Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 4
4
Accepted
Paragraph: 29
The work undertaken by the UK government and the sector as a whole to improve...
Conclusion
The work undertaken by the UK government and the sector as a whole to improve reporting and investigations and provide additional guidance is welcome, however, the lack of capacity in the sector and absence of common standard for investigations means that the outcomes of investigations are unreliable. Therefore, there is a risk that the employment cycle schemes could be used to retaliate against people who raise legitimate concerns and they might fail to properly identify and prevent the re-employment of perpetrators.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government details its existing due diligence processes, monitoring of partners' whistleblowing practices, and engagement with whistleblowers to ensure support and prevent retaliation, arguing that its current approach is effective.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
29
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
Disagree. The FCDO regularly reviews the cost and likely effectiveness of all programmes as part of our programme management processes. The employment cycle schemes - Project Soteria, the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and the Aid Worker Registration Scheme - are no exception. The schemes are aimed at strengthening international employment practices and promoting safer recruitment. The upcoming ICAI review of the UK’s response to the safeguarding crisis in the aid sector may provide some additional external analysis and insights. We are funding the CHS Alliance to establish the first ever certified SEAH investigator training course. Partner representatives are all actively involved in the three employment cycle schemes we support: Project Soteria with Interpol; the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme; and the Aid Worker Registration Scheme. We continue to consult with aid workers, survivor representatives and widely across the sector on all three schemes which also benefit from ongoing engagement with senior legal experts to ensure there are relevant checks and balances.
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