UKCDR & International Development Research Funders Publish Guidance to Anticipate, Mitigate and Address Harm in Research

UK Collaborative on Development Research (UKCDR), along with the members of the Strategic Coherence of ODA-funded Research (SCOR) Board is pleased to share with you Guidance on Safeguarding in International Development Research, along with a ‘companion piece’ on the practical application of this guidance during COVID-19, produced by the University of Liverpool Consultation Delivery Team with UKCDR.

• Read the news article: UKCDR & International Development Research Funders Publish Guidance to Anticipate, Mitigate and Address Harm in Research

Everyone involved in the international development research chain, from research funders, planners and practitioners to local community members, has the right to be safe from harm.

To contribute to wider efforts across the international development sector being made to tackle this issue, UK funders of international development research worked with UKCDR over the past 18 months to develop a set of principles and best practice guidance on safeguarding to anticipate, mitigate and address potential and actual harms in the funding, design, delivery and dissemination of research, in general as well as in emergency situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

This guidance is needed to ensure the highest safeguarding standards in the context of international development research, which presents specific situations in which harms that can occur are different to international development more broadly.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this guidance is accompanied by a ‘companion piece’ to underline the ongoing importance of safeguarding in research in the context of COVID-19, highlighting specific issues to consider during the current crisis and signposting additional useful resources.

The guidance and reports are available here:

• Guidance on Safeguarding in International Development Research
• Practical application of UKCDR Safeguarding Guidance during COVID-19
• Report on Phase 2 International Consultations – This report summarises the consultations undertaken with researchers and research partners, including those in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), on their understanding and application of safeguarding concepts and principles, used to produce the final guidance.