In August 2021, we embarked on a transformative partnership with Jan Sahas to strengthen their organisational framework through policy review and development. Over six months, our team conducted comprehensive assessments of existing policies, identified crucial gaps, and provided strategic recommendations. This collaboration, culminating in January 2022, focused particularly on adapting policies for virtual operations and enhancing safeguarding measures for both staff and beneficiaries.
Our partnership with Jan Sahas emerged from a shared commitment to building robust institutional frameworks that serve both the organisation and its beneficiaries effectively. We undertook a thorough review of Jan Sahas’s policy landscape, examining their general operational guidelines, IT-related protocols, and safeguarding measures.
“The two-day safeguarding training, Safeguarding 101, with Jan Sahas in Indore was both engaging and deeply participatory. The sessions covered everything from the fundamental principles of safeguarding to practical implementation strategies, ensuring that the team could translate theory into action.”
– Shreya Joshi, Former OFC Team Member and Consultant on This Project
Snapshot of the Partnership
The collaboration unfolded through a carefully structured timeline from October 2021 to January 2022. We began with extensive research into NGO best practices, particularly focusing on safeguarding policies. Throughout November, our team conducted detailed evaluations of both existing and missing policies, maintaining regular check-ins with the Jan Sahas team to ensure our assessments aligned with their organisational needs and realities.
A significant milestone in our partnership was our meeting with Smriti in mid-November, which helped shape our understanding of the organization’s specific challenges and aspirations. The final phase of our work involved gathering input from various team members and incorporating their feedback into our recommendations, which we shared with Jan Sahas by the end of November.
Our Impact
Our review revealed several crucial areas for policy enhancement. A key finding was the need to update policies to reflect the organisation’s shift to online operations. The virtual workplace brought new challenges and opportunities that required careful consideration in policy frameworks. We also identified the importance of ensuring policy accessibility across all working languages of the organisation, recognising that effective implementation relies heavily on clear communication and understanding.
“To make learning interactive, participants were divided into teams based on their areas of work—such as the migration workers’ team and the HR team—allowing them to brainstorm safeguarding measures specific to their roles. This not only fostered collaboration but also enabled cross-learning, as each team shared their insights while receiving feedback and perspectives from others. Thus, it led to insightful debates on how to navigate power structures, ensure accountability, and make safeguarding policies more accessible to workers at all levels.”
– Shreya Joshi, Former OFC Team Member and Consultant on This Project
In response to these findings, we recommended the development of several essential policies. These included comprehensive guidelines for project development with a focus on “Do No Harm” principles and risk assessment, a robust duty of care policy, and clear digital and social media norms. We particularly emphasised the need for policies addressing mental health and wellbeing, recognising the potential exposure to trauma that staff and beneficiaries might face in their work.
The partnership led to significant organisational learning and growth. Our recommendations provided Jan Sahas with a roadmap for strengthening their policy framework, particularly in areas crucial to their strategic goals and daily operations. The organisation gained valuable insights into industry best practices and practical approaches to policy development that consider both local contexts and organisational hierarchies.
One of the most impactful outcomes was the recognition of the need for comprehensive safeguarding policies that protect both children and adults. We helped identify gaps in existing protocols and provided guidance on developing more inclusive and protective policies that account for various vulnerabilities within the organisation’s scope of work.
Looking Forward
Our collaboration with Jan Sahas has set the foundation for more resilient and comprehensive organisational policies. The recommendations provided will help guide the organisation in creating a more robust institutional framework that better serves their team and beneficiaries. This partnership has reinforced our understanding of the crucial role that well-structured policies play in enabling organisations to create sustainable impact while protecting and supporting all stakeholders.
“Overall, the training also paved a way for further discussions on crucial topics like the PoSH law, child protection measures, and ethical considerations in safeguarding, making the training dynamic and thought-provoking. More than just a consultancy, the process sparked important conversations that laid a strong foundation for integrating safeguarding into Jan Sahas’ work.”
– hreya Joshi, Former OFC Team Member and Consultant on This Project