Dynamo International integrity charter

Scope

The integrity charter applies to people who work for the non-profit, namely:

  • Dynamo International’s employees.
  • Volunteers.
  • Dynamo International’s board members.
  • Dynamo International’s partners.

This charter is not under any circumstances a substitute for any valid legal or regulatory provisions.

Our values and ethical principles

Integrity

Integrity guides each of us in our work because it is vital to achieving the non-profit’s objectives. We do not tolerate any practices that are not based on honesty, integrity and fairness, whatever the location where our organisation works in the world. We clearly explain our stance to our employees and partners and we expect that they will also refuse to be involved in corrupt and dishonest practices.

Conflicts of interest

We make sure that we do not place ourselves and that we are not placed in conflicts of interest, i.e. in a situation in which, through ourselves or an intermediary, we have an interest that would influence the impartial and objective performance of our role, or create a legitimate impression of this type of influence. This may manifest itself in the context of public procurement contracts, staff recruitment, etc.

Personal interest encompasses any kind of advantage for ourselves or our family, relatives, friends and close associates, and organisations with which we have or have had personal relationships, notably business, political or other ties.

We must take appropriate steps to put an end to any conflicts of interest.

When we believe that we are in a situation that will imminently become a conflict of interest or that we fear could turn into one, we must immediately inform our line manager or their manager.

Gifts and other advantages

Gifts cannot under any circumstances influence or give the impression of influencing the decisions that we need to take as part of our work.

It is forbidden to request, accept or make any gifts linked to our jobs in order to ensure our impartiality. The term gift must be understood in a broad sense, and notably covers presents, pledges or any other advantages, whether for ourselves or others, and whether or not they are obtained when undertaking our role or not.

Small tokens of appreciation can be exchanged on an exceptional basis and in order to be polite, provided that the relevant line manager has authorised it.

Charter application memo

Dynamo International will appoint two people who will be responsible for integrity at the non-profit in order to ensure that the charter is applied:

  • The integrity officer: Elected for a term of office of three years from among the workforce. Their remit will include oversight of the application of the charter:
    • Monitoring the integrity procedure.
    • Ensuring that the DI team and partners are trained.
    • Ensuring communication between the integrity department, management and staff of DI, and partners.
    • Being the integrity contact person for the DGD (Belgian Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid) and other departments.
  • The integrity advisor: Elected for a three-year term of office from among the DI workforce or the board.[2] Their remit covers:
    • Monitoring the integrity procedure.
    • Dealing with questions and complaints.

Every year, the integrity officer and advisor draft a report covering the work done to implement and apply the charter. The report will be submitted to management and the board. The report will also be presented to the workforce at a team meeting.

Every three years, a more in-depth study of the integrity procedure will be carried out by the integrity officer and advisor. The report will be submitted to management and the board. The report will also be presented to the workforce at a team meeting.

The integrity advisor is authorized to deal with situations relating to:

  • Fraud
  • Abuse of privilege and immunity
  • Abusive use of DI’s resources.
  • Violation of legal provisions.
  • Theft of Dynamo International’s equipment, supplies and products.

The advisor will not be authorized to deal with everyday problems or routine issues raised by co-workers, such as interpersonal conflicts, office maintenance, violence and harassment, remuneration issues, working time, requests for leave, etc. Co-workers must go through the usual channels for these sorts of issues.

The advisor is an additional communication channel to the usual channels. If a staff member believes that legal or regulatory requirements may have been violated to the detriment of Dynamo International, s/he must firstly report his/her concerns to:

  1. The line manager
  2. Their manager

The integrity advisor is an additional option for staff members wishing to submit a question, complaint or report a matter. The integrity advisor may be involved if a staff member feels that s/he cannot make use of the usual channels of communication because, for instance, the staff member cannot discuss their concerns in this specific case with their line manager, or if the staff member feels that their concerns have not been adequately addressed when they were reported via the standard communication channels.

Staff members and third parties can contact the integrity advisor through the Dynamo International integrity website. A form must be completed in order to submit the question/complaint.

Questions and complaints can only be accessed by the integrity advisor, who must investigate and provide the management with an independent opinion of the matter.

Dynamo International does not accept anonymous questions and/or complaints. Staff members and third parties must identify themselves when reporting concerns. Identification means the individual’s official first and surnames.

When staff members/third parties submit a question/complaint, they are advised that:

  • Their question/complaint will remain confidential, where possible.
  • Their identity will not be disclosed.
  • There will be no reprisals against staff members/third parties who submit complaints or concerns in good faith.

However, Dynamo International may have to disclose the identity of the relevant staff member if required by law, notably following a legal or administrative ruling, or a similar legal obligation.

[1]Website to be developed.

When a question is submitted to the integrity advisor, the advisor must answer the question as soon as possible. The answer will be drafted by the integrity advisor and will be sent for approval to the management.

When a complaint is submitted to the integrity advisor, a report will be drafted by the advisor and sent to Dynamo International’s management. The report should only be based on objective information directly related to the complaint and strictly necessary for the investigation. The report must also clearly indicate the allegations that have been made.

Management will take all the decisions it deems relevant with regard to the submitted facts. However, regardless of management’s decision, the integrity advisor reserves the right to continue with their investigation.

Informing the accused

The accused staff member must be informed in writing about the complaint when a complaint is submitted via the integrity advisor. The following information must be provided:

  • The allegations made against them.
  • The staff member’s right to access their personal data.
  • How and under what conditions the staff member can contact the integrity advisor in order to exercise their rights.

However, the staff member must only be informed about the facts relating to them or which are sufficient to identify them. The accused staff member should not be informed about the identity of the staff member who submitted the complaint.

The accused staff member should be informed as soon as possible after the testimony or complaint is received.

However, if the integrity advisor has reasonable grounds to believe that the accused person may destroy data, manipulate records, or compromise the inquiry in any way, the accused person may not be informed until the relevant protection measures have been taken.

Informing the staff member or third party who submitted the complaint

If deemed appropriate by the integrity advisor, the staff member or third party who submitted the complaint may be kept informed about the progress and findings of the inquiry.

However, these updates should not compromise the inquiry or involve the disclosure of confidential information.

Inquiry following a complaint

Once a complaint has been made to the integrity advisor, the advisor must determine if there are sufficient grounds to carry out an inquiry into the complaint.

The advisor must take into account the following information, among other factors: the events mentioned in the complaint, the characteristics of the allegations, and whether or not the complaint contains any sources of information, including any details that corroborate the allegations.

The inquiry must be conducted within a reasonable timeframe and in a fully confidential manner.

The integrity advisor can exercise reasonable discretion and decide not to launch an internal inquiry, if, for instance, the complaint does not fall within their remit, if it contains vague or unclear allegations of abusive behaviour, which are not backed up by facts or sources of information, of if other circumstances make an inquiry pointless or impracticable. The integrity advisor will advise management of their decision not to conduct an inquiry.

Once the inquiry has been completed, the integrity advisor sends a full report to Dynamo International’s management. Management will take appropriate and effective measures to correct the abusive behaviour, in line with the organisation’s existing policies and procedures.

Third-party service providers

Dynamo International may utilize third-party services to assist with the management of complaints and questions depending upon the nature of the complaint or inquiry.

Dynamo International, represented by its integrity advisor, is the entity responsible for processing personal data within the scope of its integrity policy.

Do you have a question?

Please contact the integrity officer if you have any questions.

You have a complaint

Please send your complaints to the integrity officer.

Info: Partners develop their own integrity charter according to their field realities with the support of Dynamo International.