NGO Forum "Razem" ToR

I. Connecting: NGO Forum "Razem" enables information sharing inside the Forum and externally, supports mapping of activities and actors, creates space for networking and matchmaking to create synergies. It does so to shape the response to the migration phenomena in Poland in accordance with humanitarian values, transparently, inclusively and fairly, in the atmosphere of cooperation and understanding in which one can openly discuss the various humanitarian, social, economic and cultural issues, challenges and capabilities.

II. Coordinating: NGO Forum "Razem" provides workstreams to members to take a joint action. It takes effort to coordinate with other, non-NGO, actors active in the fields of migration and integrations, such as UN agencies and governmental authorities, to avoid duplication but to address the gaps observed by the members.

III. Capacity and Community Building: NGO Forum "Razem" supports its members in building their competences to react with the highest possible quality, enable further development and introduce positive change. The members consider themselves resource-allies to one another and approach the Forum with open-mindedness and readiness to learn from each other, as organizations and as individuals in organizations.

NGO Forum "Razem" is open to NGOs and CSOs, consortia and umbrella organizations, local and international, that are active in the fields of migration and integration in Poland or have profile to support those organizations in their work, regardless of the timeframe of their involvement in Poland and in respect to the differences of their approaches.

An organization willing to become a Member:

• Agrees with the purpose of the Forum and wants to work collaboratively on challenges surrounding migration and integration in Poland,

• Is guided by key humanitarian standards and values (more here),

• Shall register itself through Forum’s platform: https://forumrazem.org.pl . The application is reviewed by the NGO Forum "Razem" Secretariat,

• Agrees to actively share information about their activities within the tools of the Forum (website, meetings, email),

• Declares to use the Forum's tools for non-profit activities related to serving people in need, in accordance with good will and the highest standards of personal data protection and protection of beneficiaries.

Each organization has the right to resign from membership at any time by informing the Secretariat.

The NGO Forum "Razem" Forum Coordinator may remove an organization from the Forum if:

• Its representatives do not follow the principles of good cooperation within the Forum tools,

• It does not inform about its activities and is not active in the Forum,

• It does not comply with humanitarian standards in its activities.

The NGO Forum "Razem" does not charge membership fees.

Hosting Agency is an NGO Forum "Razem" Member with demonstrated expertise in humanitarian/development work and the local context of Poland. HA guarantees continuity of the Forum’s work by committing to maintain NGO Forum "Razem" Secretariat and its core operations in a given period of time. HA is responsible for managing donors’ relations to make this work possible and ensures its quality and accountability.

Hosting Agency is represented in the Forum’s Advisory Board to contribute to the NGO Forum "Razem" development but respects the independence and neutrality of the Forum’s space and the need for it to be maintained by the Secretariat. The interests of the HA are represented inside the NGO Forum "Razem" by other agency representatives than the Secretariat’s staff.

Hosting Agency of NGO Forum "Razem" is currently Polish Humanitarian Action, whose commitment is guaranteed till the end of 2023 and made possible by the financial support of CARE.

Headed by the NGO Forum "Razem" Coordinator, the Secretariat is responsible for:

• Developing NGO Forum "Razem" strategy with support of the Advisory Board, its execution and recalibration,

• Maintaining everyday operations of the Forum, ensuring the members have access to the Forum’s workstreams and tools, including organizing meetings, writing newsletter, etc.

• Supporting Forum’s Working Groups to achieve their goals, including providing translation or administrative support to the groups defined as of strategic importance to the Forum, and amplifies the WGs outcomes,

• Supporting members to excel in their work on migration and integration in Poland, i.e. through organization of trainings, matchmaking and other,

• Coordinating it’s work with other than NGO actors, especially UN agencies, to avoid duplication,

• Quarterly reporting of the Forum’s activity.

Additionally, NGO Forum "Razem" Coordinator:

• Represents the NGO Forum "Razem" Secretariat in humanitarian coordination structures, as well as inside the Third Sector in Poland. The Coordinator acts as a transmitter of information between these structures and the members of the Forum, respecting Members’ agency to define their own agendas. The Coordinator can and should present externally matters important to Members when they are brought to her/his attention, especially in form of outcomes of the Forum’s WGs,

• Does not represent the wholeness of the NGO Forum "Razem" Members,

• Represents the NGO Forum "Razem" Secretariat to the Advisory Board, participates in Advisory Board meetings and supports its organizing,

• Calls together Technical Advisory Groups according to the needs of the Secretariat and presents its outcomes to the Advisory Board.

Purpose:

The overarching purpose of the NGO Forum "Razem" Advisory Board is to provide guidance, technical assistance and support to the NGO Forum "Razem" Secretariat. The Advisory Board provides direction to facilitate the engagement of NGOs within Forum to fully leverage their skills and expertise, and actively collaborate with Forum’s partners to achieve common goals and targets. AB supports HA in exploring funding models for the Forum.

