This policy makes a statement of our commitment to transparency and sets out the information that the International Rescue Committee will make publicly available, both through our website and on request.
It also describes the information that we deem necessary to exclude from public review, and outlines our reasoning for these exclusions, with examples to help illustrate our rationale. We have also outlined the processes by which interested parties can request information.
Our commitment to transparency
The IRC is committed to acting in a transparent and accountable manner when implementing our programs and carrying out the activities that support these programs. We consider these principles to be integral to achieving our mission as an organization.
Transparency as a value for the IRC
We believe that being transparent is the foundation for building trust; with our peers, partners, donors, society, the media and, most importantly, our clients and the communities we serve. We consider trust to be an inherent good, and essential for operating as a moral and progressive organization.
Transparency as a tool for the IRC
We believe that working in a transparent manner will improve our services. When we are open about our programs and finances, our stakeholders can see the important work that we undertake, and offer suggestions as to how we might improve. We strive to continually explore new tools and practices that will enable us to develop feedback mechanisms and become more open with our stakeholders.
Transparency as a goal for the IRC
We believe that the IRC has an important role as a thought leader in transparent working practice, and we aim to set an example for our peers to follow. The IRC aspires to develop evidence-led programs, and we will learn from the programs that fail to accomplish their goals as well as those that succeed. Being open and transparent about our work, and sharing learning about programs, whether the information is neutral, positive or negative, is a key part of our aspiration to be a thought leader.
Our commitment to our stakeholders
We consider the following groups to be our key stakeholders, and it is to them that we are committed to being transparent:
Our clients
First and foremost, the IRC is committed to being transparent towards our clients and their communities. The IRC helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future, and we refer to the crisis-affected people who receive IRC’s assistance as “clients” in order to evoke the agency and power that our work can help them to secure. We commit to further their well-being and act with honor in carrying out the vital humanitarian role that has been entrusted to us. We believe that by being transparent about our work and encouraging our clients to hold us to account, we will improve our programs and deliver assistance which is more responsive, appropriate and effective in meeting the needs of people affected by crisis.
We recognize that many of our clients are not in a position of reviewing the information in the Open Information Policy, nor do they have the access to technology or the capacity to request other data through the mechanisms described in this policy. However, the IRC has alternative methods for communicating with our clients and receiving their feedback, and the commitments described in this document motivate that work. We invite those of our clients who do have access to this document, or those working on their behalf, to review the information made available, and to request other data that may be of value to them through the information request process outlined below.
Our regulators
The IRC works with a number of regulators to ensure that our operations and interactions with our stakeholders are fair and legal. The donors (both private and public) and the governments with whom we work (from supranational to local) are some of the regulators that make up the regulatory framework that informs how we fundraise, campaign, employ, and implement programs. The Open Information Policy refers to a number of policies and guidelines which steer our activities, and we would encourage our regulators to review the information made available in the policy and to request other data that may be of value to them through the appropriate mechanisms described in this policy.
Our civil society partners
Working in partnership with local, national and international civil society organizations is fundamental to the IRC’s mission. We are committed to promoting effective partnerships that enable the IRC to pursue its strategic goals, resulting in more effective, responsive and durable assistance that reaches more people. We recognize that transparency is the foundation for trust amongst partners, and we invite our civil society partners to review the information that is made available through the Open Information Policy, and to request other data that may be of value to them through the appropriate mechanisms described in this policy.
Our funding partners
The government donors who arbitrate tax payers’ money, the private institutions and trusts who donate and the members of the public who support us through individual giving make the work of the IRC possible. We recognize that as we are working with money that is generously offered by our supporters, we have an obligation to act as responsible stewards of those resources and demonstrate the effectiveness of these funds. We are committed to following the regulations and terms established by our institutional donors and private supporters. Our ability to use this funding to serve clients in an efficient and effective way will be made evident through the information that we share. We invite our funding partners to review the information that is made available through the Open Information Policy, and to request other data that may be of value to them through the appropriate mechanisms described in this policy.
