Jorge Menéndez Martinez
Jorge Menendez is an HQAI-registered auditor with broad international experience across Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. He has served as an auditor since 2017 and has completed more than twenty-five independent audits against the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), working with both national and international organisations. Jorge brings strong analytical skills, a solid command of ISO 19011 auditing principles, and extensive field‑based knowledge, enabling him to assess accountability systems, organisational processes, and programme quality with precision and contextual awareness.
His professional background spans over two decades in senior humanitarian and organisational leadership roles. He has extensive experience working with the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement; for example, his last position with the Red Cross was as Executive Director of the Peruvian Red Cross.
His experience at the Red Cross includes overseeing complex operations, multi-million-euro portfolios, and multidisciplinary teams. As a consultant, he has supported the IFRC, several Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies, UNDP, and other NGOs in evaluations, mid‑term reviews, strategic planning, needs assessments, organisational development, and the design of self‑assessment and quality management tools. His thematic expertise includes disaster risk management, migration response, livelihoods and cash programming, institutional strengthening, and accountability.
Jorge also brings strong academic and training experience. He taught Financial Management and Taxation in the Master of Non‑profit Leadership and Management at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya for nearly a decade, and lectured on disaster risk management at Universidad San Marcos in Peru. His combined experience as an auditor, humanitarian leader, consultant, and educator allows him to bring a rigorous yet constructive approach to HQAI audits, helping organisations enhance the quality, relevance, and accountability of their work.
English and Spanish
Accountability, learning, and improvement
I led four bilingual (Spanish–English) audits in Colombia for local organisations, conducting every stage of the process, including interviews, document reviews, and reporting in both languages. This approach ensured full access for local staff and leadership, allowing them to engage directly with audit findings without language barriers. These audits exemplify HQAI’s strong commitment to localisation, fostering equitable participation and enabling local organisations to benefit from rigorous quality assurance processes. Conducting fully bilingual audits not only enhances accessibility and inclusion but also bridges global standards with local practice, ensuring that results are relevant, comprehensible, and actionable for decision‑makers and frontline teams alike.
Jorge's experience as an auditor
