Guidance

DFID progress on delivery of the donor commitments from the October 2018 London Safeguarding summit

Updated 19 October 2020

Overview

Following the revelations in February 2018 of sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH) in the aid sector, DFID has taken a lead in pushing for improved global safeguarding standards and performance. As part of that work, in October 2018 DFID hosted an international Safeguarding Summit, Putting People First: tackling sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment in the aid sector. At the summit 22 donors presented a set of 22 donor commitments on SEAH, designed to bring about 4 long-term strategic shifts:

• Ensure support for survivors, victims and whistle-blowers, enhance accountability and transparency, strengthen reporting and tackle impunity
• Incentivise cultural change through strong leadership, organisational accountability and better human resource processes
• Agree minimum standards and ensure we and our partners meet them
• Strengthen organisational capacity and capability across the international aid sector, including building the capability of implementing partners to meet the minimum standards

Donors, including DFID, are jointly publishing a separate progress report. This report provides additional detail about what DFID has done to progress the commitments made by itself and the other 21 donors at the London summit.

All UK Government Departments who spend Official Development Assistance (ODA) signed up to the donor commitments. Each department is responsible for their own ODA spend and translating these commitments into action. DFID engages across Whitehall to ensure a co-ordinated and where appropriate consistent approach to safeguarding against SEAH in the international aid sector, convening quarterly meetings to share lessons and guidance with other departments.

The international work led by DFID over the last year has generated good momentum and is starting to deliver results. The text below lists each of the commitments in turn and gives examples of what DFID has done to take them forward over the past 12 months. However, this is just the beginning of a long-term process and we will continue to do all we reasonably can to prevent SEAH from happening, listen to those affected, respond sensitively but robustly when harm or allegations of harm occur, and learn from every single case.

If we do not get things right on safeguarding, and ensure the protection of the most vulnerable, then we fail in our ultimate goal to support the world’s poorest and jeopardise all the positive work aid does. DFID’s work and that of others is having a positive impact but more is required by every organisation and every programme if we are going to stop sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment in the aid sector, something which we must achieve.

Strategic Shift 1

Ensure support for survivors, victims and whistle-blowers; enhance accountability and transparency; strengthen reporting; and tackle impunity

DFID is taking a survivor-centred approach to our work on safeguarding. This means putting the needs of the victim or survivor at the centre of our thinking, based on the principles of safety, confidentiality, respect and non-discrimination. Work is ongoing to look at how the aid sector and institutions within it can provide better support for survivors, victims and whistle-blowers and what role DFID can play to support this. This includes examining reporting and referral mechanisms to ensure they are accessible to all and strengthening national and community-based accountability mechanisms. We must collectively keep working until any individual feels able to speak up and challenge abuses of power wherever they occur.

Commitments and DFID updates

Wherever possible actively include beneficiaries in the design, implementation and refinement of programmes and improved complaints and feedback mechanisms that will empower individuals to come forward with the confidence that they will be heard, that their concerns will be fairly pursued, that feedback will be provided to them as soon as possible and that their safety will be of the utmost concern.

• DFID hosted a survivor engagement meeting in March 2019 to get views on how best to engage further with victims and survivors as we develop policy and initiatives. This built on the listening exercise we began in June 2018 and published in October 2018. The findings focused on 3 main issues (barriers to reporting SEAH; reporting mechanisms and systems; survivor and victim support needs) and are informing our policy and programming work
• DFID established an Independent Reference Group (IRG) in early 2019, including survivors and their representatives and individuals with expertise working with vulnerable groups, to guide and challenge our policies and programmes on safeguarding. The IRG meets quarterly in smaller working groups focusing on specific issues, including support to survivors and whistle blowers, and community-based complaints mechanisms
• The new DFID Resource and Support Hub due to be launched in October will scope, pilot and share lessons on how to improve beneficiary engagement
• In mid-2019 we announced that DFID’s second phase of the ‘What Works to Prevent Violence Against Women and Girls’ programme will include funding for prevalence surveys to improve understanding of incidence, forms, and drivers of violence against women and girls. This includes £1.5-£2.5m on sexual abuse and exploitation and developing our understanding of under-reporting
• DFID has simplified and clarified our existing reporting procedures to provide several methods for anyone to raise a concern (this includes DFID staff, external partners, beneficiaries and stakeholders). Reporting is also covered in new mandatory safeguarding training being introduced for all staff from October 2019
• DFID has started work on new guidance for staff about how to ensure beneficiary feedback, including on safeguarding issues, is included in the design and implementation of all our programmes

Clearly communicate requirements and best-practice guidance for the reporting of incidents, and work towards aligned reporting practices and the sharing of information. Considerations of confidentiality, the protection of relevant individuals, and relevant legislation will be central to this work.

