General Provisions:

 

1-    The Code of Conduct and Work Ethics shall apply to all contractors of the Foundation, whatever they may be.

2-    The management of the Foundation shall establish work ethics in the Foundation through the means available to it.

3-    The Human Resources Department must maintain a close commitment to job behavior and work ethics, which is signed by the employee and a copy of which is kept in his/her job file.

4-    Work ethics is defined as a set of standards and principles that dominate administrative behavior in the Foundation and relate to what should and should not be followed during work in the Sustainable Development Foundation.

5-    The provisions of job behavior and work ethics are based on a set of principles that the employee must adhere to, as well as the principles on which they are based. These principles are as follows:

 

Objectives:

The Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct aims to: -

·       Establish ethical standards, basic rules and principles, and values of high professional culture among the Foundation's employees.

·       Enhance adherence to these standards, rules, and values, and consolidate foundations of good practices and good governance by educating the employees of the Foundation and directing them towards sound job ethics and frameworks of self-discipline that govern the workflow of the Foundation and are consistent with the laws and regulations in force, as well as by indicating their duties and job responsibilities and their role in improving services.

·       Enhance the confidence of beneficiaries and the public in the work of the Foundation and increase respect and appreciation for its role in providing services in the best possible way.

 

Employees Rights:

The employee shall be entitled to the following according to the regulations and policies of the organizing Foundation:

·       Clearly defined functions, responsibilities, and expected accomplishments of the staff member.

·       Dealing with the employee in everything related to his/her employment status based on entitlement, merit, competitiveness, and equal opportunities without any discrimination against him/her in the workplace.

·       Salary according to Foundation’s salary scale.

·       Vacations and departures of all kinds, subject to the approval of his/her line manager.

·       Compensation in force in the Foundation and according to the conditions set for it and the regulations and commensurate with the financial situation of the Foundation such as leaves, health insurance, life insurance and advances ... etc.

·       Refrain from offending the employee's person and dignity.

·       To guarantee freedom of opinion and expression within the framework of the legal texts and in accordance with the provisions of this Code.

·       To ensure his/her right to appeal or complain against any wrong decision taken against him and in accordance with the provisions of the Law.

·       Providing the conditions, guarantees, and precautions of work prescribed in labor legislation, regulations, and contracts.

·       Directing and distributing employees in proportion to their academic and practical qualifications and competence and in the interest of work. It is not permissible to change the profession of any employee to another profession that is not commensurate with his/her qualifications and abilities without his/her consent.

·       Develop programs to train and prepare the staff required by the action plan to enable it to develop the level of performance.

·       Enrolment in training programs according to the training needs plan and resources available.

·       Obtaining a certificate of experience or a statement at the end of his/her period of employment with the Foundation.

·       Permission to go to prayers at the specified times, provided that there is no prejudice to work that cannot be postponed.

·       Participate in the discussion of issues that lead to the development of work and address staff affairs and the right to express opinions thereof.

·       Provide the appropriate environment for work in a manner that preserves the personality and dignity of the employee and provides him with the terms, conditions, guarantees, and precautions of work prescribed in labor legislation, regulations, and contracts.

·       Providing work that is commensurate with the employee's academic and practical qualifications and competence and not to change his/her profession to another profession that is not commensurate with his/her qualifications and abilities except with his/her consent and according to the needs of the Foundation.

Duties and Responsibilities:

 

The duties and responsibilities of the employee are as follows:

First: General obligations

·       Work ethics and values adopted by the Foundation.

·       Before initiating his/her work, each employee shall sign a receipt of receiving “Code of Conduct and Work Ethics” that demonstrates getting the document, commitment, and adherence to what is stated therein. A copy of the receipt shall be kept in his/her employment file.

·       Providing Human Resources Department with the details, information, and documents required according to the internal regulations of the Foundation.

·       Enrollment and participation in training courses and events held by the Foundation according to the adopted training plan.

