Investigating allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse – a toolkit for partners – World

This learning package, consisting of an online e-learning course and a resource kit, is one of the outcomes of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ IASC Championship on Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment (September 2019 – December 2020) and aligns closely with its commitment to support partners and work together to build capacity and accountability.

UNHCR launched this project in response to specific requests from its partners to support the strengthening of their capacity to conduct high-quality investigations into allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse. It is based on commonly used principles and standards for administrative investigations within the UN system, as well as UNHCR’s training programme on investigations for partners. Some aspects of the process may need to be adapted to reflect the internal policies and procedures of a specific organisation, as well as local laws and regulations. To ensure that the content and design are user-friendly and meet the operational needs of partners, field consultations were conducted with NGO partners and other stakeholders before the package was finalised.

The Learning Package is primarily intended for implementing partners of the United Nations who directly investigate allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct within their organizations. However, it may also be useful for other partners who are involved in various functions with PSEA in humanitarian settings to enhance their knowledge of the investigation process and the applicable standards and principles. UNHCR welcomes feedback on the usefulness of the Learning Package.

The interactive e-learning course consists of five modules and is estimated to take around five hours to complete. The course includes quizzes, exercises, case studies and additional resources. The additional resource kit contains all the relevant checklists, forms and templates to support the practitioner in their work.

The development of the training package was led by the Office of the Inspector-General of UNHCR, in collaboration with the Global Learning and Development Centre, the Office of the Senior Coordinator for Prevention and Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse and Sexual Harassment and the Implementation and Management Assurance Service/Strategic Planning and Results Division