This is the most asked question in social sector – What are the Credibility Parameters for the recognition and accreditation of NGO? Basic and main parameter for the recognition of reliability of any NGO as actual, authentic and legitimate NGO is that it must be Transparent and must work according to the declared Aims and Objectives. Here are some parameters and scales through any one can be checked and identified for the credibility, recognition, reality, accreditation, ranking and status:

1. NGO must be registered in any registration process. Though registration is not the criteria for any social welfare group because many groups are working without registration. This is the legal criteria for any NGO where it is applicable including collecting funds and getting donations for the objectives and aims. Registration of any NGO can be in different process by different authority or area. The Aims, Objectives, vision, purpose, mandate, mission to drive the NGO must be defined and articulated.
2. The NGO must ensure compliances with the applicable laws, rules and statutory regulations of concerned authorities. The NGO must have regular meetings of the General Body, Board, Governing Committee and other bodies for the requirement to implement the aims and objectives. In the meetings it should be discussed, analysed and reviewed about the expected, undertaken or completed programmes, activities, projects, progress, performance and achievements of the NGO. In the meetings the General Body and Governing Body of NGO must regularly approve programmes, budgets, annual reports of programmes activities, approve audited financial statements and complete the required documentation work.
3. The NGO must have regular meetings of the General Body, Board, Governing Committee and other bodies for the requirement to implement the aims and objectives. In the meetings it should be discussed, analysed and reviewed about the expected, undertaken or completed programmes, activities, projects, progress, performance and achievements of the NGO. In the meetings the General Body and Governing Body of NGO must regularly approve programmes, budgets, annual reports of programmes activities, approve audited financial statements and complete the required documentation work.
4. NGO must be accountable and transparent. Means if someone asks about the status, funds, programmes and activities then it must be shown clearly. Though the transparency is not applicable in any case like anyone who can asks at any time about any information of the NGO. The time and reason must be there to know about.
5. If NGO is expecting funds and grants then it must be active in that kind of social work it is expecting funds for. It depends on the resources and team of NGO. many work can be completed without much more resources or finance but have to contribute the time and energy of the members, supporters and volunteers of the NGO.
6. NGO must prepare Annual Report every year and distributed and communicated it to the stakeholders and it should be available on request by some other reliable persons, volunteers and authority. Annual Report is the profile of NGO. If the Annual Report is not prepared then the NGO is not considered in active status or stage. Activity and programme reports must be publicly visible to everyone who want to know about that NGO. The hidden agenda is the question on the reliability of that NGO.
7. NGO must prepare duly audited accounts statement including balance sheet, income and expenditure statement, schedules, notes on accounts and the statutory auditor’s reports. Audits, accounts and transactions must be available to show publicly when it is asked with certain reasons at durable time frame. The hidden agenda to not make visible the funding transaction for public is the negative status and remark on the reliability of that actual, authentic and legitimate NGO.
8. NGO must follow the practice of accountability to the public, especially where they rely on public support. If there is no accountability and many are hidden and managed illegally and are based on the immoral and unethical parameters then that so called non profit ‘NGO’ is group and gang anti social criminal elements just working for the For-Profit purpose of the certain persons who are managing and running it. Though in such cases all members may not be involved or included but if they know well about it and silent then they are also in question. Reason can be any or many or certain but the involvements of the main offenders can not be recognised at any level.
9. Is the NGO is following any of the Objectives to achieve any level of its goal of mission for that it is formed and registered? It must follow and adopt any one or part of any one of the objectives of the NGO it is formed and registered for.
   It depends upon the resources and the strength of team so there is no rule that the NGO must follow upto certain level to implement its Objectives. But it must not work against the Objectives and the aims it if formed and registered for. NGO must follow and must be compatible with all the declared and claimed aims, objectives and parameters that are included in its memorandum.
10. To stop the addiction/intoxication (Nasha) of drug and wine in the society is one main social welfare objective, work, process and aim to make this society well civilized with the human beings having well developed and well improved status. To make the society free from the addiction and improve the status of human beings is one more task of NGOs and social workers. Many social groups and social workers/ social leaders have been organising campaigns to control, stop and ban on addiction including ban and restriction on wine and other harmful drugs, dangerous narcotic substances, tobacco, cigarettes, bidis, hukkas etc. Many groups and some NGOs are specifically campaigning for alcohol liquor detention for prohibition of alcohol (Sharab-Bandi or Nasha-Bandi). Many are succeeded in many areas and states but many are still struggling to make this change. Many are working in rural areas to stop the addiction process as it in the traditional process in certain areas and in some sects of certain communities.
