Ombudsmen/women of the world, REJOICE! ISO 37002 is coming to facilitate standardized whistleblowing

[Sidney Vianna]

Ladies and gents, ISO is now working on a new, HLS-based Management System Standard, ISO 37002 Whistleblowing Management Systems - Guidelines. According to the information available in the (broken link removed)

In November 2016, ISO/ TC309 formed an Ad Hoc Group (AHG) to examine the feasibility of, and prepare the new work item proposal for, a new international guidance standard on whistleblowing. A new work item proposal was submitted for ballot which was subsequently approved in June 2018. Work on the new standard ISO 37002 was assigned to ISO/TC 309 Working Group 3 (WG3) and the first meeting is taking place in Sydney, Australia, from 5th to 8th November 2018. The standard is scheduled for completion by the end of 2021.

Scope of the standard
ISO 37002 provides guidelines for implementing, managing, evaluating, maintaining and improving a robust and effective management system within an organization for whistleblowing. This International Standard is non-sector specific and can be used by organizations of all sizes, including SMEs, and those with international operations. It will be applicable to all organizations in the public, private, and voluntary sectors.

The standard is based on the following three principles:

1) Trust
2) Impartiality
3) Protection

and will guide organizations in managing:

• How concerns of wrongdoing are identified and reported
• How concerns of wrongdoing are assessed
• How concerns of wrongdoing are addressed
• How whistleblowing cases are closed

 

[Sidney Vianna]

This document gives guidelines for establishing, implementing and maintaining an effective whistleblowing management system based on the principles of trust, impartiality and protection in the following four steps:

a) receiving reports of wrongdoing;
b) assessing reports of wrongdoing;
c) addressing reports of wrongdoing;
d) concluding whistleblowing cases.

The guidelines of this document are generic and intended to be applicable to all organizations, regardless of type, size, nature of activity, and whether in the public, private or not-for profit sectors.

The extent of application of these guidelines depends on the factors specified in 4.1, 4.2 and 4.3. The whistleblowing management system can be stand-alone or can be used as part of an overall management system.