DRC Incident Follow-Up

DRC Incident Follow-Up#

TO: Nick Allardice CEO, GiveDirectly
FROM: Sarah Kayongo, VP, Programs Candidate
DATE: March 21, 2025 SUBJECT: Immediate Actions & Long-Term Safeguarding Reforms – DRC Incident Follow-Up

Context#

The recent whistleblower report implicates former DRC staff—already dismissed for fraud—in coercive safeguarding violations, including solicitation of sexual favors during program enrollment. The report is credible yet unverifiable at present due to escalation in local conflict and lack of contact with the whistleblower.

This is not just a legacy issue. It is an institutional inflection point for restoring trust, asserting accountability, and preventing moral erosion in high-risk contexts.

Objectives#

  1. Ensure survivors’ safety and access to support.

  2. Establish the facts and institutional accountability.

  3. Prevent recurrence through systemic reform and deterrence.

  4. Protect organizational reputation without defensive posturing.

Step-by-Step Response Plan#

1. Activate Crisis Safeguarding Protocol#

  • Lead: Global Safeguarding Director (reporting directly to CEO for this case)

  • Actions:

    • Document all known information with timestamped records.

    • Conduct rapid threat analysis for possible survivor(s) and whistleblower.

    • Engage external safeguarding investigator (if not already done), with expertise in conflict settings.

2. Engage Third-Party Risk & Ethics Counsel#

  • Lead: COO with Legal/Compliance Lead

  • Why: To ensure impartiality, limit internal bias, and inform actions taken in absence of full evidence.

3. Issue Targeted Public Statement (Optional But Ideal)#

  • Lead: Comms Lead in coordination with CEO

  • Tone: Transparent, serious, survivor-centered.

  • Goal: Preempt narrative erosion and demonstrate moral leadership.

4. Launch “No Entry” Protocol Review in Conflict Zones#

  • Lead: Regional Director + Risk & Safeguarding Team

  • Scope: Review of recruitment, community engagement, field supervision models in DRC and similar contexts.

  • Target: 30-day assessment with actionable improvements for future re-entry.

5. Implement Frontline Safeguarding Reinforcement#

  • $100K Emergency Allocation

  • Deploy safeguarding training refreshers across all active countries—mandatory for field staff and local partners.

  • Distribute anonymous feedback tools (e.g., QR code surveys, SMS hotlines) to all recipients in active projects.

Final Word#

This is not about optics. It is about our moral license to operate. Safeguarding breaches destroy the very dignity GiveDirectly aims to uphold. The response must reflect not only rigor—but remorse, resolve, and radical transparency.

Let’s lead on this, or we risk losing the right to lead at all.

Respectfully,
Sarah Kayongo VP of Programs

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