This is a new initiative, which we designed, aimed at getting commitment from employers across the public, private, and non-profit sectors to respond and act upon reports made to them and to ensure that people don't suffer as a consequence of reporting.
We have around 30 organizations from the public and non-profit sector signed up so far. The Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Public Expenditure Reform are sponsoring the initiative. It's in a trial phase. The employer has to sign a pledge, which they make public, to the effect that whistle-blowers won't suffer and that action will be taken in response to concerns. They need to make their staff aware of the availability of free legal advice from Transparency International or any other organization that might be in a position to provide it.
Also, there is an opportunity to come to us when a whistle-blower suffers reprisal or is not satisfied with the response of the employer. We then can file a report to the employer, including the chief of police or senior police officers, to highlight the experience of the individual, and as Tom pointed out, to avoid the opportunities for plausible deniability. In future, senior police officers won't be able to say they did not know that a whistle-blower was suffering as a consequence of speaking up.
One of the important features of this is that they also have to inform their primary stakeholders of their participation in this initiative so that Parliament will be aware that the police service is engaging in the initiative, as will the Policing Authority and the police ombudsman. Each of those different agencies will also be signing up; thus, if a whistle-blower from the police ombudsman or the Policing Authority wants to contact us, they can do the same.
We're trying, then, to establish a standard by which organizations will comply. We'll provide them with resources, a checklist, a self-evaluation, a tool kit, and then will provide them with an annual report based on the reports that are made to us and recommendations arising from the initiative.
I'd be more than happy to share more information with you at a later stage.