• DFID has regularly stressed the importance of reporting concerns and outlined our mechanisms for reporting incidents, for example during sessions with NGOs across the UK and with private sector contractors and multilaterals We have recently updated the safeguarding page on GOV.UK to provide more guidance on our reporting requirements
• DFID has run internal training, including a Safeguarding Learning Week in March 2019, to build staff confidence and ensure everyone knows their responsibilities on safeguarding. We have also developed mandatory training for all staff which covers reporting
• DFID funded Bond (the platform for UK NGOs working in the international development sector) to produce a reporting toolkit for UK NGOs to provide guidance and best practice on reporting mechanisms
• DFID has played an active role in a group of donors who are close to agreeing common requirements on reporting for inclusion in funding agreements with partners, including the United Nations and World Bank

Review, and where necessary, renew efforts within and between aid agencies and across governments and the wider international system, to avoid the hiring and recirculation of perpetrators in the aid sector, and to hold them to account, including by helping to bring them to justice, when appropriate, all in line with due process and relevant legal obligations.

• DFID’s £10 million project with INTERPOL is up and running. The project will help stop perpetrators of SEAH moving around the aid sector by strengthening criminal record checks and information sharing between countries
• DFID is supporting NGO partners in the implementation of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. The scheme allows employers to share data with greater confidence on conduct and disciplinary records related to sexual misconduct. It is early days, but the over 1,500 requests for information since January have prevented the hiring of at least 10 individuals
• Since early 2019, DFID has been chairing a steering group aiming to develop an Aid Worker Passport that will make it harder for perpetrators to move around the sector undetected, whilst providing those who conduct themselves appropriately with evidence of their identity and previous good conduct. We aim to pilot the Passport in 2020
• DFID has been working with the National Crime Agency and national police constabularies to strengthen information sharing about sexual offenders who may have connections to the aid sector

Ensure that relevant information about allegations, confirmed cases, prevention measures and response activities, are an integral part of reporting mechanisms, which for some donors will include annual public statements. The confidentiality of information and the safety of individuals will be paramount.

• DFID’s Management Board receives a monthly update on the key strategic safeguarding risks faced by DFID
• DFID’s Safeguarding Investigations Team have started providing regular updates to DFID senior management about case numbers and trends
• DFID publishes an update on our work on safeguarding and details of allegations that have been reported to us (relating to both our staff and programmes) in our annual report and accounts, most recently in July 2019.

Adopt a victim/survivor-centred approach to help victims and survivors to access tangible and practical help to recover from the effects of abuse, exploitation and harassment, for example, by supporting the work of the United Nations’ (UN) Office of the Victims’ Rights Advocate (OVRA) and the UN Victims Support Trust Fund.

• With FCO colleagues, we are funding the UN Victims’ Rights Advocate to support the establishment of a statement of victims’ rights and map out the support services available to survivors in order to improve engagement with beneficiaries and provide the services they deserve
• DFID supports Enhancing Learning and Research for Humanitarian Assistance’s (ELRHA’s) Humanitarian Innovation Fund. We have allocated an additional £2m for the fund over the next 5 years to tackle and prevent sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in humanitarian contexts. ELRHA have committed to exploring any cross-overs between protection against SEAH and SGBV as part of the update of the Gender-Based Violence Gap Analysis scheduled for early 2020
• Many of the activities listed under commitment 1 above are also relevant

Review best practice and lessons from ombudsman schemes to explore the potential to improve systems of complaints mechanisms, referral pathways and independent accountability.

• The UK has actively supported Dutch colleagues (including through DFID visits to The Hague and Geneva this year) on a workstream that will test and review best practice on reporting systems, including ombuds mechanisms, and their impact on accountability and support for survivor-centred needs and rights
• DFID has also facilitated conversations on this issue through our chairing of the donor Technical Working Group, the Cross-Sector Safeguarding Steering Group and the Independent Reference Group. We are looking at all the options to improve accountability on SEAH across the sector, including strengthening both national and community-based mechanisms

Strategic Shift 2

Incentivise cultural change through strong leadership, organisational accountability and better human resource processes.

