Code of Conduct & Standards

The Partos Code of Conduct (mandatory for all members) was subject to a one-year transition period: a year in which organisations were allowed to demonstrate that they were serious about integrity. For the changes to Partos 9001 (a voluntary quality standard), organisations were asked to include the new Partos 9001-2018 in (re)certification or interim audits. The new Partos 9001 exempts the Ministry’s Organizational Risk and Integrity Assessment (formerly COCA in Dutch). Without this update to the old Partos 9001, organisations will be asked to complete an additional integrity policy form. Below are the relevant updates to the code of conduct.

 

Repressive device

  • The Code of Conduct explicitly describes the organisation’s norms and values, with attention to abuses of power and financial and interpersonal violations.
  • Setting up a low-threshold reporting system, including attention to a confidential advisor, I-officer, the role of management and an (external) whistleblower hotline.
  • Ensuring opportunities for investigation, sanctions and victim assistance and creating internal and/or external capacity for this purpose.

Preventive cycle

  • Actively publicise and translate the Code of Conduct into guidelines for all persons working on behalf of the organisation.
  • Actively publicise reporting procedures to all stakeholders, and be vigilant in their application.

Moral learning

  • Establishing a moral learning process with regular moral reflection with employees.

Communication & accountability

  • Paying attention in the annual report to how the integrity policy is implemented, stating the number and nature of reports and how they were handled, and reflecting on the organisations’ integrity policy.