·       The employees of the Sustainable Development Foundation are expected to adhere to the principle of independence, neutrality, and impartiality. They should not be limited in their behavior except to work in accordance with the humanitarian principles of humanitarian organizations, which prevent political and party affiliations. Therefore, all workers are bound by these principles during their work with the Sustainable Development Foundation.

·       Reporting through official means (written message, official work e-mail or at a formal meeting) any occurrence of any infringement or violation of the rules, regulations, instructions and internal work regulations in the Foundation through his/her line manager.

·       Notify and report to his/her line manager of any existing or potential risks on the projects, assets, rights, and activities of the Foundation.

Second: Towards his/her job

·       Performing actively the duties of his/her job and the tasks assigned to him/her according to the job description while observing honesty, integrity, accuracy, professionalism, and impartiality to the fullest extent of his/her potential, and to work to serve supreme goals and objectives of the Foundation and achieve the public interest only.

·       Performing the work entrusted to him seriously, honestly, regularly, and as per job description. He/she shall dedicate all his/her time to perform the tasks and duties assigned to him efficiently and effectively.

·       Adherence to Foundation’s adopted regulations, systems, policies, and imperatives and instructions of his/her line managers in a way that is consistent with the internal regulations in force in the Foundation.

·       To be aware of the laws and regulations and to apply them without any deviation, violation, or negligence.

·       Discipline to his/her work, and commitment to attending and leaving time as assigned by the Foundation. He/she hall not leave the workplace during working hours or depart before the end of assigned working time without prior permission, and not to use communication devices or any other devices for purposes not related to Foundation's business.

·       To adhere to the specified times of work, and to prove his/her presence and departure from work through the fingerprint system or any approved system and to devote official working hours to carrying out the tasks and duties of his/her job, and not to carry out any activity that is not related to his/her official duties.

·       Strive to improve his/her performance, and develop his/her professional capabilities and learn about the latest developments in his/her field of work, and to submit proposals that will improve the working methods and raise the level of performance in the company, and be a part at providing a safe and healthy working environment.

·       Working to improve Foundation’s service provided with quality, while preserving, maintaining, and safeguarding Foundation’s tools and equipment from all sorts of risk.

·       Maintaining Foundation's properties, including devices, equipment, tools, items under his/her custody or his/her scope of supervision and functions. He/she shall return all he has of unused tools and primary materials to the allocated places according to procedures in place.

·       The optimal use of work means and mechanisms in the Foundation at his/her disposal or in the scope of supervision. He/she shall maintain funds, materials, tools, and alike inside the workplaces.

·       Refrain from any actions or practices that violate proper etiquette and conduct, and refrain from abusing or inciting religious views or beliefs of others inside the Foundation.

·       Facilitating the investigation and monitoring procedures carried out by the competent authorities by all possible means and providing information and responding to the inquiries in his/her possession to those responsible for investigation and inspection tasks, in accordance with the laws and regulations in force.

·       Not to strike or to incite others against work, refrain from organizing collective petitions related to the job or to participate in organizing it regardless of the reasons and motives, and to comply with the due process of grievance.

·       Maintaining the reputation of the Foundation, its funds and other assets and to inform his/her line manager of any excess, negligence, or manipulation that harms the interest of the Foundation.

·       Maintaining the honor of the job and its secrets, and not to transfer any information related to his/her work in the Foundation to others.

·       To maintain a decent appearance, whether in his/her personal appearance or the appearance of his workplace.

Third: Towards others

A. Towards Service Recipient (Beneficiaries):

·     The employee of the Foundation shall respect others’ rights and interests without exception. He/she should deal with the public and beneficiaries with respect, courtesy, politeness, neutrality, impartiality, objectivity, and without discrimination.

·     Strive to gain the trust of the public and beneficiaries through his/her integrity, responsiveness and proper behavior in all his/her work in accordance with the rules, regulations, and instructions in force.

·     Provide the required information to the beneficiaries related to the work and activities of his/her administration accurately and quickly without deception or misinformation in accordance with the system, and guide them to the complaints mechanism in the event that they wish to file a complaint to the competent authority.

