Photo of Hannah Ngugi chef finance officer of SFA foundation giving speech at the launch of the revised GFGP Standard Africa is strengthening its position as a global leader in research and development accountability following the launch of a revised international standard aimed at improving how organisations manage grant funding.
The African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) has published the revised Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) Standards, ARS 1651:2026, providing organisations that depend on grants with an updated framework for financial governance, transparency and accountability.
The standard was launched during the 32nd ARSO General Assembly in Mombasa, Kenya, marking a new phase for a framework that has increasingly been adopted by research institutions, universities, civil society organisations and other grant-funded bodies worldwide.
GFGP is recognised as the world's first international quality standard specifically designed for the financial governance and management of grant funding. Since its original publication in June 2018, more than 500 organisations across 64 countries have adopted the standard.
Africa accounts for the largest share of that adoption. About 68 per cent of organisations implementing GFGP globally are located on the continent, with 338 organisations across 41 African countries already using the framework.
The revised standard is intended to make compliance more accessible while strengthening the areas organisations are expected to address. Among the changes is greater attention to sub-award management, alongside a redesigned certification portal and learning resources intended to simplify implementation.
The revised framework is organised into three sections: Terms and Definitions, Fundamental Requirements and Advanced Requirements. This structure creates a progression through which organisations can strengthen their financial systems, regardless of their size or operational complexity.
The changes could be particularly significant for African research institutions competing for international funding, where strong financial systems are increasingly important to funders assessing institutional risk.
Hannah Ngugi, Chief Financial Officer at the Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation), said the revision incorporated years of feedback from users and international consultations while retaining the standard's rigorous requirements.
The SFA Foundation led the revision and will now host the GFGP certification scheme, supporting organisations seeking to strengthen their financial capacity and obtain certification. Assessments will continue to be conducted by licensed GFGP certification bodies.
For funders, the revised standard offers a common basis for due diligence and assessing grantee financial capacity. For universities, research institutions, NGOs, government agencies and foundations, certification can provide evidence of internationally recognised financial governance practices.
The initiative could also strengthen Africa's research funding ecosystem by reducing concerns around financial management and improving institutional credibility among international funding partners.
The standard's ambitions extend beyond Africa. The SFA Foundation and ARSO are engaging with the International Organization for Standardization's Technical Committee 309 on Governance for Organisations, with a potential proposal for further international development following the ARSO process.
If that pathway progresses, ARS 1651:2026 could move closer to becoming a broader global benchmark for grant financial governance.
The revised standard therefore represents more than an update to an existing framework. It signals a push for African institutions to match growing scientific and research ambitions with stronger systems for managing the resources that make that work possible.
Article by Jed Mwangi
Photo courtesy :Science for Africa Foundation
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