IIED policies
IIED is fully committed to organisational transparency. Where possible we make our institutional documents available. This page lists our policies or explains how to request them.
Partnerships statement
Partnerships are at the heart of IIED's work: we have more than 350 partnerships working in over 60 countries. This partnership statement (PDF) outlines IIED’s approach to working with partners across the world. It sets out some core principles and shows how, why and with whom IIED seeks partnership.
It also presents a set of commitments and areas for future attention which are intended to translate these principles into more tangible actions, and to show what IIED’s partners can expect from their interactions with us.
Race and racism
IIED is committed to the journey and transformation needed to become an anti-racist organisation.
This will mean driving change internally that includes redefining our shared values, behaviours and culture. Externally, this will include transforming ways of working with others, how we set our research agendas, take action in policy and in practice, and how we communicate.
To understand and confront the manifestations of racism within IIED and the sustainable development sector more broadly, we formed an internal working group, and in May 2021 we launched a workplan. In December 2021 we issued an external statement to provide an update on our journey towards becoming an anti-racist organisation and the workplan actions. This was accompanied by a blog by then IIED director Andrew Norton.
In April 2022 the institute published a case study, 'Discomfort to discovery: exploring racism and anti-racism in development narratives', that explored how far IIED's written content acknowledges or omits historic patterns of enslavement, colonial exploitation, present day racism and coloniality, and includes an evaluation and roadmap for change.
Environmental policy
IIED works to build a fairer, more sustainable world. We recognise that all our activities will have an impact on the environment – and we have committed to becoming a net zero organisation. Under our environmental policy (PDF) we have produced a comprehensive environmental sustainability report and are developing a sustainable operations strategy.
As part of our 2019-2024 strategy, we will also build space to advance our environmental targets and practices by keeping them under review throughout this period.
Integrity and ethics in research, partnership and policy engagement
IIED addresses the issues of research integrity and ethics with a clear policy statement and practical mechanisms designed to ensure that we put our principles into practice. Our policy (PDF) aims to ensure that IIED's research meets a set of agreed ethical standards, and provides guidance on how to integrate ethical considerations into the design and conduct of IIED research, partnerships and policy engagement activities.
- Ensuring that our evidence is of the highest quality is central to our credibility and policy influence. Read how we work towards research excellence, including our commitments to integrity and ethics and quality standards.
- In May 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we published supplementary guidance on research ethics and COVID-19 (PDF).
Guidance on IIED representation on panels
At IIED, diversity, equity and inclusion are central to our mission and we believe that varied perspectives are needed to generate the ideas that can help solve some of the world’s most complex problems.
In April 2022 we produced guidance on IIED participation in external panels, and on who is represented on panels organised by IIED, to support this.
Gender manifesto
Gender equality and gender equity are fundamental to achieving IIED's mission. But they are not just prerequisites to the issues we work on, they are also essential to our ways of working. In April 2020 we introduced a new gender equality policy aimed at putting gender centre stage in our work.
This built on our 2016 gender manifesto in 2016, and sets out expectations for our research work, our work with partners and the way we operate as an organisation.
Value for money statement
Demonstrating value for money is ever more important for organisations using public funds. With aid budgets under pressure, development organisations need to show that they are efficient, that poor people's lives are actually improving, and that the environment is protected. Read our value for money statement on our Publications Library. We also publish a financial summary every year.
Anti-fraud, bribery and corruption policy
IIED is committed to preventing fraud and bribery, and has a commitment to zero tolerance of fraud and bribery from its staff and partners. Our anti-fraud, bribery and corruption policy is available from our Publications Library.
Whistleblower policy
IIED is committed to conducting business with honesty and integrity, and we expect all staff to maintain high standards. We promote a culture of openness and accountability. Our whistleblowing policy is designed to encourage staff to report suspected wrongdoings as soon as possible, in the knowledge that their concerns will be taken seriously and investigated as appropriate, and that their confidentiality will be respected. Read our whistleblowing policy.
Contact
We have a range of other policies. To find out more, contact IIED's People team by calling +44 (0)20 3463 7399, email peopleteam@iied.org, or write to IIED People, 235 High Holborn, Holborn, London WC1V 7DN, UK.