The causes of SEAH are rooted in power imbalances, including inequality resulting from gender, disability, sexual orientation, poverty and ethnicity amongst others. We must tackle these underlying inequalities within our organisations and the communities in which we work. At DFID, this starts by setting the tone from the top of our organisation and making it clear that tackling safeguarding is relevant in every role and that every staff member must know their responsibilities.

Commitments and DFID updates

Have one or more named senior-level champion(s) accountable for work on sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment, while stressing that the responsibility for safeguarding rests with all individuals in an organisation.

• DFID’s Director-General for Policy Research and Humanitarian, Richard Clarke, is our senior-level champion for tackling SEAH. Since early 2019 he has been chairing a quarterly Safeguarding Delivery Board to oversee progress against the action plan agreed in November 2018 during DFID’s annual safeguarding strategy stocktake
• DFID ran a Safeguarding Learning Week for staff in March 2019 with the clear message that “Safeguarding against SEAH is everyone’s responsibility” and providing resources and guidance to help people live up to that
• DFID programme teams have between them registered nearly 1,000 individual safeguarding risks on DFID’s internal programme management portal. They are discussed by teams on a regular basis. DFID has now made it mandatory for teams to enter all risks onto a central risk database to facilitate aggregation, analysis and active management
• In 2019, as part of internal accountability work, DFID’s Internal Audit Department conducted a detailed review of DFID’s safeguarding work

Encourage at least annual discussion at the Board or equivalent level in all organisations of sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment and how the organisation is addressing them.

• DFID Management Board’s full annual discussion of safeguarding policy and progress against our objectives took place in November 2018 with the next one due in November 2019. This is supported by a detailed review of progress which takes place each quarter at the Safeguarding Delivery Board, chaired by the lead Director-General
• The Management Board also assesses DFID’s overall safeguarding risk exposure as part of a monthly strategic risk register discussion
• In December 2018, DFID’s Executive Management Committee discussed and agreed a capability development workplan focused on building DFID staff members ability to manage SEAH safeguarding risks
• DFID’s obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) require us to pay due regard to equality and good relations, with particular attention to eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations. DFID Heads of Office report annually on the PSED to the Executive Committee
• The UK has been proactive over the past year in encouraging all UN Funds and Programmes to report on their progress on tackling SEAH at Executive Board meetings, including drafting and signing joint donor statements.
• DFID staff continue to carry out rolling checks on how our partners are implementing the enhanced safeguarding due diligence policy DFID introduced in 2018, which includes the partner holding regular discussions on safeguarding issues at board level

Encourage the recruitment and career development of women at the senior management level and throughout organisations to send a clear signal about the importance of gender balance and a diverse and inclusive workforce.

• DFID has continued to seek ways to close the gender pay gap and create a level playing field to increase opportunities for women across the whole of the organisation. This is a key part of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) Recommendation on Ending SEAH that was agreed in July 2019 and applies to the UK as a member of the OECD
• DFID has made a substantial effort to ensure that women are represented in our workforce and achieved notable progress. There is almost an equal gender split at DFID’s senior grades, with 48 men and 43 women.
• DFID’s overall mean gender pay gap for the organisation has narrowed from 8.5% in 2016-17 to 6.9% in 2017-2018 DFID has been working to address the gender pay gap in several ways, including working to recruit a diverse workforce which reflects the society we serve; removing barriers to career progression for all our talented staff who are in under-represented groups by encouraging participation in Civil Service Talent Schemes; and flexible working arrangements (all data as at March 2018)

Review and where necessary, strengthen recruitment and referencing processes to build workplace cultures of respect and accountability, and so help prevention.

• DFID has amended its referencing policy to include information on SEAH-related dismissals and will continue to investigate and note the outcome of such investigations if a member of staff resigns before completion.
• DFID also worked with the National Crime Agency to review our approach to staff vetting and ensure that staff recruited into DFID are cleared thoroughly.

For members of the UN Secretary General’s Circle of Leadership and signatories to the Voluntary Compact, encourage other Member States to join this collective statement of intent, and encourage a review of progress within the next 12 months.

