If you suspect something's wrong, do what's right: speak up!
NRC is committed to acting with integrity and fairness, in accordance with our values. All employees are required to sign NRC’s Code of Conduct when they join the organisation, which holds them to the highest standards of behaviour.
However, sometimes things can happen that cause concern. We need to find out about these issues quickly, so that we can understand what has happened and take action if needed.
We rely on our employees, our project participants, and third parties such as partners, consultants and suppliers, to tell us about concerns they may have. This gives us the opportunity to deal with any issues and hold those responsible for wrongdoing to account.
What is Speak Up?
Speak Up is NRC’s whistleblowing policy and system for handling reports about staff misconduct and other serious concerns.
NRC is committed to acting with integrity and fairness, in accordance with our values. All employees are required to sign NRC’s Code of Conduct when they join the organisation, which holds them to the highest standards of behaviour.
However, sometimes things can happen that cause concern. We need to find out about these issues quickly, so that we can understand what has happened and take action if needed.
We rely on our employees, our project participants, and third parties such as partners, consultants and suppliers, to tell us about concerns they may have. This gives us the opportunity to deal with any issues and hold those responsible for wrongdoing to account.
What is Speak Up?
Speak Up is NRC’s whistleblowing policy and system for handling reports about staff misconduct and other serious concerns.
What can you speak up about?
Please tell us about anything you suspect, observe, experience or become aware of that may be a risk, or that may constitute wrongdoing or misconduct at NRC. This includes:
- all forms of exploitation and abuse, especially sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment
- fraud and corruption of any kind
- bullying or harassment
- discrimination
- health and safety issues
If you are unsure whether to report something, please report it anyway and we will decide how best to respond.
Who can speak up?
Staff (current and former), recruitment candidates, partners, suppliers, consultants and donors are all strongly encouraged to speak up to us if they have concerns.
Project participants can also use Speak Up but are encouraged to use the community Complaints and Feedback Mechanism (CFM) system in-country first. This is because CFM channels are designed to accommodate community preferences and contextual needs including the ability to interact in local languages.
There are instances when they can use Speak Up. This is intended as an option for addressing serious concerns when individuals feel that they have not been resolved sufficiently at the local level. Project participants may also use Speak Up if they prefer an alternative to the localised CFM channels. Finally, of course if they proactively seek out NRC online and wish to complain anonymously, Speak Up can be utilised.
How to speak up
You can tell us about your concerns using one of the following Speak Up channels:
- Speak to a trusted NRC manager. They have a duty to act.
- Email our Head Office team at speakup@nrc.no.
- Use the Speak Up form, which allows you to report anonymously if you wish.
- If you are a project participant, you should use your local Complaints and Feedback Mechanism (CFM). The CFM should be used for complaints related to NRC’s programmes.
How to make an anonymous report
You can report to us anonymously using the Speak Up form. Please be aware that if you do this, we will not be able to contact you if we have further questions or provide you with any support you may need. Please make sure you provide us with as much information as possible, so that we can deal with the issue in an appropriate way.
You are protected from retaliation
We understand that it takes courage to report concerns to us.
If you speak up to NRC in good faith, you can do so in the knowledge that you are protected from retaliation. Good faith means not intentionally making allegations that you know are false, malicious or misleading.
Examples of retaliation are bullying, harassment or loss of contract due to speaking up. Please see the Speak Up policy for more details.
If you suspect that you have been retaliated against for speaking up, please report your concerns through one of the Speak Up channels.
What happens after you report your concern?
If you inform a trusted manager, they have a duty to inform an internal team dedicated to acting on your concern.
If you use the Speak Up email address or form, your report will be monitored by a small team at NRC’s head office in Oslo, who will assess how your report should be handled.
You will receive an initial reply to your report within five working days.
If you provided your contact details, you will be contacted at the end of the process with the overall findings. Usually, cases will be closed within 90 days. Please understand that, for reasons of confidentiality, privacy and the legal rights of those concerned, you will not receive much detail about the follow up that was taken.
If you have questions about a report, please contact us at speakup@nrc.no.