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Based on 178 reported incidents over a six- month period in 2024, this includes volunteers (12%), contractors (9%), partner staff^[1] (7%), and incentive workers^[2] (4%). Unlike full-time staff, these individuals often bypass standard HR vetting, making it easier for them to move undetected between organisations. Given that many aid agencies rely on the same affiliated personnel across major humanitarian responses, it’s time to close this loophole and stop repeat offenders from cycling through the system.

To hold affiliated personnel accountable and prevent known perpetrators from resurfacing elsewhere, organisations must strengthen vetting, clarify safeguarding expectations, and share critical information more effectively. Here’s how:

1. Strengthening vetting processes for affiliated personnel

• Pre-engagement reference checks: Organisations must apply the same safeguarding due diligence to volunteers, contractors, and incentive workers as they do to staff. This means requiring references from previous contracts when possible, and scrutinising candidates in high-risk roles, particularly those with direct community contact.
• Mandatory SEAH declarations: All affiliated personnel should be required to sign a declaration confirming they have never been dismissed or sanctioned for SEAH-related misconduct.
• Code of conduct and enforcement: Signing a code of conduct is not enough. Organisations must provide clear, practical training on expected behaviors, real-world examples of misconduct, and what enforcement looks like in practice—including consequences for violations.

2. Sharing information responsibly at the country level

• Pooled vetting systems: Clusters and inter-agency working groups can create shared lists of vetted volunteers, contractors, and incentive workers who have demonstrated strong safeguarding practices, with their consent. This is not a blacklist but a tool to proactively recruit individuals who uphold safeguarding standards.
• Develop contextualized tools for SEAH vetting: develop standardised reference-checking forms, tailored safeguarding interview questions, and SEAH induction sessions adapted to different roles/sectors. E.g. standard SEAH questions in volunteer recruitment or required 20- minute SEAH briefing before daily workers begin their shift.

3. Including affiliated personnel in misconduct checks

• Establish internal systems for sharing misconduct information: Program and logistics teams handling affiliatedpersonnel must report SEAH-related dismissals to HR. A centralised system at the organisation level should log all SEAH cases to prevent repeat perpetrators from re-entering the sector,
• Require MDS checks for affiliated personnel:MDS checks should not be limited to staff. Aid agencies must require MDS checks for affiliated personnel and for all type of hires. Recruitment teams and implementing partners should be obligated to verify SEAH-related dismissals before hiring or engaging affiliated personnel.

Stronger inter-agency cooperation is essential to tackling this challenge. The aid sector has made progress in preventing repeat perpetrators among staff—now it’s time to extend these protections to affiliated personnel.

Take action

We encourage all organisations supporting people affected by crises to get involved in these important initiatives to build a safer and more accountable aid system. Learn more at:

• Harmonised Reporting Scheme (HRS)
• Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS)

Endnotes

[1] Worker from of a partner organisation that collaborates with the reporting organisations on projects or initiatives.

[2] Person who receives a small allowance or non-monetary benefits in exchange for their services, often recruited from the local community to support project activities