• Following the departure of Theresa May as UK Prime Minister, DFID proactively worked with the Prime Minister’s office and others across Government to ensure that our new Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, joined the Circle of Leadership in September 2019
• DFID is working with colleagues in the FCO and Ministry of Defence to monitor implementation of our Voluntary Compact commitments
• We have continued to drive this work forward using existing mechanisms, including the safeguarding donor group and the DAC reference group on preventing sexual exploitation and abuse

Encourage delivery of the UN Secretary-General’s 2017 Special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and abuse strategy through joint donor messaging that recognises the need for related action plans with clear deliverables and milestones from each relevant UN organisation. Encourage the International Financial Institutions to deliver on the collective and individual commitments they have made, and ensure the monitoring of implementation.

• DFID has continued to convene quarterly meetings of all organisations that made commitments at the October 2018 London summit. The meetings have been used to share lessons, monitor progress and hold each other to account. This group published a joint report on progress in October 2019
• DFID staff, colleagues from other parts of the UK Government and UK delegations have made joint donor statements at UN Executive Boards and meetings with International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank

Those members of the donor group who participate in the Multilateral Organisation Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN) will support and advance the discussion on enhancing assessment in relation to sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment to help the improved effectiveness of multilateral organisations.

• Proposals for integrating SEAH into MOPAN assessments were agreed by members at the Steering Committee Meeting in November 2018. The UK continues to support the design and delivery of the pilot as one of 3 countries in the relevant working group. A pilot case study is underway to assess the safeguarding measures of key agencies in 2019 before being fully integrated into the methodology for 2020. MOPAN is expected to conduct about 8 assessments of multilateral agencies per year between 2020 and 2025, integrating the new measures
• The UK values MOPAN assessments of multilateral organisations, which provide an important insight into the performance of our international partners. MOPAN assessments will help reduce the need for the UK and other donors to conduct their own bilateral assessments

Strategic Shift 3

Adopt minimum standards, and ensure we and our partners meet them.

Since 2018, DFID has set out to work with others to rewrite the way the aid sector tackles SEAH, from root to branch. We will continue to work with organisations across the aid sector including other donors to align approaches, share lessons, and ensure that our partners are adhering to internationally agreed minimum standards on SEAH.

Commitments and DFID updates

Demonstrate adherence to one or both sets of international minimum standards related to preventing sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA), namely the Inter-Agency Standing Committee Minimum Operating Standards on PSEA, and/or the PSEA elements of The Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability. In the longer term, we will look to review and strengthen measures for verification of that adherence, and how the standards could also cover sexual harassment.

• DFID ensures that we meet these standards through our code of conduct and that our suppliers meet it through our enhanced due diligence on safeguarding and supply partner code of conduct
• DFID is working with other donors to establish how best we can raise awareness of the standards and to verify that our partners are meeting them. Since early 2019, DFID has provided funding to the Humanitarian Quality Assurance Initiative (HQAI), the independent body that verifies adherence to the Core Humanitarian Standard to assist their work
• We have discussed with the CHS Alliance the scope for DFID to carry out a self-assessment using their donor self-assessment tool and plan to do that in the year ahead

Review, and where necessary, strengthen formal funding templates and due diligence tools to reflect those standards, and include clear and specific language on sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment, including common definitions. This also includes reviewing, and, where necessary, strengthening, language for our funding partners which requires them to apply the same minimum standards in their sub-granting and contracting requirements for downstream partners.

• The bulk of this work within DFID was completed before October 2018 and our tools and templates are regularly reviewed and updated
• DFID has led work with other donors which aims to strengthen safeguarding language in funding agreements with all multilaterals and have shared this with other UK government ODA-spending departments
• DFID has also actively participated in a series of webinars organised by the CHS Alliance to consider topics such as donor due diligence policies on preventing SEAH, whistle blower protection, SEAH investigations and victim/survivor support and the potential development of a new assessment tool

Review and, if necessary, revise project monitoring arrangements (e.g. frequency, scope and indicators), to ensure a stronger focus on sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment issues.

• DFID’s enhanced due diligence process for safeguarding includes the expectation that organisations in receipt of DFID funding must provide us with concrete assurance that these new standards are being applied effectively throughout the life of the programme. We monitor this through our annual review processes. All of DFID’s safeguarding policies and processes are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure they remain up to date
• We have conducted regular training for DFID programme staff including on the importance of including safeguarding in project monitoring

Support the OECD DAC Reference to formulate a new DAC instrument that in 2019 will set standards on preventing and managing the risks of sexual exploitation and abuse in development cooperation, and drive donor accountability in meeting them.

