Hi5 Safe Spaces Ethics Framework

Anti-Fraud & Anti-Corruption Policy

Introduction

HumanImpact5–Hi5 is a Swiss-based Limited Liability Company (LLC). HumanImpact5–Hi5 (hereafter referred to as Hi5 Safe Spaces) offers bespoke services, tailored to the unique needs of our clients and partners. Whether public, private, or non-profit sector work, we commit to ensuring that the highest professional standards are upheld by our staff, consultants, interns, volunteers, clients, and service providers. This policy serves to ensure that we uphold and model the principles, policies, and practices that we serve to promote and protect. Its aim is to facilitate the development of controls that will aid in the detection and prevention of fraud against Hi5 Safe Spaces or corruption of or by any of our staff, consultants, interns, or volunteers. Hi5 Safe Spaces promotes consistent and ethical organizational behaviour by providing guidelines and assigning responsibility for the development of controls and conduct of investigations.

Zero tolerance

We do not tolerate any form of fraud or corruption of or by our staff, consultants, interns, or volunteers. We staunchly uphold our duty of care. We also do not tolerate complaints that are made with malicious intent, nor do we tolerate retaliation against anyone who files a complaint in good faith.

What we value

We value trust, courage, safety, and rigour. We care for the people for whom and with whom we work. We build and maintain psychological safety and trust in the ways that we work, listen, and communicate, including during moments of crisis or in the face of any difficult issues.

We learn

This policy will evolve over time, and learnings from our own experience and that of others, will continuously feed into our ethics framework (including our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy, Safeguarding Policy, and Code of Conduct and Ethics).

Aim of this policy

As consultants, ombudspersons, trainers, safeguarding reference persons, and investigators, Hi5 Safe Spaces holds itself to the highest ethical standards, including independence, confidentiality, and integrity. With this in mind, we aim to merit and maintain the trust of those who engage with us. This policy is one tool by which the trust of those we serve is safeguarded.

Policy scope, definitions, concrete examples

The Hi5 Safe Spaces Administrator is responsible for detecting and preventing fraud and corruption, misappropriations, and other irregularities.
Fraud refers to an act whereby an individual or an entity intentionally acts in an illegal, incorrect, or unethical manner, and that harms the individual or entity against which the act is committed. It aims at unlawful gain or denying of rights of a victim, and is characterized by false representation or concealment of a material fact for the purpose of inducing another to act upon it to their (the individual’s or entity’s) injury. Fraud can be in the form of, for example:

  • financial or monetary falsification for gain or misappropriation of funds
  • impropriety in the handling or reporting of money or financial transactions
  • illicit use of copyrighted materials without citing sources
  • falsifying data to skew an outcome
  • falsifying an identity online
  • profiteering as a result of insider knowledge of company activities
  • disclosing confidential and proprietary information to outside parties
  • destruction, removal, or inappropriate use of records or equipment

Corruption is an act that is illegal, incorrect, or unethical and involves a complicit exchange of private resources and the abuse of authority. Nepotism and favouritism may also be considered as corruption. It comprises behaviours that benefit a person or entity (that uses authority to influence decisions) at the expense of another. A form of abuse of power, corruption can be in the form of, for example:

  • accepting or seeking material value (bribes) from clients, partners, or persons providing services/materials to Hi5 Safe Spaces that is not part of regular remuneration/contractual agreements in exchange for favourable treatment, or offering such material value to such stakeholders (except for example, small gifts of a value below CHF 50 and that are related to work content – e.g. a book on a topic of our work)
  • quid pro quo sexual harassment, sexual favours stipulated upon promises of advantages in exchange (see also Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct and Ethics).

Other forms of irregularities concerning the moral, ethical, or behavioural conduct of Hi5 Safe Spaces staff, consultants, interns, or volunteers should be channelled through the mechanism outlined below and are also detailed in the Hi5 Safe Spaces Code of Conduct and Ethics, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy, and Safeguarding Policy.

Hi5 Safe Spaces staff, consultants, interns, or volunteers must be familiar with the types of improprieties that might occur within their respective area of responsibility and be alert for any indication of irregularity.

We encourage prevention and reporting

Prevention

Hi5 Safe Spaces offers annual ethics framework training sessions to staff, consultants, interns, and volunteers, including for diversity, equity and inclusion, ethics, and safeguarding. Our service providers are invited to participate, and collaborating organizations are asked to participate should they not have an equivalent framework within their own respective organization.
We conduct reference checks on our staff and associate consultants with targeted questions related to safeguarding. Safeguarding consultants and staff undergo criminal background checks.

Response

Any fraud or corruption-related issues by Hi5 Safe Spaces staff, consultants, interns, or volunteers can and should be reported safely to: ethics@hi5safespaces.ch

At the time of this policy writing, the above email is solely managed by the company administrator, Gabrielle Landry Chappuis, who is trained in safeguarding, person of trust, and safeguarding investigations. Should reporting to the company administrator not be possible for any reason, the following email can be used: eric.maeder(at)ethico.ch which will be sent to Eric Maeder, ethics specialist. Should an investigation be warranted, Hi5 Safe Spaces will mandate an external, independent investigator.

All of the fraud and corruption-related behaviours in this policy are considered serious misconduct, are not tolerated by Hi5 Safe Spaces, and once verified will lead to sanctions, including contract termination, or when necessary will be referred to the relevant authorities.

This policy is part of the Hi5 Safe Spaces Ethics Framework and is signed by all Hi5 Safe Spaces staff, consultants, interns, and volunteers.

2nd Edition

Approved by HumanImpact5 – HI5 LLC Administrator
18 January 2023