Risk and Safeguarding

When there is a war or other humanitarian crises international aid organisations come to help - but giving aid, especially money, is not so easy.

Necessary due diligence and compliance activities must take place to ensure aid is reaching the vulnerable and not supporting militia organised crime or terror groups. Risks range from financial sanctions, Protection and safeguarding of women, children and other vulnerable groups, or physical risks such as unexploded ordinances or damaged buildings.

Often risk and due diligence compliance becomes a tick-box exercise. Information is siloed, and when a problem does arise what processes to follow are unclear.

FrontlineAid has created a process which ensures best practice and makes risk, due diligence and safeguarding simple for all stakeholders involved in humanitarian aid. FrontlineAid takes away paperwork so everyone involved in humanitarianism can focus on saving lives - not desk work.

The Risk and Safeguarding system is a process (consisting of questionnaires/interviews/checks against international terrorism databases) where the data is captured on an online system. Each individual has their own on-line profile which can then be used both by the individual and across different projects. The process works through a yes/no flowchart process to show what decisions need to be made and when. Dependent on the answer a decision will be triggered by the flowchart system - which could mean for example an individual cannot be hired onto the Project because their name has appeared on an international sanctions database.

FrontlineAid refers to certain roles in the process as Mentor or Project Manager. These titles can be adapted by whoever is using the system.

HOW DOES RISK AND SAFEGUARDING WORKS IN PRACTISE?

All information is stored online tagged to the particular Project the Risk and Safeguarding activities are conducted for. This information can be easily viewed, alongside other overview information about the Project in an attractive dashboard format.

STEP 1 The donor organisation conducts a contextual analysis. This includes external risks such as political, as well as internal risks such as infrastructure. This information is stored on a database online linked to the particular Project the analysis is being conducted for.

STEP 2 Based on the contextual analysis the Project Manager creates a Risk Register (this is a list of all known risks and can range from currency changes, unexploded ordnances, to staff mental health). This Risk Register is stored online.

STEP 3 Organisations/individuals are onboarded based on a tick-box flow system. This ensures that all criteria are met - and any necessary actions which have not been completed are transparent.

STEP 4 Any issues or gaps information when filling out the onboarding risk and due diligence form are highlighted and flagged to the Project Manager as a to-do task. Until the task is resolved the issue remains flagged.

Communication/complaints/feedback loop

The system incorporates the ability for those impacted by the Project to raise complaints, grievances and any other issues. This system is transparent, easily trackable and ensures accountability of donors as well as Project actors on the ground.

Posters advertise a QR code which individuals can scan and write-up a complaint which goes via slack to the FrontlineAid system and will flag the Mentor (the person who is responsible for maintain oversight of risk and due diligence for the Project) to categorise and task an action based on the complaint. Those who want to raise a complaint can also do so to a representative on the ground (this person can be one of the identified community leaders at the beginning of the Project, a staff member working for the donor, or other community representative. They will then fill out the form and raise the complaint on behalf of the complainant to go to the Mentor.

Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSCA) This is a best practice requirement. FrontlineAid organises a training for all organisations, they must take part.

Referrals: The Project Manager works with relevant Project staff to map out a referral system.

Regular reviews and updates will take place. The Mentor is responsible for monitoring the Risk Register. If the Project Manager updates the risk register the system automatically sends an email to the Mentor. The system will also show a red flag to highlight that there is an unfinished and urgent activity. The Mentor then has to action an activity on the risk register to change the risk status.

What impact does Risk and Safeguarding via an online tool have?

Through using the FrontlineAid and process flow all Projects have a secure overview of their risk and due diligence, as well as a transparent grievance process. Accountability of all parties helps ensure the best outcome for Projects taking place in high risk areas. We estimate that through using the FrontlineAid system that 60% of resource cost could be saved.