Workstream 9 on harmonised reporting: New donors adopt the 8+3 template - November 2020 update

Published Date

Ahead of the upcoming end of the year (and of this year’s the Grand Bargain reporting period), the Co-Convenors of Workstream 9, Germany and ICVA, would like to share some news on the progress of the harmonized and simplified 8+3 reporting template. A number of signatories have previously indicated their support of the 8+3 Template and its implementation (see Grand Bargain website). Since then, the United Kingdom has committed to use the 8+3 template with their partners and Ireland has been using the template since 2019. In addition, Switzerland is currently actively considering the integration of the 8+3 template into their reporting system. Luxembourg, in the framework of the revision of its Humanitarian Action Strategy in 2021, is committed to integrating the 8+3 template into its reporting system. This means that now almost half of the grant-giving Grand Bargain signatories – among those many of the biggest donors and humanitarian agencies – have implemented the 8+3 template or are actively considering it.

This progress will help harmonize and simplify narrative reporting for humanitarian NGOs and further the goal of reducing administrative burdens on staff in the field. However, for collective success across the system, even more signatories need to adopt the template. We encourage donors and other grant-giving signatories to follow their peers in introducing the 8+3 template. For NGO partners that are typically engaged in using the template for reporting, there is also an important role to play in advocating directly with their donor colleagues to request the use of the template and communicate the benefits of implementing a simplified and harmonized approach to reporting.

All current information for the 8+3 template can be found on www.harmonizedreporting.com and the Co-Convenors remain available to answer any questions and support signatories in their implementation process. As we come closer to next year’s Grand Bargain stocktaking conference, this is the right time to make use of this finalized product of the Grand Bargain and to advance our common agenda to make the humanitarian system more efficient and effective.