11. In the NGO campus, office and programmes any kind of addiction including tobacco, cigarette, bidi, wine and other drugs or intoxicants that are harmful for body must be banned and restricted. If there is no ban and restriction of using addictive intoxicant material then there is no meaning of that NGO in India whether it is working on other issues, advocacy, lobbying or on any other. De-addiction from drug and intoxicant is a necessary part of very normal civil society, so NGO’s participation is also a part of the basic necessary parameters. In some countries using alcohol may be part of their civil life but in India it is known as a unfair means of living.
12. The NGO can achieve the various levels of goal and the mission with and vision through implementing the objectives by using its available and generated resources. So is it working, following and processing for that or not it can be one parameter but that can be classified it status and ranking that how it is generating the resources and using the circumstances and available options for its aims. In case any NGO is just getting publicity means more visible publicity then the work it must do for that level of status then this is also a negative parameter of the recognition of that NGO.
13. It must work as nonprofit organisation for public interest? This is one of the main parameters to recognise the basic reliability, authenticity and legitimacy of any actual NGO. If it is not working for public interest and just working for the survival and personal benefits of the members and the management and only working for the collection of the resources of the members and the management of the persons who formed it and running it then it is not the NGO as Non Profit Social Welfare Organisation.
    If it is completely working for the personal interest of the members and the management of the NGO who formed it then the NGO can be defined as the gang of anti social elements and the creatures who are getting money and resources in the name of social service. Such elements are more worse than the habitual well declared criminals and offenders who are doing crime by their public announcement that hey are criminal and doing crime. Though such habitual criminals use to save themselves to prove that they ate not involved in the crime that is blamed on them to avoid from the punishment they deserve for but outside court and judicial system they declare them criminals to improve their status in crime sector but the people collecting money in the name of social service are more worse than such criminals
    So to get money in the name of social work from such greedy creature is a very heinous crime and very serious crime in comparison to the declared crimes and criminal activities.
14. The heinous crime also include about the so called ‘treatment’ with hidden agendas of such hospitals who are getting money as illicit and illegal way even there are no requirements of such ‘treatment’ and using other methods/resources to prove the treatment where it is not applicable and not required.
15. In all cases the when any NGO is not following the complete level and the exact parameters of transparency in account and funding expenditure then we or any can not say that it is under that criteria who are running and managing the organisation for their own profit only, in the name of NGO. It also depends that how and at what level the NGO is accountable and utilising the money and funds, so in certain cases the ranking is applicable if the accountability is not in total question. If the ranking of accountability and fund utilisation is not fair then such NGO and the managers/members of such NGOs are part of the process to downward towards nastiness the image of social work, social sector and image of NGO sector.
16. Ranking of well working or poorly working NGO is different from these parameters of the Non Recognition to such NGOs who are working for profit of the members and certain person and for working anti social activities.
    The criteria for evaluation in order to ensure consistent, systematic, and replicable analysis of the NGOs who are apart from such parameters and parameters are different and not applicable for those and all NGOs.
17. NGO must not be black listed by the Government authority. The NGO is blacklisted only when it do financial irregularities and fraud when the funding of the project is not utilised for the purpose it is issued.
18. The beneficiaries of the NGO must not be only or most of the members or relatives of the members of NGO. The criteria may differ in some cases. In the remuneration and the payments for the services / expenditures / duties of members this parameter is completely not applicable in most cases, except few to adjust money taken in form of donation.
19. NGO must do self-assessment to keep well maintained to their status for accreditation and recognition at social parameters
20. About Duties of the NGOs: Though many of parameters of NGOs under the above said parameters are necessary as social organisation but not the duties of NGO are necessary for all. Anybody can not expect any kind of duty or work rightfully from any NGO. NGO may reserve the rights to perform its duties in certain reasons and circumstances. This is applicable for the duties and expectations only from the NGOs as many creatures expect to get anything from any NGO. Many greedy people called regularly to get unexpected help from NGOs during the Corona Pandemic. It is a unfair practice of greedy creatures. If anybody is expecting form anything from an NGO then that person must prove its previous concerned and involvement/participation in any kind of social welfare related work, then it may or may not be considered to fulfill the expected requirements. There is no strict reason to entertain anybody in the name of social work by any NGO. The NGOs reserve the rights that where they have to perform their duties and for whom to perform, everything is based on the choice, wish, will and applicability of the management of NGO. In some cases of the duties regarding the any concerned project of Government authority or any other authority it will be applicable according to the guidelines and the applicable terms that are necessarily have to entertained/implement or not.

So based on the above said parameters and characters any organisation or group can be identified and justified as recognised social sector organisation that is reliable, credible and accredited NGO. These are the parameters if any NGO follows then it can be recognised and get accreditation from any authority and public.