Transparency Policy

Policy number B Version 1
Drafted by C Uwakaneme Approved by Board on 04.04.22
Responsible person C Uwakaneme Scheduled review date 04.04.23

Introduction

UCEP values its relationship with its donors, its volunteers and other stakeholders who partner with it to enable it to achieve its purpose.

It recognizes that transparency and accountability build trust and help those relationships to flourish.

Purpose

The purpose of this document is to recognize the importance of transparency and accountability and facilitate the development and implementation of measures by UCEP’s Trustees, Volunteers, and Staff to provide appropriate transparency and accountability.

Policy

1. Board Reporting

  1. The Trustees will ensure that it complies with its legal and contractual reporting obligations. They include:
    1. Reporting annually to key stakeholders, in accordance with the requirements of the constitution, on the organization’s activities in the preceding year.
    2. Preparing financial reports as required by law.
    3. Preparing an annual report in accordance with the requirements of the UK Charity Commission.
  2. In preparing its reports, the Trustees will consider the extent to which it can report on each of the following matters:
    1. The purpose of UCEP.
      1. A report on the purpose of UCEP involves explaining the environment in which the organization operates. It includes reporting on UCEP’s mission, vision, and values, and explaining UCEP’s relevance in the current environment.
    2. UCEP’s stakeholder reporting and engagement.
      1. This includes reporting on how stakeholder relationships are managed, how employees and volunteers are recruited, trained, rewarded, retained, and recognized, and how the organization is funded.
    3. Fundraising and investments.
      1. This includes reporting on the source of funds, fundraising and funding targets.
      2. It includes reporting on accountability mechanisms governing the use of the funds.
  • It includes an assessment of UCEP’s ability to maintain the current levels of funding in the future, and how its fundraising approach is being evolved or adapted to changes in circumstances.
  1. It includes reporting on investments, and the management oversight and skills in UCEP to manage investment risks and performance.
  2. It includes reporting on movements in the level of funding, particularly where it has fallen in any year.
  1. Strategy and mission.
    1. This includes explaining the strategy and structures that enable UCEP to operate and to grow.
    2. It includes identifying the priorities and associated budgets and allocation of resources.
  • It also includes honest self-assessment and disclosure of performance and plans to address underperformance and/or ongoing challenges, recognizing that this helps to build trust.
  1. Governance structure and processes
    1. This includes reporting on governance structures, systems, processes and how risk management frameworks are aligned with those structures, systems, and processes.
    2. It includes providing clear diagrams of the organizational structure with reporting lines and key roles identified.
  • It includes disclosure of qualifications, experience, and length of service of the Trustees, CEO and senior management.
  1. It includes reporting on how UCEP identifies and manages risks, and what risks are specific to UCEP in addition to general risks.
  1. Activity and performance
    1. This includes reporting on outputs, outcomes, and impacts.
    2. It also includes reporting on KPIs.
  2. Financial performance and position
    1. This includes reporting on sources of revenue, revenue recognition policies and a discussion and analysis of the factors affecting the organization’s financial performance.
  3. In undertaking its function of reporting to stakeholders, the Board must be mindful of the organization’s privacy policy, underpinned by its privacy law obligations, and it must take care to act in the interests of UCEP.
  4. Deliberations of the Board of Trustees and its sub-committees shall be dealt with in accordance with the Board of Trustees confidentiality policy/procedure.
  5. Client Records

UCEP will deal with all records held on students and parents in accordance with its privacy law obligations.

3. Staff Records

UCEP will deal with volunteers and staff records in accordance with its privacy policy and privacy law obligations.

4. Member and Donor records

UCEP will deal with Donor records in accordance with its privacy policy and privacy law obligations.

5. Access to Minutes of General Meetings and the Members Register

Access to minutes of meetings will be provided in accordance with the terms of the constitution.

Authorisation

[Signature of Board Secretary] [Date of approval by the Board] [UCEP]

Responsibilities

For the Board to facilitate accountability and transparency with stakeholders, there needs to be good internal documentation and reporting.

The Management is responsible for ensuring that there are systems and processes in place to capture, record and analyse the information necessary to enable the Board of Trustees to perform its functions.  This includes reporting regularly to the Board of Trustees on the operations of UCEP.

The CEO will also ensure that privacy and other policies are in place to govern the access and use of documents including student records, volunteer records, staff records, member and donor records, and minutes of general meetings, in accordance with the Board’s transparency and accountability policy.

Staff are responsible for implementing and adhering to these policies and procedures.

Authorisation

Charles Uwakeneme

1st July, 2022