Our host government partners
The IRC is a truly global organization, working in over forty countries around the world. In each instance, we work closely with partners in governing positions, whether at the regional, national, municipal or local community level. Every partnership is important to the IRC, and we see open and transparent practice to be an essential part of building that relationship. We invite our host government partners to review the information that is made available through the Open Information Policy, and to request other data that may be of value to them through the appropriate mechanisms described in this policy.
Our peers
The IRC acts within a community of organizations, run by hard-working staff and volunteers. We recognize that we not only hold principles and values in common with our peers, but also techniques and practices. We hope that acting in a transparent way and publishing information about our work will lead to a reduction in the duplication and inefficient administration of aid, and we wish to contribute our data as a resource to improve the effectiveness of programs across the international development and humanitarian sector. We support and encourage our peers to develop their own transparent practices, and invite those in the NGO community to review the information that is made available through the Open Information Policy, and to request other data that may be of value to them through the appropriate mechanisms described in this policy.
Society
The IRC is committed to be a responsible global citizen. Our interactions with governments, regulators, the media and the general public must be grounded in honesty, trust and fair dealing. We support the legitimate rule of law and will do our part to promote high ethical standards throughout the nations and communities in which we work. We recognise that the work of the IRC has never been more important. The need for our services grow with the numbers of people displaced by conflict and disaster, and these global shifts are occurring at a time when trust in NGOs is declining and anti-migration sentiment is on the rise. The IRC is in an invaluable position as a hub of learning, stories and expertise, and transparency is one of the ways we can be part of the conversation. We encourage all those who are interested in our work to engage with us, review the information that is made available through the Open Information Policy, and to request other data that may be of value to them through the appropriate mechanisms described in this policy.
Data sharing and our obligations
The IRC makes a number of resources available for public review. To see these, please look to Annex 1 in the Open Information Policy and Guide: Information We Share. While we endeavor to be transparent and provide information upon request, there are a number of reasons why the IRC would not be able to release some data. The rationale and some examples are offered below, and also in Annex 2: Exclusions Policy in the same document.
Data protection and privacy
Both IRC-UK and IRC Inc. are subject to data protection and privacy legislation, and therefore we are unable to disclose personal private data covered by this legislation without consent, unless we are obliged or permitted by law to do so.
Freedom of Information
As charities, neither IRC-UK nor IRC Inc. are public bodies and therefore are not subject to the UK’s Freedom of Information Act 2000 or the USA's Freedom of Information Act. However, we are committed to working to increase the openness and availability of the information listed in this policy.
Progressive publication
The IRC is committed to being a transparent organization, and is keen to learn from all of the opportunities presented by releasing open data and interacting with those interested in our work. However, catering our systems towards the release of data and ensuring that we act as a responsible arbiter of information at the same time requires thought and diligence. We will follow a path of progressive publication; publishing what we can when we can, seeking to release more information in the future, while consistently improving the quality of the data we produce. With this in mind, data that is requested by interested parties may not be available currently, but could be scheduled for public viewing in the future. In these instances, we would decide whether the publication could be moved forward to meet the demand, or if the request should be denied for the time being due to the expected release in the future.
Improvement to our systems
The IRC is continually seeking to improve the way we share and learn from information. The requests sent through to us from the public will help us to review our internal information management systems, and inform better data management practice.
Exclusions policy
If information is requested from the IRC, we may not be able to provide all the information required. If all or part of the information requested falls under one of our Exclusions categories, we will write to the requester and let them know the reason for which it will not be shared. For information about our Exclusions, please see Annex 2: Exclusions Policy in the document linked below. The categories outlined in this document also reflect the guidelines we use for excluding information from our International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) profile. For more information about how information can be requested from the IRC, please see Annex 3: Information Request Process in the document linked below.
Learn more
Download our Open Information Policy and Guide to read the full policy and learn more about the information we share, our exclusions policy, and the information request process.