To our teams, stakeholders, clients and partners.

Social Development Direct (SDDirect) is a leading provider of high-quality, innovative and expert social development assistance and research services. We work to build inclusive societies in which all women, men, girls and boys are valued and empowered to make choices about their own development.

With integrity as a core organisational value, we are committed to human rights, labour standards, environment and anti-corruption. Our aim is to support nations to uphold their commitment to this global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and targets through the Sustainable Development Goals.

SDDirect remains committed to the United Nations Global Compact and its ten principles. The following Communication on Progress describes the ways in which the principles are embedded into our projects and our day-to-day operations.

SDDirect work with clients to provide expertise on gender equality and social inclusion through: research, evidence and learning, evaluation, technical assistance and programme design, delivery and monitoring.

SDDirect is committed to an inclusive workplace that embraces and promotes diversity and equal opportunity. We value and respect the unique contributions of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. We leverage this to enhance our understanding of the needs of our customers and provide innovative solutions and exceptional delivery.

SDDirect believes in treating people with respect and dignity as an individual and as part of this, we do not tolerate unlawful acts of discrimination. Our expectations are articulated in the Code of Conduct. We have in place a Safeguarding Policy, which sets out our commitment to the safety and rights of all individuals regardless of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, impairment needs or gender identity and intends that their welfare will always be the paramount consideration. In the delivery of its projects as all aspects of operations, SDDirect is committed to proactively protecting individuals from abuse with a zero tolerance approach to bullying, harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse. Our Whistleblowing policy outlines our commitment to upholding ethical values and practices and promotes a business culture that enables staff, business partners and others to feel comfortable raising concerns without fear of retribution. It allows for the reporting of concerns including, but not limited to human rights, corruption, fraud, human trafficking, slavery, health and safety, safeguarding and terrorism.

SDDirect puts gender equality and social inclusion at the heart of its work. Applying a human rights lens to all that we do, we work to build inclusive societies in which everyone is valued and empowered to make choices about their own development. Our vision of an inclusive society is one that respects and celebrates difference; strives for gender equality; and promotes equal dignity, active citizenship and social justice for all – leaving no one behind.

Applying a social inclusion and gender equality lens to everything we do, we undertake analysis and research to understand systemic barriers to inclusion and participation. We are committed to tackling these barriers as well as other institutional, structural and economic drivers of inequality and exclusion – including social norms that exclude people on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, race, ethnicity, social origin, migrant status, or religion.

The recent upswell in popular protest, solidarity action and citizen mobilisation around ‘Black Lives Matter’ across the world reminds us that our vision of inclusive, more just societies in unachievable without action on racial justice. Yet all too often in the realm of aid and international development assistance, issues of racial justice and anti-racism are not sufficiently examined and addressed. SDDirect intends to use the opportunity presented by the heightened societal debate on race, ethnicity and social justice to strengthen our own response both externally and internally. Currently, this means taking the following steps:

Externally
• Working to shift the balance of power and leadership in international development by forging stronger relationships and partnerships with social development and human rights organisations based in, and representative of, the Global South focused on gender equality and social inclusion.
• Reviewing and developing our range of organisational partnerships to reflect this shift towards Southern leadership and representation of the communities we seek to serve.
• Engage with the on-going dialogue and debates in the development sector, and with social justice activists and movements, around anti-racism, racial justice, and structural imbalances of power and opportunity.
• Strengthen our own practice to integrate an anti-racism and racial justice perspective in our work on gender equality and social inclusion.

Internally
• Create safe spaces for dialogue, learning and organisational development on issues of anti-racism, racial justice and ethnic diversity within the organisation (and with our parent organisation, Plan International UK and others in the development community).
• Listen to and act on feedback, concerns and ideas coming from the informal BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) staff group.
• Include BAME voices and representation in critical organisational processes and policy for a (such as staff panels for recruitment of senior leadership staff and our internal Business Health Check Group).
• Review recruitment and staff policies, criteria and procedures to enhance ethnic diversity and representation (as well as forms of inclusion, such as disability inclusion).
• Nurture opportunities for young people from BAME communities and other less advantaged backgrounds to acquire work experience and overcome structural barriers to employment in the development sector (including a possible SDDirect apprenticeship scheme)
• Develop and grow our consultant network, especially our Senior Associates and Associates group, to reflect greater representation of ethnic diversity (in the UK and abroad) as well as expertise and leadership on gender equality, social and climate justice form the global South.