·     To give priority to care for people with special needs and to provide them with assistance

B. Towards his/her superiors:

·     The employee must observe the implementation of his/her superiors’ orders and guidance in accordance with the administrative hierarchy. If those orders and instructions violate regulations, the employee shall inform his/her boss in writing of the offense taking place, and he shall not be committed to the implementation of these orders and instructions, unless it is confirmed by his/her line manager in writing, and he/she has the right in this case to inform human Resources Department or the legal advisor of the violation.

·     Deal with his/her superiors with respect and not try to gain any preferential treatment by flattery or deception methods or through modesty and nepotism.

·     Not to deceive or mislead his/her superiors and refrain from concealing information related to his/her work to influence the decisions taken or to obstruct the progress of the work. He must cooperate with his/her superiors and give his/her opinion, advice, and experience with objectivity and sincerity and to put in their disposal the information in his/her possession for the interest of the work.

·     Inform his/her boss of any violation or difficulties encountered in the field of work.

C. Towards colleagues:

·     The employee of the Foundation shall deal with respect and honesty with his/her colleagues. He/she shall maintain good and friendly relations with his/her colleagues with no discrimination, ensure respect for their privacy, refrain from exploiting any information related to their private lives with the intent to offend, and he/she must cooperate with them in performing the tasks assigned to them if necessary.

·     Cooperate with his/her co-workers and share his /her opinions with high professionalism and objectivity. He/she shall assist them wherever possible to solve the problems they face in the field of work, and endeavor to spread positive directions among colleagues to help improve work performance and environment, and deepen the sound institutional culture in the Foundation.

·     Refrain from any immoral behavior, practices, or acts that violate public morals and proper conduct, and the obligation to respect women as partners at work.

D. Towards his/her subordinates, (employees under his/her supervision):

·     Develop the abilities of his/her subordinates, help them and motivate them to improve their performance, and to be a good example of subordinates to work in compliance with laws and regulations and instructions.

·     Transfer the knowledge and experience gained for his/her subordinates and encourage them to increase the exchange of information and the transfer of knowledge among them.

·     Supervising his/her subordinates and holding them accountable for their actions, evaluating their performance objectively and impartially and striving to provide them with training and development opportunities in accordance with the relevant regulations and instructions in force.

·     Refusing any pressure from a third party that leads to preferential treatment with subordinates.

·     Respecting the rights of his/her subordinates and cooperating with them with high professionalism without favoritism or discrimination.

·     Commitment to directives to his/her subordinates to be as written as possible.

 

Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Harassment:

 

The Sustainable Development Foundation considers sexual harassment to be a form of misconduct that threatens the integrity of relationships at work. All employees have the right to work in an environment free from all forms of discrimination and from all behaviors that may be interpreted as harassment, coercion or harm to persons, such as sexual harassment, and any person involved in any harassing behavior will be subject to strict procedures starting from the warning and up to the termination of the employment contract (dismissal).

The Sustainable Development Foundation is keen that its work environment is positive; free from discrimination and sexual harassment of any kind in the workplace, and that it is considered unacceptable behavior and will never be condoned. In the relevant policy, it provides guidance and instructions to those concerned.

Gender:

The Foundation attaches importance to equal treatment between the sexes administratively in terms of employment, technically and in the field by dealing with the beneficiaries as follows:

·     Equal opportunities for qualified candidates and applicants for jobs, where it is taken into account that the long and short list includes at least 30-40% of women.

·     Include this in the criteria for the selection of beneficiaries that no less than 30-40% of women.

Maintaining confidentiality and the mechanism for information disclosure:

 

The employee shall ensure the following: -

·       The employee must deal with all the information he/she learned or received or have been briefed with due to the nature of his/her work during the period of his/her work in total secrecy and not copy or use this information for any purpose other than the purpose of performing the duties assigned to him/her under the contract signed with him. The employee shall not disclose such information to any third parties without the prior written consent of the Foundation. Adherence to this clause remains valid and in full force even after the date of termination of his/her contract with the Foundation.

