alinea’s whistleblower policy

1.1 Purpose

The following Whistleblower Policy has been established to provide guidance to Alinea International employees and sub-contractors on how to deal with known or suspected improper conduct within the organization. The objectives of this Policy are to:

Create awareness of the Policy and available whistleblower protections
Act as a reference guide to potential whistleblowers wishing to make a disclosure
Define the structure of the whistleblower system, including reporting and investigation procedures, whistleblower protections, and confidentiality, among others
Improve the communication and transparency in the processes associated with whistleblowing and assure protection against derogatory consequences, namely reprisals and detrimental action
Complement the current communication channels between employees, sub-contractors and immediate managers, and hierarchical channels flowing to the President and Senior Management team
Provide guidance to all parties involved in either whistleblowing or whistleblower protection.

1.2 Scope

Alinea requires all employees and sub-contractors to observe high standards of business and personal ethics in the conduct of their duties and responsibilities. All employees and sub-contractors of Alinea are required to comply with applicable laws and regulations of Canada and the countries where we operate. Any allegations of known or suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources will be dealt with in accordance with this Policy, and reasonable steps will be taken to protect those who come forward with allegations. Alinea’s Whistleblower Policy covers both internal and external whistleblowing, and establishes the controls and procedures for dealing with allegations of malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. This Policy is intended to encourage employees and sub-contractors to report known or suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources and to enable Alinea’s Senior Management team to address and correct inappropriate action. It is the responsibility of all Board of Directors’ members, the Senior Management team, employees and sub-contractors to report concerns about known or suspected malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. This Policy is applicable to all employees and sub-contractors of Alinea International.

1.3 Reporting Procedures

Alinea recognizes the value of transparency and accountability in its administrative and management practices and supports the making of disclosures that reveal improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources. Our internal controls and operating procedures are intended to detect and prevent malpractice, fraud and violations of our code of ethics and/or laws or regulations that govern our operations. As detailed in Alinea’s Employee Policy and Onboarding manuals, employees and sub-contractors are encouraged to share complaints and/or concerns regarding ethical or legal violations with their immediate managers. If the employee or sub-contractor is not comfortable speaking with their immediate manager or is not satisfied with the response, they are encouraged to speak with the Gatineau or Calgary Office Managers, the Vice Presidents or, as required, the Chief Financial Officer. All members of the Senior Management team are required to report complaints and/or concerns about suspected ethical or legal violations in writing to Alinea’s Ethics Committee who has the responsibility to investigate all reported complaints and/or concerns. In the event that the complaint and/or concern is about the President, it should be raised by the employee or sub-contractor to their immediate manager or the Ethics Committee who will determine how the investigation will proceed. All reports will be promptly investigated and appropriate corrective measures will be taken if warranted by the investigation. Alinea’s Ethics Committee is responsible for acknowledging receipt of the suspected violation and notifying the whistleblower of the outcome of the investigation. Anyone filing a written complaint concerning suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates a violation. Personal grievances or complaints related to employment are not covered under Alinea’s Whistleblowing Policy. For cases such as this, employees and sub-contractors are advised to first refer to Alineas Employee Policy and Onboarding manuals when considering a disclosure under the Whistleblowing Policy. Any allegations that prove not to be substantiated and which prove to have been made maliciously or knowingly to be false will be viewed as a serious disciplinary offense.

1.4 Confidentiality

Maintaining confidentiality is crucial to ensure reprisals are not made against the whistleblower. Alinea is committed to safeguarding the identity of the whistleblower and to protecting the whistleblower against detrimental action taken in reprisal for allegations of suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources. The Ethics Committee is responsible for ensuring whistleblowers are protected from direct and indirect detrimental action, and that the culture of the workplace is supportive of suspected allegations being made. Any employee who retaliates against someone who has reported a violation in good faith is subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment.

1.5 Review

Alinea is committed to implementing ‘best practice’ policies and procedures for dealing with allegations of suspected improper conduct or mismanagement of organizational resources (as defined by this Policy) and the management and protection of whistleblowers making allegation(s). This Policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure it meets the objectives of relevant legislation and remains effective for Alinea, and may be changed at the discretion of the Board of Directors at any time. For allegations of fraud, securities law, or human rights concerns, or when you are not satisfied or uncomfortable with following the Company’s open door policy, individuals should contact the Company’s Ethics Committee directly.

Click here to close window

The year 2024 was a landmark period for the Support to Ukraine’s Reforms for Governance (SURGe) Project. Building on the momentum from previous initiatives concluded in 2023, SURGe embraced a new, highly relevant focus for Ukraine – recovery.

In the context of a full-scale invasion, community recovery planning must adopt a forward-thinking approach – building back better while addressing the needs of those people who remained in their communities and those who strive to return. This is where the community development strategy becomes a crucial tool, providing a clear vision for how communities can serve their citizens. These strategies ensure access to a wide range of inclusive services for all, regardless of age, gender, ability, location, IDP or veteran status.

To support war-affected communities in their recovery process, the Community-Led Inclusive Recovery (CLIR) initiative was launched in January 2024, targeting both regional and national levels.

This initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of Ukrainian communities to manage recovery efforts in an inclusive and gender-responsive manner, addressing the needs of diverse groups of residents. At the local level, the initiative has been providing expert support to 19 communities across seven oblasts in Ukraine in sustainable, inclusive, social and economic recovery planning while supporting the GoU in enhancing strategic planning processes in regional policy at the national level. Learn more about key achievements of the initiative in 2024 in the infographics below.

Since 2021, the SURGe project has been driving the integration of Citizen-Oriented Policy Results (COPR) into all public policies, an approach that has become even more vital during Ukraine’s recovery. As part of this, the COPR Team supports the GoU in enhancing governance procedures aimed to improve processes of citizen’s needs and impacts assessment, policy planning and monitoring, data collection, reporting and evidence-based decision-making, as well as to raise capacities of civil servants in strategic planning with consideration of Results-Based Management (RBM) approach. We are proud to have contributed to the development of 11 national-level strategic documents this year! Learn more about their outstanding work in the infographic below.

For several years now, SURGe experts have been collaborating with the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service and the High School of Public Governance to empower Ukrainian public servants with the skills needed to design policies that address the needs of citizens and the challenges of today.

In 2024, we successfully trained 1,570 public servants of various categories in RBM. These individuals represent more than just a number – they are 1,570 professionals committed to driving strategic change and shaping policies vital for our nation’s progress. Learn more about key results in the infographics below.

Building a barrier-free and inclusive environment is more than a matter of quality of life – it’s about safety, equity, and ensuring everyone has access to their rights and opportunities. Throughout 2024, the SURGe Project experts, in collaboration with Tetiana Lomakina, the Advisor-Presidential Commissioner for Barrier-Free Environment, and the Government of Ukraine, embedded accessibility and inclusion principles into state policies across multiple sectors. Learn more about their results in the infographics below.

Another standout achievement of 2024 was the advancement of Projectua IT system developed by SURGe experts to support the GoU to automate planning and policy monitoring processes. Inspired by Canadian GC-InfoBase, it possesses various functionality, required for planning, monitoring and reporting on progress of government strategic documents, with significant focus on results, based on clear evidence and user-verified data.

By centralizing data and offering 24/7 access, the system has streamlined workflows for civil servants, making daily operations more efficient and effective.

This year, over 50 government entities, including the National Agency of Ukraine on Civil Service, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories, adopted Projectua for developing and tracking strategic documents.

Learn more about Projectua’s work in the infographic below.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our team, our communities, and all the partners for making this year so successful! While new challenges undoubtedly lie ahead, we’re confident that, together, we can achieve even greater milestones!