Makeen Governance Index: Transparency and Disclosure for Saudi Non-Profit Organisations – Dubai, 11–15 Jan 2027

Programme overview

Technical depth: Practitioner · Practical mode: Case study

Introduction

In Saudi Arabia, the National Center for Non-Profit Sector (NCNP) scores associations and foundations through its Makeen governance assessment, built on three standards: compliance and commitment, transparency and disclosure, and financial safety. Many organisations lose points not because they are poorly run but because evidence is missing, minutes are incomplete or policies are never published, and the score then affects funding and public confidence. This Core Concept course equips governance and compliance staff to assemble the evidence behind each indicator and publish disclosures that withstand scrutiny. Participants leave with a Makeen Governance Self-Assessment and Disclosure Improvement Plan.

Course Objectives

• Interpret the NCNP Makeen governance standards, their indicators and the evidence each one requires
• Compare NCNP disclosure requirements with GRI 2, IATI and international transparency rating schemes
• Build an evidence matrix and document set that substantiates compliance, transparency and financial safety indicators
• Prepare the organisation's public disclosures, including a website transparency page and the NCNP Governance Data Disclosure submission
• Diagnose the causes of lost scores and track corrective actions through to closure
• Produce a Makeen Governance Self-Assessment and Disclosure Improvement Plan for the organisation

Target Audience

• Governance and compliance officers in Saudi associations and foundations and in charities elsewhere
• Board secretaries and executive office staff who maintain minutes, registers and resolutions
• Finance staff who supply financial statements and evidence for governance assessments
• Quality and performance officers who coordinate institutional assessments
• Communications staff responsible for publishing organisational disclosures

Course Outline

Day 1: Transparency, Disclosure and the Makeen Assessment

• ISO 37000:2021 Accountability and Transparency Principles
• Makeen Governance Standards: Compliance and Commitment, Transparency and Disclosure, Financial Safety
• NCNP Size-Based Classification by Revenue and Proportionate Requirements
• Comparative Rating Schemes: Candid Seals of Transparency and Charity Navigator Encompass
• Current Score Diagnosis from the Latest Makeen Assessment Report

Day 2: Disclosure Standards and Frameworks

• NCNP Transparency and Disclosure Standard Guide and Self-Assessment Guide (2024)
• GRI 2: General Disclosures 2021 Applied to Non-Profits
• IATI Standard 2.03 Activity and Financial Data Fields
• Board, Founder and Beneficial Ownership Disclosure Aligned to FATF Recommendation 24
• Records Management Controls Aligned to ISO 15489-1:2016

Day 3: Building the Makeen Evidence and Disclosure Pack

• Makeen Evidence Matrix: Standard, Indicator, Evidence and Owner
• NCNP Governance Data Disclosure Service: Data Fields and Supporting Evidence
• Website Transparency Page: Bylaws, Board Members, Policies and Financial Statements
• Financial Safety Standard Evidence: Fund Cycle Controls from Collection to Spending
• Documentation Standards for Minutes, Registers and Resolutions

Day 4: Scoring Gaps, Risks and Problem Cases

• Frequent Makeen Scoring Losses: Missing Minutes, Late Filings and Unpublished Policies
• Evidence Quality Review: Sufficiency, Consistency and Dating
• Disclosure Risk Assessment: Beneficiary Privacy, Donor Confidentiality and Reputation
• Compliance Obligations Calendar Aligned to ISO 37301:2021
• Corrective Action Tracker with 5 Whys Root Cause Analysis

Day 5: Case Work and the Improvement Plan

• Saudi Association Case Study: Recovering a Low Makeen Governance Score
• Foundation Case Study: Preparing an Annual Transparency Report
• Makeen Self-Assessment for an Own Organisation
• Disclosure Improvement Plan Drafting with Owners and Deadlines
• Peer Review and Plan Presentation

Skills You Will Gain

• Governance Standard Self-Assessment
• Evidence Matrix Design
• Public Disclosure Preparation
• Minutes and Records Management
• Financial Safety Evidence Review
• Corrective Action Tracking
• Stakeholder Transparency Reporting

Why Attend This Course

• Leave with a Makeen Governance Self-Assessment and Disclosure Improvement Plan that shows where points are lost and how to recover them
• Enter the next NCNP governance assessment with evidence already organised standard by standard
• Decide what to publish and what to protect when transparency meets beneficiary and donor privacy
• Learn from transparency practice in non-profits in Saudi Arabia and other countries and sectors

Conclusion

Transparency is demonstrated through evidence that is complete, current and published where stakeholders can find it. This course moves from the three Makeen standards and international disclosure frameworks, through the evidence matrix, the NCNP Governance Data Disclosure submission and the documents that support each indicator, to the gaps, risks and corrective actions that decide the final score. The last day applies the method to cases and to participants' own organisations, producing a Makeen Governance Self-Assessment and Disclosure Improvement Plan ready for the next assessment cycle.