Whistleblowing - Guidelines
These whistleblowing guidelines sets out general guidelines, which make it clear that employees can report misconduct without fear of victimisation, subsequent discrimination or disadvantage. These guidelines are intended to encourage and enable employees to raise serious concerns within Mistra Urban Futures rather than overlooking a problem or blowing the whistle outside.
The guideline applies to all employees and consultants working for Mistra Urban Futures. It also covers suppliers and those providing services under a contract with Mistra Urban Futures in their own premises.
Background
Chalmers’ mission is to create and spread knowledge, competence and solutions that everyone can benefit from, both individuals and society. With this mission comes a commitment to act ethically and sustainably, both internally, locally and globally. Chalmers' approach to ethical issues includes openness, clarity, honesty and long-term thinking.
Chalmers' activities are based on:
• Democracy and respect for everyone's equal value.
• Human rights and freedom.
• Quality, openness, participation, respect and diversity.
• Firm scientific foundation.
• Our academic freedom and our responsibility ensure integrity and objectivity with regard to results, methods and publication of our research findings and with no restrictions on the choice of research topic.
• Sustainable, long-term approach in our decisions and strategies.
• Morally and intellectually independency of political, religious, ideological and economic power bases.
The fundamental conditions for all of Chalmers' activities include equality, diversity and rejection of all forms of discrimination and harassment.
• Mistra Urban Futures' managers and leaders are to promote openness, trust, job satisfaction and creativity, as well as create added value and the conditions needed to take advantage of the commitment shown by employees and students.
• The education provided by Chalmers is to be conducted in creative, inspiring, effective and development-oriented learning environments by teachers and researchers who possess an internationally high level of subject, professional, scientific and pedagogical proficiency.
All of Mistra Urban Futures' activities, employees and internally associated co-operation partners representing Chalmers are expected to behave and work on the basis of Chalmers' Ethics Policy, and to be aware of other policies, laws, ethical rules and values related to the professions and subject areas as required by the work.
These guidelines make it clear that employees can do so without fear of victimisation, subsequent discrimination or disadvantage. This guideline is intended to encourage and enable employees to raise serious concerns rather than overlooking a problem or blowing the whistle outside.
Responsibilities
All staff have a responsibility to ensure that the best possible standards of care are achieved and to
act in accordance with their professional codes of conduct. Staff are advised to:
a) Report to an appropriate staff member as outlined in this procedure, any concerns that something
is happening which might compromise the rules contained in the code of conduct.
b) Raise concerns in good faith with the true belief that a malpractice has occurred.
c) Not raise concerns with any malicious intent or vexatious nature.
d) Raise concerns with an appropriate officer as outlined in the Anti-corruption and Fraud guideline
Reporting
1. Staff members may report suspected cases of fraud and corruption to any of the following:
- Director David Simon Tel: 00 46 70 864 2780 Email: david.simon@chalmers.se
- Head of Administration, Viveka Blomgren, Mobile: +46 (0) 733 84 63 56 E-mail: viveka.blomgren@chalmers.se
- Ethics committee within Chalmers by e-mailing registrator@chalmers.se
If the staff member prefers to remain anonymous, then, she/he can report anonymous in a written
letter to Head of Administration as well as via e-mail and/ or phone.
2. Director and Head of Administration discuss the reporting received with proof of misconduct
and decide on next step. The report is logged with date and action taken in written. If a
notification is needed a notification is sent to Ethics Committee at Chalmers, see below
Process within the Ethics Committee at Chalmers
3. E-mail to registrator@chalmers.se included a short summary of the situation.
- In the subject row you can either do a notification directly or
- You can ask for an opinion for a possible notification. An opinion can always move upto a notification, BUT it is harder the other way around. Note: If it is a notification itbecomes formally.
- The Registrator forwards the e-mail to an administrator within the Ethics committee who possibly asks for more material that support and prove the arguments.
- The person will sit down with Chair of Ethics Committee, currently Per Lincoln, who will assign another person not connected to Mistra Urban Futures.
- The person will interview the person who reported the notification and person involved.
- Further action is taken by the Ethics Committee
The amount of contact you have with the people considering the matter will depend on the type of
concern, the potential difficulties of the investigation and availability of information. Wherever possible,
you will be told of the final outcome of any investigation.
Find a template on how to report whistleblowing in the files below or download here.