·       Regarding protection, all employees must adhere to and observe all rules, conducts, professional and scientific requirements associated with their work and contained in the standards and relevant professional references, including maintaining client’s confidentiality.

·       Not to disclose to others the official information and documents obtained or viewed during the performance of his/her or her functions, whether in writing, orally or electronically, and special instructions, resolutions or legislation have been issued about it, or which must remain in substance even after the end of his/her term of service, unless he obtained a written approval from the Foundation.

·       Refrain from making any comments, statements or intervention detrimental to the interests of the Foundation.

·       Disclose to his/her line manager, manager of the department that he/she falls under his/her supervision, the legal Affairs department, or senior management all the information that he/she has to disclose fully and accurately by virtue of his/her work.

 

Conflicts of Interest: An employee accepting or requesting gifts, privileges, and other benefits:

 

The staff member shall:

·       Refrain from any act, conduct, or activity that would create a conflict of interest as identified in this regulation and explained in the policy of the conflict of interest.

·       Refrain from carrying out any activity that would lead to an actual or apparent conflict between his/her interests on the one hand and his/her responsibilities and functions on the other hand.

·       Refrain from carrying out any activity that does not commensurate with his/her Function and impartial performance or may lead to preferential treatment of natural or legal persons, harm his/her management reputation, or jeopardizes its relationship with the public.

·       Not to use his/her job directly or indirectly for financial gain or anything of value for himself, his/her family, relatives, or acquaintances. Not to exploit or employ the information obtained during the performance of his/her official functions after the termination of his/her employment in the Foundation, as a means of achieving personal benefits to himself or others directly or indirectly, or to abuse others and not to disclose information to give unfair or unreasonable privilege to other parties.

·       Avoid close relationships with individuals or institutions whose interests are based primarily on his/her decisions or his/her department decisions.

·       Not accepting or requesting any gifts, hospitality, or any other benefits of any kind whatsoever, whether direct or intermediary, that may have a direct or indirect impact on its objectivity in carrying out its functions or that would affect its decisions, or that may force it to commit to something in exchange for its acceptance that does not apply to the cases mentioned in this paragraph, or when it is believed that accepting certain types of hospitality will benefit the Foundation, the employee must inform his/her line manager, who must inform the employee whether gifts, hospitality, or other benefits should be rejected or retained by the administration, donated to a charity, or disposed of or retained by the concerned employee and according to the relevant regulations.

In regards to accountability to affected groups:

 

·       Definitions: Accountability to Affected Populations, as defined by the IASC, is:
A commitment by humanitarian organizations to take account of, consider and be accountable to the populations they seek to assist. This accountability relates to the responsible use of resources and assistance by humanitarian organizations, through the systematic introduction of feedback and accountability mechanisms across the program cycle.

·       For the Sustainable Development Foundation, this translates into the accountability of people affected by poverty, deprivation, conflict, emergencies, and disasters in Yemen linked to Foundations' various projects.

Sustainable Development Foundation's commitments to accountability to affected groups or populations

The Sustainable Development Foundation considers accountability to affected populations a cornerstone of delivering quality services to meet the needs of people affected by poverty, deprivation, conflict, emergencies, and disasters in Yemen and achieve more sustainable development outcomes.

To this end, the Sustainable Development Foundation is committed to ensuring that many formal and informal mechanisms, standards, and practices are in place at the field and project levels to ensure the effective participation of affected populations at different stages of the project life cycle.

The form these procedures will take will vary according to the operational and programmatic conditions from one project to another.

Guiding principles:

• Participation and inclusiveness:

• I will engage communities in protection, assistance, and programming and work to build their capacity.
• I will prepare arrangements that allow meaningful participation in all stages of the project life cycle (assessment, planning, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation).
• I will ensure that these arrangements are accessible to all groups in society, especially vulnerable groups such as marginalized groups, minorities, persons with special needs, women, children, and others.
• I will ensure that all affected populations have equal and non-discriminatory access to protection and assistance.

