June 6, 2018

Arlington, Va. (June 6, 2018)— In an effort to address the risk of misconduct in the workplace and to protect vulnerable populations overseas, the Professional Services Council’s (PSC) Council of International Development Companies (CIDC) has issued a set of guiding principles.

The “Guiding Principles on Preventing Harassment, Exploitation and Abuse by International Development Companies” follow recent federal action by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green. CIDC was among select invitees to a forum hosted by Administrator Green to discuss preventing sexual misconduct.

“PSC believes it is critically important now—as it always has been—that Implementing Partner employees, and those receiving aid and assistance funded by the U.S. government, feel safe, protected and respected at their workplace and overseas each day,” said Alan Chvotkin, PSC’s Executive Vice President and Counsel. “These guiding principles reaffirm our member companies’ commitment to ensuring that they are providing clear policies to prevent all forms of misconduct, and that they are implementing supportive practices to address such instances, should they arise. This is as important in company headquarters as it is in refugee camps.”

To help reinforce these guidelines, PSC, working with its CIDC members, is offering training to those companies, particularly smaller firms, who may not have had sufficient time or internal resources to tackle these issues. 

“PSC strongly supports Administrator Green’s recently-formed Action Alliance for Preventing Sexual Misconduct, which is conducting an internal review of USAID's policies in this area and will make recommendations for changes.  Simply put, CIDC members will not tolerate sexual misconduct, harassment or abuse, and we will continue to work closely with USAID and the Department of State to help the government fulfill its daily agency missions,” Chvotkin said.

A list of signatories to the guiding principles is below:

• Abt Associates Inc.
• Adam Smith, International
• AECOM
• Banyan Global
• Blumont
• Cardno Emerging Markets, USA
• Checchi and Company Consulting, Inc.
• Chemonics International
• CHS
• Creative Associates International
• DAI
• Democracy International
• Development InfoStructure, Inc. 
• DevTech Systems, Inc.
• Dexis Consulting Group
• ECODIT LLC
• Encompass LLC
• Global Business Solutions, Inc.
• Greenleaf Integrative, LLC
• ICF
• Integra LLC
• KANAVA International
• KAUR Strategies Inc.
• Louis Berger
• ME&A, Inc.
• Nathan Associates
• Orb International
• PAE
• Palladium
• Panagora Group
• Social Impact
• Tetra Tech
• The QED Group
• TRG
• University Research Co., LLC