Toolkit: Whistleblowing System – Reporting and Monitoring Wrongdoing
Having an effective reporting system such as whistleblowing or ethics line is a critical element of any compliance program and provides a mechanism for organisation to facilitate the reporting of policy breaches, ethical and legal wrongdoings and other issues that can impact the organisation. Whistleblowing / Ethics hotlines systems helps promote transparency and accountability within an organisation and helps support efforts to build an ethical culture.
This toolkit provides a list of various tools to assist you in understanding, developing and benchmarking a whistleblowing / ethics hotline system.
Click on each tool to open their description and link. Please search the CCEAC toolbox for other related tools.
Guidance and Recommendations
Best practices and challenges for whistleblowing systems in multi-national companies
author: Transparency International
Document produced by Transparency International through its Anti-Corruption Help Desk. The 11 pages document provides very valuable answers to the question: What are the current best practices and key challenges of operating internal and external whistleblowing systems, in particular, for multinational companies operating in countries with high levels of corruption and related risks?
Invisible
Strength in Numbers – The ROI of compliance program hotline reporting
author: NAVEX Global
An open and ethical culture fosters better business performance and provides a competitive advantage. Until now, there was little empirical data supporting this belief. This new white paper from NAVEX Global highlights the findings from a ground-breaking George Washington University study showing the relationship between internal reporting system usage (whistleblower hotlines) and business performance. This must-read report showcases the value you create with an effective program.
Invisible
UNODC guide on best practices on protecting reporting persons
author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
The Guide explains why encouraging and protecting those persons who report information about alleged cases of corrupt conduct are a key element in tackling corruption. It is intended to serve as a resource for States parties in implementing their obligations under the Convention in relation to assisting and protecting persons, whether members of the public or “whistleblowers”
Invisible
Definitive Guide to Incident Management
author: NAVEX Global
Guide produced by NAVEX Global that outlines best practices and strategies to help organisations develop a strategy, policies and processes to better manage incident reports. Learn everything you need to create an effective case management program – from planning to implementing to measuring results
Best practices guidelines on reporting and monitoring
author: GAN Integrity
This guide will help you thoughtfully design and implement adequate reporting and monitoring processes to spare you the impossible task of gathering and analyzing data to detect and mitigate actual and potential risks, and to allow it to be handled by the appropriate members within the company. The best practices outlined in this guide will allow you to devise simple, straightforward and rigorous steps that make up an efficient reporting and monitoring system, ultimately keeping your compliance management program in check.
Invisible
ICC Guidelines on Whistleblowing
author: International Chamber of Commerce
This guide was produced by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). The purpose of these Guidelines is to help companies establish and implement internal whistleblowing programs, by setting forth practical indications, that can serve as a useful point of reference, while meeting, as much as possible, the objections formulated in certain countries about some aspects of a whistleblowing system. These Guidelines are based on the broad experience and practice of ICC member companies across a wide range of sectors and jurisdictions. They are also inspired by a large number of international and national legal provisions.
Invisible
Canadian Standard Association (CSA) guide on whistleblowing systems
author: Canadian Standard Association Group
Description: This 35-page document from CSA is a made in Canada comprehensive guide is the go to document for organisations wishing to implement an ethics / whistleblowing system. The purpose of this guide is to assist organizational leaders seeking to establish internal systems for handling reports of suspected wrongdoing, mismanagement, and unethical conduct in their organization.
Special note: You must register to the CSA site as a member to access this free document.
Articles, Reports and White Papers
TI Canada Whistleblowing Report
author: Transparency International Canada
This report produced by Transparency International Canada was prepared for the TI-Canada Legal Committee to assist stakeholders in better understanding the state of whistleblower protection in Canada as compared to other jurisdictions and the extent to which different whistleblower protection mechanisms could effectively support the battle against corruption.
Invisible
10 things you might regret not knowing – A whistleblower Prep Plan
author: Lexis Nexus
This article from Lexi Nexus and is written by by Kristin Casler and featuring Susan Frank Divers of LRN Corp. It provides a very good overview of the 10 points to consider when planning to implement a whistleblower system.
2018 Hotline & Incident management Benchmark report
author: NAVEX Global
This report produced by NAVEX Global provides some benchmarking and best practices information aggregated from the feedback of numerous companies. Compare your employee reporting metrics and measure your compliance program & organizational culture against 4.5 million reports. Get answers to questions like: Are your employees likely to speak up? Are there reports of misconduct you’re missing? Does fear of retaliation encourage external reports?
Invisible
Effective whistleblower programmes and their impact on ethics, culture and conduct
author: NAVEX Global
Article from NAVEX Global that outlines a series of Q&A. In this mini-roundtable, ethics and compliance leaders from around the world discuss how to create an effective whistleblowing programme and what considerations should be made to enhance company ethics, culture and conduct.
Webinars and Media
Whistleblowing: what you need to know
author: Learning Seat
30-minute webinar from Learning Seat that provides an informative overview of what you need to know about whistleblowing systems.
Invisible
Whistleblowers – A key but misunderstood tool in the fight against corruption - Sandy Boucher
author: PECB
48-minute video from the 2017 ISO 37100 and Anti-Bribery PECB Insight conference in Montreal. Whistleblowing expert Sandy Boucher provides a comprehensive overview on the value and benefits that a robust whistleblowing and ethics line to any organisation as a whole and on fighting corruption in particular.
Invisible
Don’t shoot the messenger: the value of whistleblowing
author: CBC radio
Short article and 54-minute audio recording of a panel of expert session that was held at Centre for Free Expressions at Ryerson University in Toronto in March 2017. Panelists Anna Myers, David Hutton and Sandy Boucher discussed with Moderator Paul Kennedy the value and benefits of whistleblowing in public and private organisations.
Benchmark your whistleblowing hotline against EME & APAC organisations: Where do you rank?
author: NAVEX Global
60-minute webinar from NAVEX Global. Get a comprehensive picture of the effectiveness of whistleblowing hotline and reporting programmes in EMEA & APAC. We share some surprising new trends for reporting in this region and provide benchmarks you can use to evaluate your own results to determine how you stack up against your peers.
Invisible
CSA guide on Whistleblowing systems – PPT presentation and explanation
author: Ryerson University – CSR Institute
The CSR Institute at Ryerson University hosted a speakers event to promote and highlight the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Guide on Whistleblowing systems. This link provides access to a video recording of the event and the Power Point presentation from guest speakers Sandy Boucher and Vanessa Mitchell. The tools provided by Ryerson University can be very useful on their own or in combination with the guide.
Other Tools on Whistleblowing System – Reporting and Monitoring Wrongdoing
View all available tools. We also invite you to submit a new tool for our tool box.