RSR system, with the approval of Akvo.
supports the field partner in producing a project proposal of sufficient quality.
approves the final project proposal of the field partner.
establishes a project agreement with the field Partner, in which mutual roles and responsibilities are clarified.
supports the field partner in using the Akvo tools, i.e., presenting the project in a clear and attractive way on the Akvo website.
assists the field partner in producing an adequate number of project updates during the running of the project. (Akvo provides technical assistance through the Akvo online support tools and email support).
Carries out monitoring and evaluation of the project.
can support the field partner in a number of additional ways, such as supplying knowledge, information, training, access to contacts or networks, assistance writing project implementation plans, monitoring of implementation, troubleshooting.
pays the applicable fees for using the Akvo Marketplace and RSR. See this website for a price list.

Send an email to partners@akvo.org requesting support partner membership. The email should contain material supporting your request, including how you fulfill the above criteria, and references from other organisations with whom you have worked.
Akvo will check the applying organisation against the list of criteria for support partners, making additional inquiries through our partner network.
Once we have evaluated and approved your application, a meeting will be arranged – either in person, or via phone or online tools – between the your organisation and Akvo partner-director Peter van der Linde, who is responsible for finalizing new partnerships.
A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed by both parties, providing a framework for cooperation and clarifying tasks and responsibilities.
Once you have been admitted as a support partner, you will receive further information on using and maintaining your Akvo account, and can begin using the system.

An Akvo field partner fulfills the following criteria:

has a support partner which approves and supports the implementation of its projects.
is registered as a foundation, NGO, or other type of organisation.
has a sustained relationship with the communities in the region in which their project is implemented.
has an office in the region in which the project is implemented.
has an existing track record in development projects.

An Akvo field partner:

produces a thorough, detailed project proposal, in close consultation with their support partner(s).
implements the project, in close cooperation with and consultation of the local community, and as specified in the project agreement concluded with the support partner.
produces regular project updates in the Akvo Really Simple Reporting system.
pays the applicable fees for using the Akvo Marketplace and RSR. See this website for a price list.

To become an Akvo Field partner you must be affiliated with an organisation willing to vouch for your credentials and act as your Support partner. This can be done in multiple ways, depending on your situation:
1. You may already have an existing relationship with one of the current support partners. You can find a list of current Support partners at the Akvo website.
2. You can contact one of the existing Akvo support partners about becoming your support partner.
3. You can talk to your existing partner organisations about joining the Akvo partner network as your support partner. They then have to follow the procedure for becoming a support partner.
You must have in place a project agreement with your support partner, clarifying the mutual roles and responsibilities. Work with them to develop your project plan to meet their approval standards.
Once your support partner has joined the Akvo partner network and we have verified your connections, you will receive further information on using and maintaining your Akvo account, and can begin using the system.