Organisation
STATEMENT OF THE SUPERVISORY BOARD ZOA’s work has always been predicated on its vision of contributing to peace, reconciliation, hope and restoration in a world full of violent conflict and natural disaster. In 2020, the number of people affected by conflict and disaster remained stunningly high. The COVID-19 pandemic added another dimension to the many threats and risks people in ZOA’s programme countries already faced. The complexity of the local context ZOA operates in has further increased, with growing security risks and shrinking humanitarian space. This was sadly illustrated by the devastating news that a ZOA employee had been brutally killed while on duty in Ethiopia. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted current and future funding availability, and donor requirements have become increasingly demanding. These combined developments prompted ZOA to make the difficult decision to accelerate withdrawal from a number of programme areas. All this made 2020 an incredibly challenging year. The Executive Board is comprised of Mr. Chris Lukkien, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Mr. Edwin Visser, Chief Programme Officer (CPO). The Supervisory Board greatly appreciates the way the Executive Board, together with the management team, provided the organisation with leadership and direction during this extraordinarily challenging year. In close consultation with the Supervisory Board, difficult decisions were made in order to adapt to unfolding new realities. ZOA managed to successfully respond to the additional needs of people in programme countries as they battled the COVID-19 pandemic. External and internal audits did not reveal any critical deficiencies in the organisation’s management and risk control systems. The successful
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completion of three external management system audits (ISO9001, ECHO, CHS) provided assurance regarding the quality of the organisation’s systems and procedures. The Supervisory Board also paid proper attention to the addressing of audit findings and observations as well as risks identified in regular reporting. The Supervisory Board was able to ascertain that income was spent effectively and efficiently, consistent with our current strategy and approved budget. As a result, the 2020 Annual Report - as discussed in the Supervisory Board meeting on May 18, 2021 - was approved, including the financial statements prepared by the Executive Board. We are grateful to the donors, volunteers, staff, and Executive Board for their commitment. Above all, we are grateful to God, by whom we feel called to contribute to peace and restoration in a world full of conflict and disaster (Matthew 5). He cared and gave us strength to continue to help those in need. Niels Hofstede Chair Supervisory Board
Formal responsibilities
The Supervisory Board has the formal responsibility to oversee ZOA’s policies and plans, guard the Christian identity, establish and sustain strategic direction, monitor risk mitigation, approve the annual budget and report, and appoint and assess the members of the Executive Board. Moreover, the Supervisory Board represents ZOA’s constituency as well as society in general. ZOA’s Executive Board is comprised of the CEO and CPO. They are responsible for executive decisions as well as the organisation’s daily management. By separating ‘management’ and ‘supervision’ in its governance model, ZOA complies with the governance guidelines for charitable organisations, which are part of the ‘Regulations and Appendices for Recognition for Charitable Organisations.’ ZOA has been recognised by the Netherlands Fundraising Regulator (CBF) for complying with these regulations.
Report of the Supervisory Board
The Supervisory Board, with the Executive Board attending, met five times in 2020 for their regulatory meetings, with an attendance rate of 100%. Regular topics on the agenda - such as the 2019 Annual Accounts and Annual Report, the 2021 Business Plan and Annual Budget, the quarterly reports, meetings with the Works Council, the evaluation of the Board members, external developments, and the self-assessment of the Supervisory Board - were scheduled as anticipated. Specific topics for discussion included: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, developments in ZOA’s country portfolio (including the accelerated withdrawal from a number of programme areas), strengthening ZOA’s innovation capacity, and options for strategic collaboration with other organisations. After having served the maximum of two five-year terms, Mr. Harry Paul ended his