Roles & Responsibilities:

NGO Forum "Razem" Advisory Board members:

• Are elected as individuals representing their agencies,

• Work voluntarily for the benefit of the wholeness of the Forum, transcending the individual interests of their agencies,

• Provide guidance to the Secretariat and influencing the shape of the Forum’s strategy,

• Call for and shape Quarterly Directors’ Meeting to coordinate the work in the fields of migration and integration in Poland with the decision-makers inside the member organizations, ensuring transparency and accountability of the Forum to its members,

• Initiate Working Groups of strategic importance and support in amplifying their outcomes,

• Review the outcomes of Technical Advisory Groups,

• Are not required to participate in WGs or TAGs but are welcomed to do so,

• Support the Coordinator in her/his responsibilities, including the representative role when needed and agreed upon beforehand,

• Supports Secretariat and HA in exploring funding models for the Forum, especially for activities outside the maintaining of the every-day operations,

• Act as Forum’s ambassadors in their networks,

• Support Community of Practice development with their guidance and occasional direct involvement as experienced individuals in the fields of migration and integration,

• Are presented with the NGO Forum "Razem" Quaterly Report,

• The Advisory Board may substitute the Hosting Agency of the Forum in situations where it is required by the well-understood interest of one or both parties. This decision must be made unanimously, with the Advisory Board member from the Hosting Agency having no voting rights. This decision can only be made when the Advisory Board indicates another organization that is willing and has capacity to take on the role of the Hosting Agency of the Forum.

Process:

NGO Forum "Razem" Advisory Board members agree to:

• Act on volunteer basis

• Participate in regularly scheduled monthly meetings,

• Review pre-read materials prior to meetings and come prepared for engaged discussion, active listening, and respectful dialogue,

• Commit to 1 year-long membership in the Advisory Board,

• If a member takes a decision to step down, an election process to take their place is initiated by the Secretariat.

Composition and Selection Process:

Advisory Board consists of 8 members who are selected as individuals representing their organizations. The first Advisory Board is nominated by the NGO Forum "Razem" Secretariat, based on the individual commitment the Forum’s development proved to date, for a period of 9 months, until October 2023. By this date the AB will support the Secretariat in establishing a transparent election process that will ensure balance of kinds of organizations presented, as well as maximize inclusivity and diversity of age, gender, race and ethnicity of AB members.

NGO Forum "Razem" fulfils its Core Objectives by:

• Organization of regular online meetings for the members,

• Maintaining an updated NGO Forum "Razem" website, including the Forum’s Library,

• Keeping in touch with the members through a Newsletter,

• Organization of in-person meetings and trainings,

• Support to Working Groups inside the Forum,

• Keeping in touch with relevant actors from outside of the NGO Forum, especially with the so-called Forum observers, in particular UN agencies and academic centers,

• Other relevant activities.

Working Groups may be established by:

• Expression of interest of min. 2 Members that present their intention to the Secretariat,

• Coordinator and Advisory Board, on matters of strategic importance to the Forum,

• Secretariat can initiate WGs by supporting matchmaking of Members.

WGs are chaired by initiating members on volunteer basis, who commit to organize meetings and are responsible for the WGs internal communication, as well as communicating progress and outcomes to the Forum. The Coordinator can chair or co-chair WGs of strategic importance or on especially sensible topics. The Secretariat can but does not guarantee administrative and translation support, depending on its budget and capacity.

When the intention to establish a WG is presented to the Secretariat, it is the Secretariat's responsibility to review if its adhering to Forum’s values, inside Forum’s scope of work and if it does not duplicate already existing bodies inside and outside the Forum. The Coordinator can seek AB guidance with complicated cases. When the review process is finished (2-5 business days), the Secretariat informs the members of the establishment of the new WG, so all interested parties can attend the first meeting.

It is considered a good practice if a WG provides the Secretariat its ToR within a month from the WG’s first meeting. The Secretariat can support members in its development.

WG ToR should include:

• Goals and expected outcomes,

• Timeframe,

• Regularity, length and format of meetings,

• Language of meetings, with strong encouragement to conduct them in Polish and English with simultaneous translation to ensure language inclusivity,

• Expected profile of staff of member NGOs willing to join the WG.

If there is a significant disagreement, dispute or conflict among NGO Forum "Razem" Members that significantly affects the well-being of the entire community, Members should use mediation and conciliation methods to resolve the dispute.

• They may, seeking advice from authorities, identify a mediator, inside or outside of the Forum,

• They can bring the dispute to the Forum's meeting, if the Coordinator and Advisory Board deem it warranted, and accept the resolution of the majority of Members present at a given meeting,

• Should always keep in mind the common good of the community and the people it serves, and care for the good name of the community and its members and act in good faith.

If the Coordinator or the members of the Advisory Board are personally involved in the dispute, their status in the dispute is equal to other members, and their vote should not be taken into account as decisive. In such a situation, other Members should be involved to ensure that the interests of the NGO Forum "Razem" are protected.

Acknowledging the need of the NGO Forum "Razem" members to respond to dynamically changing situation, this ToR is subject to change. Each change has to enter an open consultation process with the Forum’s bodies and members, designed responsibly by the Secretariat, and be presented at NGO Forum Meeting.