• Communication and transparency

• Accurate and timely information will be provided to beneficiaries on their rights and entitlements, the roles and responsibilities of the Foundation and its staff and partners, as well as information related to the project.
• Communication and dialogue with project beneficiaries will be ensured at all key stages throughout the project cycle.
• Share information and communicate in culturally appropriate and accessible languages, formats, and media for all groups in society.

• Feedback and response

• I will ensure that all formal and informal communications from project beneficiaries, both positive and negative, are guided by protection, assistance, and programming, and that remedial acts are taken as needed. To achieve this, the employee will:
• Ensure that feedback mechanisms are in place and maintain existing means of obtaining feedback from beneficiaries (including suggestion boxes and other complaints mechanisms such as the hotline), using a variety of communication channels accessible to all beneficiaries.
• Allocate human and financial resources to ensure that feedback from beneficiaries is systematically collected, assessed, referred to, and responded to in a timely, confidential, and effective manner.
• Collaborate with referral and feedback partners (where appropriate).

In regards to child protection:

The Foundation pursues a policy of not accepting children under 18 in key or complementary work in the Foundation or one of its projects.

The staff member shall do the following:

·       I treat all children and those I work with with respect and equality.

·       I provide a comfortable, inclusive, safe environment for all children, young people, parents, staff, and volunteers.

·       Respect and observe the cultural differences between individuals and groups (customs and traditions among children - members of groups) of different nationalities.

·       Report any fears of child abuse or exploitation in any work that is may be harmful to them.

·       Exercise due diligence in all matters associated with my mission, not disclose any secrets about children or matters related to work, be transparent at all times and in all actions taken by me and in all places where I am present during the performance of my mission by assuming full responsibility and accountability for acts, and not to put myself in a position of suspicion or danger that may expose me to a legal claim.

·       It encourages open communication among all children, youth, parents, staff, and volunteers and the involvement of children in decisions that concern them.

·       Works on self-assessment, behavioral, linguistic, and my relationships with children

·       Stores all data and information relating to children in a safe place.

·       Acts with caution when exchanging information about children.

·       Comply with all child protection laws

·       Not to act with the aim of humiliating, insulting, or inflicting harm or shame on children or young people with whom I work.

·       Not to use inappropriate, humiliating, or discriminatory language with the children I work with.

·       Not to request any service from any child in exchange for his/her protection and assistance.

·       Not to slap, hit, or physically hurt children.

·       Not to develop relationships of a sexual nature or any relations with children that could be classified as exploitation or violence against children or to act in a provocative or inappropriate manner with children.

·       Not to condone or overlook any work or behavior of children that may be illegal, unsafe, or exploitative.

·       Not to behave in a way that shows unfair or preferential treatment among children.

·       Not to shoot or publish photographs or videos of any child without his/her or her will and without the knowledge of his/her or her parents and guardians.

·       Not to possess any materials harmful to children within the Foundation's childcare centers/ homes/ institutions.

 

In regards to displaced persons:

The employee shall:

·       Deal with all displaced persons equally and without any discrimination.

·       Respect cultural differences and religious affiliations among IDPs and host communities, and report any specific concerns faced by the most vulnerable cases such as pregnant/ lactating women, unaccompanied/separated children, unaccompanied elderly, malnourished children, serious medical conditions, GBV cases, and others depending on project system and nature.

·       Adhere to the principles and behaviors required of me in all matters related to my work/volunteer work, and do not disclose any confidential information related to protection.

·       Commit at all times to clarity and openness in actions.

·       Be responsible for his/her actions and not put himself in any position that would raise doubts about integrity.

·       Evaluate his/her behavior, actions, language, and relations with IDPs/UN staff/ or implementing partners.

·       Report any behaviors observed by his/her colleagues that may be suspicious or doubtful.

·       Do not engage in any behavior that may be intended to bring shame and humiliation and insult and degrade any individual.

·       Not use inappropriate, offensive, or discriminatory language when speaking with IDPs or any other persons.

·       Not demand any incentives or favoritism from IDPs, the host community/ UNHCR/ or any other partners or other humanitarian agencies in exchange for assisting vulnerable individuals.

