Ethical Concerns Reporting Policy

1. Purpose

The Karbi Anglong Baptist Convention (KABC) is committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity, accountability, transparency, and responsible stewardship.

The purpose of this Policy is to provide a safe, fair, and confidential process for reporting serious ethical concerns relating to the work of the Convention and to protect individuals who report such concerns honestly and in good faith.

The Convention believes that concerns raised responsibly contribute to stronger governance, better stewardship, safer ministries, and greater public confidence.

2. Scope

This Policy applies to:

• Members of the General Body;
• Members of the Executive Committee;
• Members of the Governing Body;
• Office Bearers;
• Employees;
• Members of Boards, Committees, Councils, Task Forces, and Working Groups;
• Volunteers serving in Convention ministries;
• Consultants and individuals formally acting on behalf of the Convention, where applicable.

The Convention also welcomes ethical concerns raised by churches, partner organizations, donors, beneficiaries, and members of the public where such concerns relate to the activities of KABC.

3. Guiding Principles

This Policy is guided by the following principles:

• Integrity
• Accountability
• Transparency
• Fairness
• Confidentiality
• Respect
• Protection from retaliation
• Responsible stewardship

Every concern shall be handled impartially, respectfully, and in accordance with the principles of natural justice.

4. Ethical Concerns Covered by this Policy

This Policy applies to serious ethical concerns, including but not limited to:

• fraud or financial misconduct;
• theft or misuse of Convention resources;
• corruption or bribery;
• abuse of authority;
• undisclosed conflicts of interest;
• safeguarding concerns involving children or vulnerable persons;
• discrimination, harassment, bullying, or intimidation;
• deliberate falsification of records or reports;
• serious breaches of Convention policies;
• unlawful conduct;
• any conduct that may seriously damage the integrity, reputation, or ministry of the Convention.

This Policy is not intended to replace normal supervisory processes for routine workplace matters, personal grievances, or differences of opinion.

5. Reporting in Good Faith

Individuals are encouraged to report concerns honestly and responsibly.

A report is made in good faith when the individual reasonably believes that the information provided is true or that there are reasonable grounds for concern, regardless of whether the concern is ultimately substantiated.

A person who reports a concern in good faith will not be disadvantaged simply because an investigation concludes that no wrongdoing occurred.

6. How to Report an Ethical Concern

Ethical concerns should normally be reported to the most appropriate person depending on the nature of the matter.

Reports may be made to:

• the General Secretary;
• the President;
• the Chairperson of the relevant Committee;
• the Executive Committee;
• another person designated by the Convention to receive such reports.

Where the concern involves one of the persons listed above, the report should be made to another appropriate authority within the Convention.

Reports may be submitted verbally or in writing.

Where possible, reports should include sufficient information to assist in understanding and assessing the concern.

7. Confidentiality

The Convention will make reasonable efforts to protect the identity of individuals reporting ethical concerns.

Information will be shared only with those who require it for the assessment, investigation, or resolution of the matter, or where disclosure is required by law.

Absolute confidentiality cannot always be guaranteed where legal obligations require disclosure or where fairness requires that information be shared during an investigation.

8. Protection from Retaliation

No individual shall suffer retaliation, intimidation, harassment, discrimination, or any other disadvantage for reporting an ethical concern honestly and in good faith.

Retaliation against a person who has reported a concern, assisted an investigation, or provided relevant information shall itself be regarded as a serious breach of this Policy.

9. Assessment and Response

Every reported concern shall be assessed promptly and fairly.

Depending on the nature of the concern, the Convention may:

• conduct a preliminary assessment;
• appoint an appropriate person or committee to review the matter;
• undertake an internal investigation;
• refer the matter to the appropriate governing body;
• seek independent professional advice where necessary;
• refer the matter to the appropriate civil authority where required by law.

Every investigation shall be conducted objectively, respectfully, and fairly.

10. False or Malicious Reports

The Convention encourages honest reporting.

Knowingly making false, malicious, or intentionally misleading reports is inconsistent with this Policy and may result in appropriate administrative or disciplinary action.

This provision does not apply to concerns reported honestly and in good faith that cannot ultimately be substantiated.

11. Responsibilities

Every person serving the Convention has a responsibility to:

• report serious ethical concerns responsibly;
• cooperate with lawful investigations;
• maintain confidentiality where appropriate;
• avoid retaliation against individuals reporting concerns.

Leaders have additional responsibility to ensure that concerns are received respectfully, handled promptly, and managed impartially.

12. Relationship with Other Policies

This Policy should be read together with:

• Constitution of the Karbi Anglong Baptist Convention;
• GP-001 Code of Conduct;
• GP-002 Conflict of Interest Policy;
• Finance Policy;
• Child Protection Policy;
• HR-001 — Human Resources Policy;
• GP-004 — Confidentiality & Data Protection Policy;
• applicable legal requirements.

Where safeguarding concerns involve children or vulnerable persons, the Child Protection Policy and Procedures shall take precedence.

13. Review and Amendment

This Policy shall be reviewed periodically and may be amended by the Executive Committee of the Karbi Anglong Baptist Convention.

14. Approval

Document Code: GP-003

Approved By: Executive Committee

Effective Date: 18 August 2026

Review Cycle: Every three (3) years

Schedule A

Reporting an Ethical Concern

A person reporting an ethical concern should, where possible, provide:

1. Name and contact details (anonymous reports may still be considered where appropriate);
2. Description of the concern;
3. Date, location, or period during which the concern occurred;
4. Persons involved, if known;
5. Any available supporting information or documents;
6. Whether the concern has already been reported elsewhere.

The purpose of collecting this information is to enable the Convention to assess and respond to the concern appropriately.