• The DAC Recommendation on Ending SEAH was adopted on 12 July 2019 by its 30 members, 21 of whom were signatories to the London donor commitment document. The Recommendation sends a strong political signal that SEAH perpetrated by those who deliver humanitarian and development assistance will not be tolerated and will be vigorously tackled.
• This is the first international instrument to address SEAH across the international aid sector and underpins the collective political commitment to take decisive action to pursue organisational and cultural change to stamp out SEAH. The instrument encompasses the key strategic shifts from the London donor commitments - namely to develop survivor-victim centred responses, incentivise cultural organisational change and accountability, support alignment with international minimum standards and develop capability amongst Member States to implement and be accountable for preventing and responding to SEAH. Implementation of the Recommendation will include the development of guidelines and support to Member States
• DFID co-chaired the DAC Reference Group which oversaw the work to negotiate and agree the Recommendation. DFID successfully proposed extending the original draft to include sexual harassment.
• The DAC Recommendation was launched at a high level round table of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 26 September 2019, with a call to support implementation of the Recommendation and an invitation to the UN, country partners and other entities to sign up. DFID’s Permanent Secretary, Matthew Rycroft, was a keynote speaker at the event

Strategic Shift 4

Strengthen organisational capacity and capability across the international aid sector, including building the capability of implementing partner to meet the minimum standards.

Safeguarding remains a priority for DFID and we want to raise safeguarding capability across the sector to ensure that our partners, including small in-country organisations, are able to take all reasonable steps to tackle SEAH. We know that DFID doesn’t have all the answers and will continue to work to improve our own policies and procedures and facilitate the sharing of lessons and guidance with others, including via our new Resource and Support Hub.

Commitments and DFID updates

Review and if necessary strengthen core oversight and management systems for tackling sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment, and use victim/survivor-centred responses.

• DFID’s 14 person Safeguarding Unit (SGU) has continued to work full time over the past year with other parts of DFID, HMG and external partners to strengthen oversight and management systems and build capability
• The SGU and DFID’s Better Delivery Department (BDD) have run 8 bespoke training events/presentations for staff. We operated a dedicated email box to respond to all safeguarding due diligence questions from programme teams. This also enables DFID teams to support implementing partners. We monitor staff confidence on safeguarding via questions in annual staff surveys
• DFID’s Human Resources Department provides oversight of internal case management and has reviewed and strengthened DFID’s staff standards of conduct and behaviour and internal safeguarding policies, with specific reference to staff requirements on the prevention of SEAH
• DFID has established a dedicated Safeguarding Investigations Team. We recruited staff who are qualified and experienced in conducting safeguarding investigations with child and adult survivors. The team are responsible for ensuring the appropriate investigatory response to all concerns raised. For all external investigations where allegations are substantiated, we seek assurance that appropriate action is taken against the subject of the complaint; that the victim/survivor has sufficient support and care; and that lessons are learned and controls strengthened
• DFID provided finance and technical support through the UK network for organisations working in international development (Bond) for the development of a set of leadership principles, including cultural indicators on SEAH, for organisations to benchmark themselves against. DFID also funded guidance on Complaints & Definitions (including a tool to facilitate reporting of safeguarding concerns and relevant case studies) and Safeguarding and Governance.

Explore options for a Resource and Support Hub to develop and communicate the evidence base, best practices and guidance on tackling sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment, with a focus on providing support to smaller organisations.

• DFID has completed the procurement process for a 5-year, £10m Resource and Support Hub, with the contract anticipated to start by the end of October 2019. The Hub will aim to build capability and capacity, including through targeted support for small organisations, by bringing together relevant tools, guidance and support via an online platform, and signposting quality assured services including qualified investigators, legal support and counselling
• We have been co-ordinating with other related initiatives in the sector, for example the Canadian government’s hub to support Canadian civil society organisations and resources available for charities working domestically in the UK

Provide guidance and minimum training requirements for relevant staff on the prevention of and response to, sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment.

