Questions & answers

The Change Architect is an independent research programme and resource hub on humanitarian operations and NGO governance, led by Mohammed Al-Hajjaj (writing as Olaf Dawson). It publishes working papers, practical frameworks, and a free library of governance, finance, safeguarding and MEAL templates for non-profits.

Yes — a member account is free. It unlocks downloads of the full template library and lets us notify you when new templates and resources are published. You can create an account in about twenty seconds with just an email and password.

Yes. Every template is free to download with a member account and is designed to be adapted to your organisation. They are neutral starting frameworks with placeholder fields — tailor them to your context, mandate and local law. Browse the library →

No. Contributions support Mohammed Al-Hajjaj as an individual researcher — The Change Architect is not a registered charity or NGO, so contributions are not tax-deductible and do not constitute a charitable gift.

All work is by Mohammed Al-Hajjaj. "Olaf Dawson" is his pen name, used openly for published work such as The Confluence Series.

Open the template library, search or browse by category, preview the one you need, then download. Downloads require a free member account — if you are not signed in, you will be prompted to create one, and your download continues automatically.

Yes. They are meant to be edited — replace the bracketed [fields], adjust sections to your context, and adopt them through your normal approval process. They are starting frameworks, not legal advice, so check anything legally sensitive against your local law and donor requirements.

Policies and narrative templates are Microsoft Word (.docx); registers, matrices and trackers are Microsoft Excel (.xlsx). Both open in free tools such as Google Docs/Sheets or LibreOffice if you do not use Microsoft Office.

Yes, tell us what you need. Use the contact form to request a specific template or policy and we will prioritise commonly requested items.

A board charter sets out the role, authority, composition and working practices of your governing board — what it decides, how it meets, and how it holds management to account. It prevents confusion between governance and day-to-day management and is often expected by donors. See the free Board Charter template.

Governance is the board's job: setting direction, approving budgets and policies, and overseeing risk and compliance. Management is the staff's job: delivering the work within the board's direction. A clear board charter and delegation of authority keep the line between them sharp.

There is no single right number, but many effective non-profit boards have between five and eleven members — enough for a range of skills and independence, small enough to make decisions. What matters more than size is a balance of skills, genuine independence, and clear terms of office.

It is a policy that requires board members, staff and volunteers to declare private interests that could improperly influence their decisions, and to step back from those decisions. It protects the organisation's integrity and is a basic governance expectation. See the free Conflict of Interest Policy.

At minimum: a financial management policy, basic internal controls, a budgeting process, and clear authorisation limits (a delegation of authority matrix). As you grow, add procurement, asset and audit-readiness procedures. Our finance templates cover each of these.

It means no single person controls a whole transaction from start to finish. Different people initiate, authorise, record and hold custody of funds or assets, so errors and fraud are much harder. It is the backbone of good internal control.

Keep complete, well-filed supporting documents for every transaction, reconcile your bank accounts monthly, maintain an asset register, and assemble key documents in one place. The free Audit File Index gives you a checklist to pull an audit-ready file together.

It is a simple table that sets the procurement method by purchase value — for example a single quote for small purchases, three quotes for medium ones, and a formal tender above a set amount. It keeps spending fair, competitive and proportionate. See the free Procurement Threshold Matrix.

It depends on the value and your policy, but a common rule is one quote for very small purchases, three quotes for mid-range purchases, and a formal tender for large ones. Set the exact bands in your procurement policy and threshold matrix.

Start with written contracts, an HR manual covering recruitment, leave, conduct and grievances, and a staff code of conduct. Tailor everything to your local labour law. Our HR templates give you a framework to adapt.

A code of conduct sets the behaviour and ethics expected of everyone connected to the organisation. An HR manual is broader — it covers the employment relationship: recruitment, pay, leave, performance, discipline and exit. Most organisations need both.

Safeguarding means preventing and responding to harm, abuse or exploitation of the people an organisation serves — especially children and at-risk adults — and of its own staff. It includes a policy, a code of behaviour, safe recruitment, training, and clear reporting routes. See the free Safeguarding Policy.

PSEA stands for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse — specifically the protection of affected populations from sexual misconduct by aid workers. Safeguarding is the broader umbrella covering all forms of harm to beneficiaries and staff; PSEA is a focused, non-negotiable part of it. We provide both a Safeguarding Policy and a PSEA Policy.

AAP is the commitment to be answerable to the communities you serve — sharing information, involving them in decisions, and providing safe ways to give feedback and complaints. It improves quality and trust. See the free Accountability to Affected People Policy.

MEAL stands for Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning — the system an organisation uses to track progress, judge what works, stay accountable, and improve. A simple MEAL plan with clear indicators is enough to start. See the free MEAL Policy and MEAL Plan.

Monitoring is the routine, ongoing tracking of activities and indicators as work happens. Evaluation is a periodic, deeper assessment of whether and why a programme achieved its intended results. You need both: monitoring to steer, evaluation to learn.

A risk register is a living table of the risks facing your organisation — each scored by likelihood and impact, with an owner and a mitigation plan. It turns vague worries into something you can manage and review. See the free Risk Register.

It is a plan for keeping your critical functions running through a disruption — an office loss, IT failure, security incident or loss of key staff. It names your critical functions, the workarounds, and who does what. See the free Business Continuity Plan.

Due diligence is the check you run before working with a partner — confirming their legal registration, governance, finances, and safeguarding and compliance policies. It protects your funds and reputation. See the free Partner Due Diligence Checklist.

Donor readiness is how prepared you are to receive and manage institutional funding. Donors typically ask for registration documents, audited accounts, governance details, and core policies (safeguarding, PSEA, finance, anti-fraud). The free Donor Readiness Self-Assessment helps you check your gaps.

A subgrant is funding you pass to a partner organisation to deliver part of a project, under an agreement that sets deliverables, reporting and compliance terms. Managing it well needs due diligence, a clear agreement, and monitoring — see the free Subgrant Management SOP.

If your organisation is in the EU/EEA, or you handle the personal data of people there, GDPR generally applies regardless of size. In practice that means having a lawful basis for processing, a data protection policy, security measures, and respecting people's rights over their data. See the free Data Protection Policy.

It is a register of the personal data you hold — what it is, why you have it, where it is stored, who can access it, and how long you keep it. It is a practical first step to data protection compliance. See the free Data Inventory Register.