FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Confidentiality & Privacy
What Privacy Standards are applied on Ethics 1st?
To ensure utmost compliance with the privacy rules, Ethics 1st is guided by the GDPR and local legislations where possible.
With regards to Confidentiality, who has access to my company data?
Your company data is stored on Ethics 1st for your access only. Unless you permit access to it by third parties such as the training company, the assessors, or investors, it will be stored and accessible by your company. When Ethics 1st collects PII, it will be encrypted.
Registering on Ethics 1st – how does it work?
What does my company need to do to get listed on Ethics 1st?
Click “register” on the http://ethics1st.cipe.org/ homepage and complete the registration of one individual who will be the administrator/manager of the company’s profile as well as the company’s profile on Ethics 1st. Once this registration is complete, the administrator will have to confirm that they are authorized to continue with the next step of signing/accepting the integrity pledge and the evaluation. If the administrator is not authorized to do so by the business owner or the directors, s/he will provide the email address of a person authorized by the directors or business owner to continue to the next step. Once the authorized company representative (ACR) verifies their email address, s/he can proceed to sign the integrity pledge. This unlocks the company’s access to the compliance guide which they can use to improve their business integrity and management systems.
What does my company need to do to get listed on Ethics 1st?
Click “register” on the http://ethics1st.cipe.org/ homepage and complete the registration of one individual who will be the administrator/manager of the company’s profile as well as the company’s profile on Ethics 1st. Once this registration is complete, the administrator will have to confirm that they are authorized to continue with the next step of signing/accepting the integrity pledge and the evaluation. If the administrator is not authorized to do so by the business owner or the directors, s/he will provide the email address of a person authorized by the directors or business owner to continue to the next step. Once the authorized company representative (ACR) verifies their email address, s/he can proceed to sign the integrity pledge. This unlocks the company’s access to the compliance guide which they can use to improve their business integrity and management systems.
After registration, will my business be listed on Ethics 1st so that investors, partners, banks, and other counterparts can confirm my listing?
Your business will not be publicly listed on Ethics 1st after registration until you have completed the simple progressive requirements to get listed in the first, second, then third integrity panels labeled “Green”, “Silver”, then “Gold”.
Who is eligible to participate in Ethics 1st?
Who can be listed on Ethics 1st?
Any companies/businesses/for-profit enterprises seeking sustainable growth through sound business management and integrity. Register to get listed and unlock growth prospects.
What does my company need to do to get listed on Ethics 1st?
Small, Medium, and Large businesses are encouraged to register and work towards being listed on the Ethics 1st platform.
Can NGOs and NPOs be listed on Ethics 1st?
Not for Profit Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations can be listed on Ethics 1st but cannot be independently verified. Such organizations may simply be listed as organizations whose compliance systems are up to standard. NPOs and NGOs can receive guidance on improving compliance systems and may be listed if they meet compliance standards but will not receive any independent verification.
Can one individual who has registered on Ethics 1st and gone through the business ethics training onboard more than one business on ethics 1st?
Yes, but they will need to have separate email addresses to identify each business. For security and verification purposes, the unique identifying information for participating businesses is their email address.
Completing the Core Assessment Indicators
Completing your company’s core assessment indicators is the most important step in the progress to Gold.
You will need to acknowledge conformance to each core assessment indicator and provide the documentary evidence required.
Instructions
- Click the Acknowledge check for the specific indicator after reading the evaluation criteria. When you do not conform click again so that it is unchecked.
- In the case where your company doesn’t conform, your training partner will be able to provide training and consultation on implementing the required controls.
- When you do acknowledge positively you will be required to upload documentary evidence.
Verification from Ethics 1st
What is Independent Verification?
This is a review by an independent professional assessor of all the documents and responses voluntarily provided by your company to affirm their consistency and adequacy for the compliance inquiry or purpose. The assessor will ensure authenticity of key documents and acknowledged inability to confirm authenticity where applicable. This gives the extra assurance to investors and supports due diligence exercises for companies global and regional value chains. Independent assessors must remain independent and professional throughout this exercise so, a flat fee for service and expenses is permitted to be paid to the assessors as directed on the Ethics 1st application. They will not receive gifts or any additional fees and will maintain strict confidentiality and privacy rules as provided for by the Ethics 1st platform.
I want my company to be listed on Ethics 1st but I can I opt out of independent verification?
Yes, your company will remain listed in the Green or Silver category of Ethics 1st
Making the Journey from Green to Gold
What is Independent Verification?
