Quality & control

Solidaridad is committed to transparency and the effective deployment of resources.

Quality standards

Solidaridad manages risks at organisational, programme and project level. Risks are assessed and response measures taken and monitored to mitigate and/or absorb the impact of a risk. Internal control procedures are in place to mitigate and/or absorb financial risks relating to potential misuse of funds (i.e. due to corruption, fraud, or theft), as well as for receiving, allocating and payment of funds. Financial management follows a low risk strategy reserving funds for investments risks and potential losses.  

Solidaridad is committed to transparency and the effective deployment of resources. It monitors project progress and the use of funds with a project management system. Operations are audited internally and externally, and outcomes are discussed with the management and the Supervisory Boards. As a learning organization, Solidaridad strives for continuous improvement. Solidaridad Europe is certified with ISO 9001:2015 and subject to the ISO Partos norm since 2015 (Partos Declaration 2015: version 2018), an add-on to ISO 9001:2015. This quality standard has been specifically designed for civil society organizations in the Netherlands ensuring a philosophy of good governance, CSR, integrity and transparency.

Risk management

Solidaridad works in a complex and very dynamic environment, where our activities result in exposure to risks. In this environment, we remain aware of both ever-changing opportunities for creating value and the challenges that will occur in pursuit of that value. Working according to standards of accountability, transparency and efficiency are therefore extremely important to us.

While Solidaridad’s employees and partners collaborate on the basis of reciprocal trust, management guards against potential individual abuses of this trust. Risks – and their consequences for strategy – are continually assessed. Management is aware that economic conditions can change quickly, politics can be unstable, and markets volatile.

Transparency

We want to be fully transparent on how we spend our resources. Therefore, we have made all externally audited annual accounts as of 2014 publicly available on our website.

Irregularities

Solidaridad has zero tolerance for fraud and corruption, meaning that Solidaridad staff members, all non-staff persons associated with Solidaridad, suppliers of goods and services, implementing partners, and other responsible parties contracted by Solidaridad for a Solidaridad-funded project are not to engage in fraud or corruption. All incidents of fraud and corruption have to be reported and will be assessed and as appropriate, investigated. Solidaridad will pursue rigorously disciplinary and other actions against perpetrators of fraud, including recovery of financial loss suffered by Solidaridad.

Solidaridad strives to deliver high-quality work in line with its values and legal standards. This includes a fair and proper treatment of all our staff, partners, target audiences, and beneficiaries. Our integrity systems includes a Code of Conduct and Whistleblower Protocol contributing to open communication, good decision making, and a strong moral compass guiding decisions and actions.

Complaints

If something is not to somebody’s satisfaction, Solidaridad would like to be informed about it. A complaints procedure is therefore part of our quality policy.

If you feel Solidaridad, her staff members or representatives have demonstrated behavior that has been inappropriate or unjustifiable, you can file your complaint by sending it to info@solidaridadnetwork.org or call directly +31 (0)30 275 9450. All complaints are dealt with confidentially and you will, when not anonymous, receive a reply by phone or by email within two weeks. All complaints are handled with care and appropriate action will be taken.