• GESI framework was developed and rolled to ground projects in an initial pollical economy, gender and social inclusion power analysis to ensure that strong power, gender and social inclusion focus is embedded in projects from the start. This has supported country level team to develop theories of how change is expected to happen.
• From the 2019 staff survey we saw that 100% of staff feel confident that management would act in the correct way to any Whistleblowing reports.
• SDDirect has scaled up to have 6 Helpdesks which continue to have positive feedback from demand.
• In the last year, 80% of projects were scored A+ in annual reviews and 20% were rating A.

SDDirect aims to create a workplace that encourages diversity and equal opportunities for all. Keeping staff and consultants safe is an important aspect of this and duty of care is embedded in all aspects of our business operations. Our aim is that stakeholders of SDDirect feel respected and able to give their best. We are committed to transparency in all business dealings, including taking a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, bribery, fraud, tax evasion, human rights violations, sexual abuse and modern slavery.

SDDirect also has an Equality and Diversity Policy which encourages initiative, promotes teamwork and builds on the individual strengths and aptitudes of every employee. These aims are reinforced by a commitment to equality and diversity through:

• Promoting equality of opportunity for all persons
• Promoting a good and harmonious working environment in which all persons are
treated with respect
• Preventing occurrences of unlawful direct discrimination, indirect discrimination,
harassment and victimisation
• Taking lawful affirmative and positive action, where appropriate

SDDirect ensures that our supply chain conforms to global best practice principles through due diligence processes which makes an assessment of companies of the Ethical Trading Initiative, Safeguarding policies, and application on projects. Our commitment to the universal labour principles are demonstrated by our Ethical Framework, Safeguarding Policy and our dedicated Child and Vulnerable Adults Policy.

The wellbeing of staff is at the forefront of SDDirect. We are committed to ensuring that staff work in an environment that understands their individual needs and encourages a healthy work-life balance. Our staff have access to a 24/7 support service which provides free and confidential expert advice on a range of topics, including therapy and emotional support. Staff at SDDirect also have access to counselling sessions, should they require it. Line managers schedule regular 1:1s with staff and have access to helpful articles and resources which help them to promote emotional wellbeing within their given teams. In addition, SDDirect have benefited from Wellbeing workshops with the focus of self and collective care in the workplace.

SDDirect values the importance of feedback and thus works hard to create an open environment where staff feel encouraged to share their views on a regular basis

SDDirect ensures that the views of our staff are represented through a number of means including an annual (anonymous) Staff Survey, but primarily through our Business Health Check team (BHC). The BHC team consists of 6 staff with representative from each team. Its role is to provide an interface between management and staff through representing staff in discussions with management, regarding proposed changes to company policy and operational issues and raising issues with management on behalf of staff. The BHC team carries out the following tasks:
• Offering staff the opportunity to raise issues in confidence which the BHC team will then raise with management on their behalf.
• Engaging SDDirect Managing Director as necessary.
• Providing feedback to staff via team meetings and individual contact as appropriate.

During this year SDDirect have also undertaken an internal review of organisational policies, processes and working culture in relation to disability inclusion, and created a disability working group that has been working to implement various recommendations. The group will review progress at the start of 2021.

In 2019, a companywide survey was conducted by representatives from each department, to further allow the business to monitor staff satisfaction levels. SDDirect were thus delighted to see that all staff felt aligned with the company values, with over 90% agreeing that the company goals and strategy are clear. 97% of staff felt that there is a positive organisational culture at SDDirect, with 88% of staff stating that they felt valued by the company. Other key successes included:
• 77% of staff felt that the balance between work and personal commitments is right for them
• 97% of staff felt supported by line management to succeed and develop professionally
• 84% of staff agreed that SDD’s policies are transparent and consistently applied
• 100% of staff felt confident that senior management would act appropriately and swiftly to any reported concern of misconduct, including sexual, physical or emotional violence including sexual harassment

On the back of the disability inclusion policies, processes and culture review a number of recommendations were approved by our Executive Management Group including becoming a Level 1 Disability Confident Employer (UK Gov Accreditation) and updating our policies to be more disability friendly.

