Modern slavery is a crime resulting in the abuse of the human rights of vulnerable workers. It can take various forms, such as slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking.
We are committed to preventing the existence or prospect of modern slavery within our organisation or within our supply chains and this statement explains the steps we take to ensure that it does not take place.
This statement should be read in conjunction with our Responsible Employer and Business Ethics Statement which expresses our intent to be a responsible organization where we encourage our employees to think carefully about the decisions we take, how we can hold ourselves to account and how we can change our behaviour and where we can help our donors and our clients understand our commitments to business ethics and that our values are aligned to theirs.
Development Initiatives applies the power of data and evidence to build sustainable solutions that create an equitable and resilient world.
Our mission is to work closely with partners to ensure data-driven evidence and analysis are used effectively in policy and practice to end poverty, reduce inequality and increase resilience.
While data alone cannot bring about a better world, it is vital to achieving it. Data has the power to unlock insight, shine a light on progress and empower people to increase accountability.
We focus on three core areas to maximise our impact and achieve our mission:
And we support partners to:
We work at global, national and local levels, through a global hub connected to a growing network of regional hubs and partners.
Our supply chain consists of businesses and self-employed consultants who largely work with employees from our offices in the UK, Kenya, Uganda and the US. We acknowledge that some of our supply chains may operate in higher-risk environments including countries with high levels of poverty and we ensure that we are diligent with our internal mechanisms (such as checks on our suppliers, policies, guidelines and training) to detect and prevent modern slavery.
We are careful about who we choose to work with and do not work with any organisations directly involved in anything that we consider to be unethical or immoral and aim to partner with organisations who share our principles.
We expect our employees and business partners to obey the law, observe regulations, guidelines and standards.
Our foundational principles guide who we are and how we work, informing organisational culture and shaping the services we provide.
People – DI puts people at the heart of its agenda. We serve the world’s poorest and most marginalised communities. We aim to bring about change in their lives and increase opportunities for all through improvements to systems, structures and resource allocation.
Simplicity – DI believes less is more. By making data and evidence simple, visually appealing and clear we can reach people who would otherwise be excluded from accessing information that could empower them.
Partnerships – DI encourages collaboration, connection and community. We bring people together from different places, with different experiences, ideas and perceptions so we can come up with better ideas and solutions to achieve our purpose.
Perseverance – DI believes anything is possible. Through hard work, focus and commitment, change is possible. But change takes time and requires dedication. Our organisation embodies perseverance, focus and resilience in the face of obstacles.
Transformation – DI does not believe in standing still. We are always learning, developing and changing. We believe it is important to constantly seek out new ideas and ways of working; explore innovations and technological advances; and develop projects to achieve transformation and unlock change for all.
High performance – DI is thriving because it consists of (and is informed by) high performing individuals, who challenge and encourage each other to do better. We are all committed to being the best we can be. As an organisation, we value quality, rigour and attention to detail.
Our core values embody how we work with each other and our partners.
We are committed to acting ethically, with integrity and transparency in all our business dealings and relationships and expect the same high standards from our suppliers.
We have a range of policies and procedures that support our culture of trust and transparency, and we continually review our practices to ensure that they remain legally compliant and in line with our ethical standards.
We aim to raise awareness of modern slavery through inductions and communication to ensure that our employees understand how to identify exploitation and modern slavery.
Our zero-tolerance approach will be communicated to all suppliers, contractors and other business partners when entering into new or renewed contracts. A modern slavery questionnaire regarding supply chains will be presented to our suppliers for completion.
If employees suspect a breach or conflict with this statement, they should report it in accordance with our whistle-blowing policy.
We are committed to reviewing our policies and practices annually and this Statement was approved by the Board in November 2021.
The Director of Business and Finance is responsible for investigating allegations of modern slavery in our business or supply chains.
Programmes and project managers have responsibility for implementation within their specific programmes of work.
The Head of Finance, through the finance team, is responsible for ensuring that new suppliers have had due diligence undertaken.
Line managers are responsible for ensuring that their direct reports understand andcomply with this statement.
Date: November 2021