Simple steps for setting up Safeguarding in NGO+Corporate Consortium Programmes

According to  Sightsavers’ Safeguarding policy 2018; “Safeguarding means promoting and protecting people’s health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, exploitation and abuse. A safeguarding approach means identifying and minimising the risk of harm to children and adults from staff, representatives and partners.It entails a wide potential range of policies, procedures and activities seeking to address child and adult safety and wellbeing.”

Below is a simple process that consortia with partners from different sectors can use to ensure that they are all aligned in ensuring safeguarding is upheld and maintained in their project(s):

• All consortium parties should contribute to shared safeguarding principles.

• Agree on a standard safeguarding policy to adapt.

• Draft a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the project/programme.

• Share the drafted SOP with your legal and HR teams for review, feedback and approval.

• Upon agreement on a final document, adapt the policy and SOP for the project/programme duration.

• Apportion resources to support implementation of the policies within the project/programme.

This process might seem simplistic and obvious; but for smaller companies and organisations that get into such partnerships, oversight on such vital matters tends to happen.