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Having well-defined policies can help safeguard your organisation from foreign interference by promoting consistency, accountability, and effective decision-making.
Regularly reviewing your policies to ensure they are working effectively and strengthening them as needed helps maintain strong standards and helps protect your organisation.
The below information is adapted from Community Governance Aotearoa.
Check your policies
Key areas where established policies are essential:
- Roles and responsibilities: Define roles, responsibilities, process for governance changes and decision-making authority.
- Conflict of interest: Require disclosure and management of any external interests that could affect impartiality.
- Membership criteria: Set standards for vetting, like background and criminal record checks.
- Transparency requirements: Have clear processes to ensure decisions and funding sources are openly discussed and recorded.
- Communication protocols: Establish who can speak or negotiate on behalf of the organisation.
- Amendment procedures: Have clear processes to review and update the constitution and/or charter as the organisation evolves.
- Reporting mechanisms: Include formal channels for raising concerns about foreign interference or other concerning activity within your organisation.
- Security provisions: Clearly set out how your community organisation will protect and manage any sensitive information and assets.
Check your code of conduct
Key areas your code of conduct should cover:
- Conflict of interest disclosures: Require members to declare any relationships or interests that could affect their objectivity.
- Gifts and favours policy: Define the processes for handling gifts, favours, or donations, including clear limits.
- Confidentiality rules: Define how sensitive information should be handled and limit access to authorised individuals only.
- Transparency and honesty: Promote open communication and reporting of suspicious or unusual behaviour.
- Raising concerns: Ensure there are safe and confidential ways for individuals to raise concerns.
- Respect for organisational independence: Emphasise commitment to the organisation’s values and mission.
- Professional conduct standards: Clearly outline expected behaviours that reflect integrity and accountability.
- Consequences for violations: Clearly outline disciplinary measures for breaches of the code.