SDDirect is aware of the impact its business operations and activities may have on the environment and is making concerted efforts to have in place a policy and culture that sees environmental sustainability as of central importance to the work the organisation does. Although mostly office based, SDDirect impacts the environment through both its programmatic operations, including travel, and its position as an international development research organisation that can have a wider influence on programme and policy around the world. SDDirect is therefore committed to a twin track approach of minimising its environmental footprint while integrating principles of sustainability into our development activities.

SDDirect is a signatory and active participant in the UN Global Compact and as such is committed to the three environmental principles contained in the Compact. Whilst SDDirect project work does not focus on environmental issues, it recognises the importance of climate justice and environmental sustainability for gender equality and social inclusion. Climate change threatens to reverse progress made in development and exacerbate inequalities. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 urges the international community to “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts,” recognising the imminent threat of climate change, and the detrimental effects it will have on progress towards other SDGs.

SDDirect is currently undergoing a review of its environmental policy and has set up a dedicated environmental working group with representation from across the organisation in order to explore the direction the organisation should pursue in support of the environment. Beyond revising the company policy the group will seek to explore the ways that the organisation can work towards become a leading SME in the sector in regards to its environmental practice.

Responding to the climate crisis will require global action and cooperation. We will engage with other organisations, networks and thought leaders across the climate change field to ensure our approach is informed by the latest industry thinking and scientific consensus. We also aim to encourage greater climate action by raising discussions of climate justice with partners and contributing our expertise in gender equality and social inclusion to the climate change response.

SDDirect's 2019 Annual Technical Forum (ATF) focused on climate justice, and served to develop the organisation's understanding of climate justice and how it relates to our core areas of work. The revisions to the environmental policy are taking place as part of a broader review of our organisational approach and commitments to climate justice prompted by the ATF. This commitment has continued into our technical work, for example, the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk, Gender Based Violence (GBV) Area of Responsibility (AOR) Helpdesk and Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub (RSH) have all produced briefs or guidance notes relating to climate change and disasters during the last 12 months.

The environmental policy is currently undergoing a review to update it to current organisational and operating contexts. The new policy will be applicable to all SDDirect employees and self-employed contractors worldwide and will be publicly available on the company’s website. SDDirect also adheres to the environmental policies of clients. We are aware of the way that the following can have negative environmental impacts and are reviewing the ways in which we can minimise these impacts.

Professional Code
Printing • Print on recycled paper
• “Think before you print!” culture – is it necessary to have printed copies?
• Print 2-sided and 2 pages to a sheet if for internal use
• Print with draft quality unless for formal or external use
• Include a tagline at the bottom of emails: “Please consider the environment before printing this email”
• Print in black and white where possible
• Use online systems (accounts and expenses) and electronic signatures where possible to avoid unnecessary printing
Food and drinks Packing • Do not accept carrier bags, napkins and cutlery when purchasing lunch
• Recycle packaging as much as possible
• The office has bought ‘bags for life’ for supermarket and stationery runs
• Reusable cutlery is available in the kitchen
• Avoid disposable cups where possible
• Office fruit is sourced through a sustainable supplier
Office Equipment • Ensure all computers are shut down and screens are turned off
• Ensure office central heating, heaters and fans are turned off and, if portable, unplugged
• Dispose of office accessories responsibly, seeking ways for re-use if possible
• Seek ways to draft proof the office to reduce need for heating

Office Facilities • Ensure all lights and central heating systems are switched off at the end of each working day
• Use energy-efficient lighting and equipment
• Define a storage limit for emails to limit related emissions
Flights • Only take flights when work can’t be done remotely through communication platforms
• Consider longer missions in country to avoid multiple flights
• Favour direct flights to flights with one or more stopovers
• Consider alternate methods of transport where possible
• Carbon offsetting where possible
• Partnership with companies with better environment records

