Accountability and Policy

Accountability, i.e. the responsibility to provide information and report to stakeholders on the results achieved, the methods and means by which they were attained, constitutes at the same time a duty and a fundamental term of reference for VIS action.

The specific and transparent definition of objectives and expected outputs, as well as the methods adopted to pursue them, passes through the presentation of systems, tools, procedures, and the Policies the Organization has given itself, constantly renewed in the light of the experiences gained and the standards established by current legislation and donors (compliance).

VIS guidelines, policies and procedures listed below are consistent with the vision and mission of the organization and constitute binding provisions for all the staff, in Italy and abroad, for partners and for all third parties involved, in various capacities, in planned activities.

• Code of Conduct
• Organizational Model developed pursuant to Legislative Decree 231/2001
• Policy on the protection of girls, boys, and adolescents – CSP Policy: Child Safeguarding Policy
• Policy for the prevention and contrast of harassment, abuse, and other conduct harmful to the integrity and dignity of people – PSEA Policy: Prevention of / Protection against sexual exploitation and abuse
• Internal audit & fraud and corruption prevention

VIS COMPLIANCE TO THE FUNDAMENTAL HUMANITARIAN PRINCIPLES:

VIS adopts the fundamental principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence; adheres to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Disaster Relief and the Sphere Standards.

INFORMATION ON VIS CODE OF CONDUCT AND POLICY VIOLATION:

Any information or suspected violation of the provisions contained in the Code of Conduct and in VIS Policies can be reported:

• Via e-mail: in writing to odv@volint.it
• By ordinary mail: by sending a sealed envelope marked “OdV – Riservato” and addressed to the Organismo di Vigilanza, Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo, via Appia Antica 126, 00179 Roma
• By phone: calling +39 06 516291 and leaving a telephone number to be contacted by a member of the Supervisory Body or by VIS President
• In person: requesting a specific meeting with VIS President or a member of the Supervisory Body at Headquarters.

VIS guarantees the confidentiality of the procedure, the secrecy of the identity of the informant, of any suspected person and/or involved and listened to during the preliminary investigation, the investigation itself and management of the complaint.

INFORMATION ON ILLEGAL ACTS AND PROCEDURE FOR THE PROTECTION OF PEOPLE REPORTING THEM (WHISTLEBLOWING):

The WHISTLEBLOWING procedure (downloadable here) identifies the ways VIS can apply it as of Legislative Decree no. 10 March 2023, n. 24, adopted in implementation of the EU Directive 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 23 October 2019, containing provisions concerning the protection of persons who report violations of national or European Union regulatory provisions of which they have become aware in a work context (“whistleblowers” or informants).

People who can exercise the right to make reports according to this procedure are the following:

• subordinate workers employed by VIS with both fixed-term and permanent contracts, even during the probationary period;
• people who have held unsuccessful job interviews, in relation to any illicit circumstances they have learned of during the selection phase;
• self-employed workers carrying out activities for the organisation;
• VIS freelance professionals and consultants;
• volunteers and interns, paid and unpaid;
• members of VIS statutory bodies;
• staff members also after the end of their employment relationship.

Reports can be made in the following ways:

• in written form, by registered letter;
• orally, at request of the reporter, through a direct meeting with the person in charge to manage the report.

Reports by registered mail must be sent to the following addressee: Avv. Emanuele Montemarano, President of VIS Supervisory Body (OdV) at the following address: Studio Legale e Commerciale Montemarano, Via di Santa Costanza 27 – 00198 Rome. The report must be enclosed into two closed envelopes, including the identification data of the person reporting written on the first envelope, together with an identification document; on the second, the subject of the report; both envelopes must then be included into a third envelope on which written outside the words “reserved for the report manager“.

Appointments for a personal interview with the manager in charge of the report can be made contacting the following telephone number +39.0686215861, the telephone switchboard of the Montemarano Law and Commercial Firm. The personal interview can then be in person, by telephone or by video call and will usually take place within 10 working days from the request.

With respect to the Whistleblowing procedure, the information for reporting subjects and facilitators pursuant to art. 13 of European Regulation 679/2016, is available at this link.

The procedure does not regard external users of the activities managed by VIS, who can make reports in the other ways provided for by the procedures in force for complaints and reports (see previous point “INFORMATION ON VIS CODE OF CONDUCT AND POLICY VIOLATION“).