The CBSI Code of Conduct sets the expectation that all CBSI activities enable work to take place in an environment that is free from harm.
What is safeguarding?
CBSI adopts the definition of safeguarding developed by the UK Collaborative for Development Research:
“Preventing and addressing any sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment of research participants, communities and research staff, plus any broader forms of violence, exploitation and abuse, such as bullying, psychological abuse and physical violence.”
This definition builds on work in the United Nations on safeguarding, but locates this in a research setting.
This dedicated page on safeguarding aims to inform how the CBSI Steering Committee and CBSI affiliate projects approach safeguarding. It links to e-learning for members of the Steering Committee and affiliate projects.
We ask all members of the CBSI Steering Committee and students, supervisors and researchers involved in CBSI affiliate projects to complete the e-learning on safeguarding.
Addressing safeguarding
At all stages of the research process, from design to delivery and dissemination, we can seek to:
- anticipate potential harms as far as possible, by working collaboratively with diverse partners to gather information on all the potential harms that the research could inadvertently create or exacerbate
- take actions or put processes in place to mitigate the harms identified
- address harms which may arise by ensuring that there are adequate processes to report, investigate and respond
Our code of conduct provides further details of the expectations of CBSI students, supervisors and other researchers, and key contacts to address and manage issues if any harms arise.
What safeguarding challenges exist in international research?
Here are examples of safeguarding challenges that exist in international research:
- Gendered and racialised dynamics, with certain groups being at higher risk of harm
- Power dynamics between in country researchers, international researchers, junior researchers, fieldworkers and research participants
- Uncertainty over inappropriate versus appropriate behaviours in different cultural contexts
- Security risks and ethical challenges at field sites which researchers may be unaware of or unprepared for if they do not have extensive knowledge of local society and politics
- Risk of issues falling between the cracks if safeguarding in a research context is not clearly understood and given specific consideration
- Project specific aspects of safeguarding may be captured in research ethics reviews, but these processes may not address more general risks of harm
What are the barriers to reporting?
Reporting can be hindered by:
- Attitudes of colleagues and supervisors
- Concerns about being a ‘good’ fieldworker
- Concerns about career prospects
- Fear of jeopardising research
What principles are expected?
CBSI expects that the approach to safeguarding will be guided by the following principles:
Rights of victims, survivors and whistle-blowers
The rights of actual and potential victims/survivors of safeguarding incidents should be central, and pathways for support and response should be provided.
Equity and fairness
All research partners should be involved at the research design and planning stage to ensure that research questions and methodologies are contextually appropriate and do not pose an unacceptable risk of harm to researchers, participants or communities.
Transparency
There should be clear and public safeguarding commitments and policies, as well as openness about incidents or breaches and the measures taken to address them, while upholding confidentiality to avoid secondary trauma or harm.
Accountability and good governance
In order for accountability to be proportionate and realistic, the expectations of all actors/partners in the research process should reflect the distribution of legal responsibility, power and resources, as well as recognition of realities on the ground in often challenging contexts.
Online learning
As part of our commitment to safeguarding within CBSI activities, we are providing online learning for members of the CBSI Steering Committee and staff and students of affiliate projects.
To access the training, you can:
- Navigate to the Athena Login page.
- Create an account following the steps in the Learner Guide
- Follow the guidelines to enrol on the course
- Email [email protected] to request validation of your enrolment and to receive the course slides in French
When you have completed the training you will be issued with a certificate.
If you need help with your enrolment please email: [email protected].
We also encourage you to contact us to discuss any feedback, questions or comments you may have.
