In Kyiv and Lviv, experts from the Foundation for Institutional Development, Oksana Bronevytska and Olena Karpova, conducted trainings for anti-corruption officers of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, dedicated to the formation of a culture of disclosure in the organization.
Anti-corruption officers play a key role in working with whistleblowers, as they organize the work of internal channels, review reports received through these channels, cooperate with whistleblowers, ensure compliance with their rights and guarantees of protection, provide advice and training to employees.
During the trainings, the experts discussed with the participants what could be the reasons that prevent the development of a disclosure culture in the organization.
The most common of them are:
• psychological barriers — perception of disclosure as something negative, associating it with "snapping", as well as fear of judgment from colleagues;
• lack of political will of the management — at the informal level, the management doesn’t encourage, and sometimes even prevents the spread of the whistleblowing culture and persecutes whistleblowers;
• lack of an organizational culture that encourages freedom of speech — and here we can talk not only about corruption, but about the fact that employees are afraid to speak out about any violations;
• ineffective work of the anti-corruption officers in this direction — formally developed local regulations, but, for example, potential whistleblowers don’t know how and where to report, what guarantees of protection of whistleblowers.
What can an anti-corruption officer do to create a whistleblowing culture in the organization?
First, to demonstrate intolerance of corruption and respect for whistleblowers by your own example.
Secondly, implement the following tools in the organization:
• development of internal policies;
• interaction with the head of the organization, as it is important to have a "tone from above";
• conducting personal interviews and using the procedural interview method in working with whistleblowers;
• conducting whistleblowing training, focusing on methods of reporting, whistleblower protection guarantees and examples of good practices;
• filling the website with useful information for whistleblowers;
• educational companies dedicated to exposure.
The training took place as part of the implementation of the "Act Now!" information and awareness campaign jointly with EU Advisory Mission Ukraine with the participation of Stratcom Ukraine Center for Strategic Communications, aimed at building a whistle-blowing culture in the State Border Service.