Other travel including commuting • Flexible working reduces emissions from commuting
• Cycle to work scheme
• Prioritise public transport
• Carpool when going to meetings
Programme Design and Implementation? • Routinely consider the environmental impacts of prospective bids
• Consider if programmes would be environmentally exploitative and if so discuss not bidding
• Mainstream consideration of environmental sustainability and climate justice in technical work
Recycling • Where possible avoid disposable purchases
• Recycle waste paper
• Recycle non-organic kitchen waste
• Compost organic kitchen waste
• Prioritisation of recycled products when purchasing consumables

In particular, SDDirect is aware that in the international development sector, often air travel cannot be avoided and is therefore exploring options to offset its flight emissions. However, the company has made investment in telecommunications technology, with the roll out of Microsoft Teams and Zoom for calls and chat and video conference facilities. SDDirect hopes that this will help reduce the requirement for business travel. COVID 19 offers and opportunity to adjust working patterns to rely less on air-travel and shift expectations to remote support.

SDDirect is pleased to report that the past 12 months have seen major steps taken to reduce our environmental impact. During the period under review, SDDirect has:

• Implemented and trained new staff on the environmental policy.
• Update to the environmental policy underway with a refreshed organisational working group.
• Continued to reduce our paper usage, emphasising the ‘think before you print’ culture and a paperless office to reduce printing and paper waste. Printer usage down 33% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the same period of last year.
• Changed office fruit supplier to sustainable fruit supplier ODDBOX, which aims to reduce food waste, prevent unnecessary emissions and save water.
• Held our Annual Technical Forum on theme of climate change which increased staff awareness and prompted internal organisational reflection on environmental impact.
• Begun to monitor carbon emissions caused by flight travel using data from our travel agents. This will allow us to monitor our emissions and track reductions.
• Further emphasised our remote working policy, on an average day over half of staff work from home, reducing staff commuting travel.

Monitoring of environmental impacts of our work will be done in the following ways:

Programmatic:

1) Ongoing monitoring of impact on profitability of programmes where there is an emphasis on reducing programme carbon footprint. For example remote engagement or more local consultants.
2) Include an environmental impact assessment section in both the handover document and project closedown document in order to monitor how programmes have managed to minimize environmental impact.
3) Seek to continuously monitor carbon emissions related to programme flights. CO2 monitoring will be integrated into decision making processes and the deployment register. Emissions figures will be compared year on year to assess lessons learned and emissions against organisational revenue.

Staff perception:

4) Annual staff mailshot and survey to improve our environmental processes done in order to inform annual policy update.
5) Inclusion on questions related to environmental impact in the staff business health check questionnaire.

Office and Administration:

6) Review paper and consumables utilisation on a yearly basis.
7) Monitor energy utilisation on a to track if there are ways to keep this down.

SDDirect is committed to conducting all its business operations around the world in an honest, fair, transparent and ethical manner. SDDirect is committed to fulfilling Principle 10: Businesses should work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery.

SDDirect’s policy is to comply with all applicable UK (including but not limited to The Bribery Act 2010) and international anti-corruption laws and not to engage in any corrupt activity. SDDirect does not accept any form of corruption and/or bribery in or in connection with its business activities.
As part of its participation in the UN Global Compact we are committed to continuous improvement of standards and keeping up to date with evolving international standards of best practice.

SDDirect has a clear anti-bribery policy which all staff are required to read, understand and follow. All staff read the policy during their induction in the first weeks of their employment.

SDDirect monitors the implementation of the Policy and coordinates periodic training for SDDirect Personnel and Third-Party Associates, as appropriate to the risks faced by them.

All staff shall complete the following online training during their induction period upon joining the business http://www.doingbusinesswithoutbribery.com/, and this year we have rolled out a refresher training for staff to ensure they have completed this every 2 years.

SDDirect’s Risk Committee monitors all incidents of corruption and reports on them on a six-monthly basis to the Board of Directors.

SDDirect is pleased to report that there have been no incidents of corruption alleged at the company from either internal or external agencies during the last 12 months.