• In the past year DFID has reviewed and where necessary updated relevant staff policies and guides related to safeguarding and staff conduct. This has included:

  • Updating all of our relevant guidance to staff to include SEAH safeguarding
  • Updating our internal staff safeguarding policy in response to feedback
  • Mapping the employee lifecycle to clearly identify the various contact points that require special emphasis on safeguarding
  • Updating our referencing policy to allow the sharing of any ‘live’ sanctions related to safeguarding on an employee’s record in reference requests and to disclose information to third parties if a risk assessment determines there could be an SEAH safeguarding issue
  • Developing specific safeguarding training for DFID staff which is now mandatory
• We held a “Safeguarding Learning Week” of training events in March to raise staff confidence and capability on safeguarding against SEAH which was attended by over 400 staff in addition to training and engagement events throughout the year targeted at Heads and Deputy Heads of Offices and Senior Responsible Owners for programmes
• We have set up a dedicated working group to develop and oversee an action plan on raising capability. Actions already in motion include, regular safeguarding drop-in sessions to support programme managers to manage SEAH safeguarding risks and new safeguarding mandatory training due for launch before the end of the year

Next Steps

DFID has been clear that any sexual misconduct is totally unacceptable. But we know that SEAH in the aid sector still happens far too often. We remain at an early stage of a long and challenging journey which requires changes to systems, behaviours and culture and DFID’s work is reflecting that.

Commitments and DFID updates

Each donor signatory committed to taking action on the above through our own systems, processes and stakeholders, as consistent with relevant domestic and international law, and taking into consideration relevant existing structures and operating models. It is up to each of us to decide which measures are the most urgent and how we will communicate progress to our stakeholders

• Raising safeguarding standards to tackle SEAH remains a top priority for DFID. We have made good progress over the past year but we know there is much more to do
• SEAH is rooted in power imbalance, often gender inequality, we need to tackle these underlying factors if we are to make real progress. We are working to create a culture within DFID where staff feel confident to report, setting the tone from the top by modelling expected behaviours and championing the highest standards of conduct

We will meet no later than 12 months from now to assess progress, while continuing to liaise regularly to keep up the pace of progress and share lessons on this vital issue.

• DFID co-ordinated the production of a progress report for all donors which was the result of multiple meetings. Donors will continue to meet through the DFID-chaired technical working group and via meetings related to implementation of the OECD DAC Recommendation
• DFID has also co-ordinated a cross-sector report from all 8 groups of organisations that made commitments at the summit, including donors, which has been published on GOV.UK. We will continue to engage with all groups to share lessons and hold each other to account

Over the next year, we will continue to push for change throughout the aid sector. We will continue to work with donors, NGOs, private sector suppliers, multilateral organisations, research funders and others to share lessons, align approaches and call for further action on safeguarding. We will lead work to prevent perpetrators moving around the sector undetected, through better criminal records checks and information sharing, aiming by the end of 2020 to have completed the first year of Project Soteria with INTERPOL and begun a pilot for an aid worker passport. By this time next year the Resource and Support Hub will be fully operational, providing guidance, support and training to NGOs and others. The UN is due to publish its statement of victims’ rights by early 2020 and we will use it to continue exploring how the sector can provide better support and accountability for survivors.

DFID has been clear that we hold ourselves to at least the same high standards we expect of others. We plan to publish a safeguarding strategy in 2020 to communicate our strategic priorities. We are implementing a detailed plan to raise staff confidence and capability, including through mandatory training that all staff will complete over the next year and bespoke packages for DFID country offices.

We are improving safeguarding checks throughout the DFID employee lifecycle and will continue to review and update our internal policies on vetting, referencing and misconduct to ensure staff remain clear on expectations. This includes dedicated work to tackle sexual harassment and achieve gender balance at all levels of the organisation.

We will continue regularly to review our funding agreements and programme management processes so that our partners know what standards DFID expects and are able to meet them. We will align as closely as possible with other donors via DFID’s Technical Working Group and work in the OECD DAC, including through common language for funding the UN and other partners.

Within the department we continue to do all we can to make zero tolerance a reality, by which we mean taking all reasonable steps to prevent harm from occurring and responding appropriately when harm of allegations of harm occur. DFID’s dedicated Safeguarding Investigations Team will continue to handle cases reported to DFID and we will learn from this to help mitigate future risk. We want every member of staff to feel able to speak up and challenge abuses of power wherever they occur.

DFID will continue to report back to Parliament on progress, challenges and case numbers via our Annual Report and Accounts. The commitments made a year ago at the London summit are having a positive impact. But everyone in the aid sector must continue to act and challenge each other to do more to ensure that aid does no harm.