This is a review by an independent professional assessor of all the documents and responses voluntarily provided by your company to affirm their consistency and adequacy for the compliance inquiry or purpose. The assessor will ensure authenticity of key documents and acknowledged inability to confirm authenticity where applicable. This gives the extra assurance to investors and supports due diligence exercises for companies global and regional value chains. Independent assessors must remain independent and professional throughout this exercise so, a flat fee for service and expenses is permitted to be paid to the assessors as directed on the Ethics 1st application. They will not receive gifts or any additional fees and will maintain strict confidentiality and privacy rules as provided for by the Ethics 1st platform.
How long does it take to move from one category to the next on Ethics 1st?
The speed of progress from registration to Green and to Silver mostly depends on the pace of the participating business in updating its compliance records and completing the required training. Listing in Green and Silver happens automatically after updating the requisite records and completing the training. Moving to Gold category happens after the company is already listed in Silver and there has been an independent assessment by an assessor in the country and the quarterly review by the advisory committee. This will take an average of 6 – 12 weeks from the date the company engages the independent assessor.
How does progressing to the next category affect visibility of the company on Ethics 1st, does the progression make the company more visible or does it offer a bigger audience?
All companies in all categories of listing will be visible to global and regional subscribers but will carry different weights of appeal from a risk and business advantage perspective based on the category of listing. Companies listed in Gold category will have stronger competitive advantage than those listed in Silver, and those listed in Silver will also have more advantage than those listed in Green. At the same time companies listed in Gold will find it less tedious to comply with third-party due diligence requirements of majority of principals and banks. Overall, listing in Ethics 1st gives greater visibility and access to trade and financing opportunities.
Going Green – what is involved?
What do I need to do to be listed in the “Green” Panel?
To Go Green, your company will demonstrate its commitment made in the corporate integrity pledge by using the Customized Compliance Guide (CCG) generated by Ethics 1st to evaluate your business integrity profile, then attend a compliance workshop that can be scheduled on Ethics 1st. The guide is benchmarked by global best practices and customized to your business size, needs, and risk profile.
What exactly is a Customized Compliance Guide (CCG)?
The Customized Compliance Guide (CCG) is a simplified checklist tailored to your company’s assessed size, needs, and risk profile that helps you assess your business management systems to identify and prevent gaps and integrity risks.
How do I use this guide? (The CCG)
The CCG is designed a s a checklist with questions/indicators that inquiries about your corporate policies and procedures to see if they align with best practices. Respond to all of them, then upload documents as proof of compliance. If you have selected “yes” or “in progress” in response to a question, you must upload proof and you may include comments on each document if necessary.
What if my company does not have proof of best practice?
That is no problem! You will receive step-by-step support from qualified compliance experts when you schedule a training.
Can I still be listed on Ethics 1st if I do not have evidence of best practice?
Yes, your company will be listed in the Green category of Ethics 1st as soon as your staff have completed the training to guide them in responding to the compliance inquiries.
What does Green Listing mean?
Companies listed in Green have affirmed commitment to compliance best practice and are taking steps to improve its business integrity profile.
Going Silver – what is involved?
How do I progress to Silver Listing?
To be listed in Silver, your company needs to complete the necessary steps to fill the gaps in its business integrity system meeting the baseline compliance standards. This means your management systems will be more efficient, more professional, and more transparent. Then the company directors, owners will attend an Ethical Leadership workshop.
What are the benefits of being listed in Silver?
Silver listing gives you a competitive business advantage with business partners, investors, and financiers. Companies listed in Silver have affirmed and demonstrated corporate commitment to compliance best practice and have improved business integrity profile.
Going Gold – what’s involved?
How do I progress to Gold Listing?
To be listed in Gold, your compliance systems will be independently verified by a professional assessor randomly selected by your company. This step gives the utmost assurance to the company allowing you to maximize your competitive business advantage.
Ethics 1st Advisory Board
What is the Ethics 1st Advisory Board?
The Advisory Board is a committee of 5 – 7 professionals drawn from diverse backgrounds related to investment, compliance and business integrity charged to oversee the verification process and confirmation of companies to be listed in Gold. The advisory committee will make decisions on companies’ listing. The committee’s makes the decisions on company listing by reviewing the compliance profile reports without knowledge of each company’s identity. The reports are anonymized before being presented to the advisory committee to maintain independence and confidentiality.
“Losses a country may suffer as a result of non-compliance with governance standards may be in the form of multinationals deciding to close their operations in the country resulting in citizens losing their jobs and the country losing revenue, reputational risks and diplomatic risks.”