·       Not use beatings or physical assaults with displaced people while helping to control crowds during any inconvenience.

·       Not engage in any suspicious relationships with the displaced persons or host community that can be measured as a kind of exploitation or abuse.

·       Not act aggressively or inappropriately with IDPs/host community/ UN/, N/GO, and staff.

·       Not act in a manner that demonstrates unfair and discriminatory treatment of refugees, IDPs, or host communities.

·       Not photograph (photography or video) any incidents without the explicit consent of the concerned, the displaced person and the host community.

 

In regards to beneficiaries:

The employee shall conduct the following:

·       Staff commitment to humanitarian standards and to the standards and principles of the Foundation and donor partners.

·       Adherence to the principle of the best interest of the beneficiaries and not expose the beneficiaries to any kind of extortion or threat to participate in the project or continue in it.

·       Not to cover up any practices that harm the beneficiaries or deduct money from their dues.

·       Not to cooperate with any party to exercise pressure beneficiaries to pay sums of money for any reason, and to put the interest of beneficiaries and their protection as a priority and avoid any contrary practices.  

·       Address the beneficiaries clearly and transparently and in accordance with the principles of the project and the Foundation, and refrain from expressing personal views or advice to the beneficiaries, as the employees in the project represent the project and the Foundation only.

As for the computer, the Internet, and the automated system:

 

First: In handling electronic devices (computers, phones, laptops & iPads) and automated systems:

The employee provided with a computer or works on the automated system shall observe the following:

·       Take all necessary measures to maintain his/her device.

·       Do not download the software on the device until after asking the information technology department and making sure that the device is off before leaving the workplace.

·       Maintain the confidentiality of the information on his/her or her device by using his/her or her password and not to disclose it to others.

·       Not to use the device for entertainment and not to download games or entertainment programs.

·       Not to access other people's devices and try to get information from them.

·       Use the device for the purpose of developing skills and abilities in a manner consistent with the interest of the work.

·       Not to use the device for accomplishing his/her personal work.

·       Rationalize the use of printers as much as possible.

Second: Dealing with the Internet

The staff member who has access to the Internet shall observe the following:

·       Abide by using it for work purposes, including for the purpose of developing capacities and skills related to the nature of his work and in the interest of the work.

·       Adhere to the terms and requirements of intellectual property rights for files and software, and observe the terms of licensing their use. Consult the Information Technology Department immediately upon noticing any abnormalities during the use of the Internet.

·       Do not download texts and images that contain immoral, racist, extremist political views, incite violence and hatred, or any illegal activities.

·       Not to download files that are not directly related to the nature of his work, such as video files and multimedia files, such as movies, songs, music, and the like, taking into account the relevant policies of the Foundation.

 

 

Third: The employee to whom an e-mail address is assigned must take into account the following:

·       Not to re-send incoming messages, which may contain viruses or files that may be suspected as viruses, and in this case, assistance from the Information Systems Department shall be requested.

·       Take into account that there is no privacy regarding messages that reach any employee or that he sends through the e-mail system. The e-mail of any employee may be monitored by authorized employees without prior notice.

·       Not to open any unknown or unexpected incoming messages, even if the message is from a person known to the employee, and do not open or download any attached files whose origin is suspected.

·       Use the e-mail to develop capacities and skills according to work requirements.

 

Final Provisions:

·       Any violation of the provisions of the code of conduct and work ethics is subject to accountability and taking disciplinary actions and penalties according to the provisions.

·       The employee must review the ethics of the professions, be familiar with its contents, and abide by its provisions.

 

Personal Acknowledgment:

 

I hereby acknowledge that I have read, understood and will abide by the principles of the Code of Conduct throughout the period of my work, my association and representation with the Sustainable Development Foundation, and I realize that violating any of the above mentioned in the Code of Conduct may lead to immediate disciplinary action that may lead to dismissal.

Name: ....................................

Signature: ..............................

Date: .......................................

Stamp and Approval of SDF’s Chairperson