Whistleblowing Policy

 

Wikirate International e.V., along with its sister organizations - "The Wikirate Project" in the United States and "The Wikirate Project UK" in the United Kingdom, collectively referred to as "Wikirate" or the "Organization," is committed to acting ethically, and with honesty and integrity.

We expect the same high standards from all of our people – our employees, community and those who work with the Wikirate platform.

This policy explains how concerns can be raised, and our commitment to investigate and take corrective action where necessary.

 

Definitions

Whistleblowing: is when an individual reports wrongdoing relating to Wikirate that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent.

Reporter: someone who has seen or knows of wrongdoing and wants to alert Wikirate’s Compliance Officer or Ethics Committee in confidence.

Ethics Committee: a Committee made up of two staff members and two board members appointed to investigate reports of wrongdoing and recommend follow-up actions.

Wrongdoing: an action by a stakeholder that violates any laws or Wikirate policies.

 

Scope

This policy and procedure apply to all Wikirate stakeholders, including Wikirate staff worldwide, volunteers, interns, consultants, associates, board members, advisory council members, contractors and partners.

 

Our commitments

• Accessibility: Any person who is a Wikirate stakeholder can report wrongdoing by another stakeholder. Reporters can report wrongdoing they have experienced or witnessed between other stakeholders. Wikirate encourages everyone to report any wrongdoing, regardless of the stakeholders involved.
• Reporting obligations: Wikirate is committed to report serious incidents (a crime under local and international law, such as incidents of sexual abuse, exploitation, domestic violence or child abuse) to the appropriate authorities and to funders where appropriate.
• Whistleblower protection: Wikirate will keep the identity of the whistleblower confidential and ensure they are protected from retaliation
• Whistleblowing mechanism: A report can be made to Wikirate’s Ethics Committee through two channels (one monitored by staff, one monitored by board members) . Further information can be found in the Whistleblowing Procedure.
• Anonymous reports: Anonymous reports will be investigated so far that it is possible. For example, where the anonymity of the reporter prevents the possibility of establishing or confirming the facts, an investigation may not be completed.
• Investigation protocol: The Ethics Committee is responsible for handling reports of wrongdoing. After a report of wrongdoing is received, the Committee will immediately inform the Board. The report will be investigated by an appointed member of the Ethics Committee, who will arrange a meeting with the Reporter.
• Timeline: The Ethics Committee will acknowledge receipt of the report within 5 working days. The investigation will take a maximum of 3 months before the results are made available to the Reporter.
• Transparency: The outcomes of an investigation or steps taken as a result of wrongdoing are only made available to those directly affected, i.e. if the reporter was affected by the wrongdoing. In addition, any information given about the investigation or outcomes will respect any privacy or confidentiality limitations.

 

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Whistleblowing Procedure

 

Reporting wrongdoing

A stakeholder can raise a concern by emailing one of two contact points. 

• whistleblowing.staff@wikirate.org : Mailbox monitored by two staff members
• whistleblowing.board@wikirate.org : Mailbox monitored by two Board members

An email to either mailbox will trigger a formal investigation by the Ethics Committee made up of two staff members and two board members. Anyone in the Committee who is involved in the complaint will be excluded from the investigation.

The concern should be:

• Detailed description of the wrongdoing, i.e. include any times, dates, locations and other information relevant
• Factual in nature, i.e. avoid giving personal opinion about the subject of the complaint
• Reports should be reported in writing, and where possible, within six months of the event.

 

Action taken by Wikirate

When wrongdoing is reported, these steps are followed:

1. Acknowledge receipt of the Report within 5 working days.
2. Inform the board that a Report has been received within 5 working days and add Report to the central incident register.
3. The Ethics Committee will meet to discuss the Report and one member will be appointed to conduct a fact-finding investigation including a meeting with the Reporter (if possible).
4. The Ethics Committee will meet to discuss the findings of the investigation and decide on steps to be taken (if any).
5. The outcome of the investigation will be communicated to the Reporter and other affected parties within three months of the submission of the Report. 

NB: In the case of reports of wrongdoing made anonymously, meeting with the reporter may not be possible. Therefore, the Compliance Officer in coordination with the Ethics Committee will decide if an investigation is possible with the information supplied in the original report.

 

This policy and procedure has been approved by the Board and will be reviewed on a yearly basis. 

Policy and procedure last updated: February 2024