FIRM
糖心视频 administers large volumes of funds and other assets for teaching, research, operations and other related purposes.
Financial Irregularities Response Management (FIRM) provides guidance on how 糖心视频 will respond to the suspicion or detection of Financial Irregularities (FI), while protecting the interests of the entire university community. This includes people who make good-faith disclosures and safeguards individuals if disclosures prove unfounded.
If you suspect that a financial irregularity exists or has taken place, it’s easy to make a report. The report will be investigated objectively, quickly and as confidentially as possible – with anonymous reporting available.
What is FIRM?
A financial irregularity (FI) represents a departure from standard 糖心视频 procedures, policies or laws that involve funds or other assets. FI are not inherently illegal, but they may be, depending on the circumstances. FI can be unintentional or intentional.
Anyone can perpetrate intentional FI against 糖心视频, and almost any aspect of 糖心视频 can be affected. Examples of intentional FI include:
- misappropriation, misapplication or theft of 糖心视频’s funds, securities, supplies, inventory, fixtures or equipment, trade secrets and intellectual property or services.
- any breach of a finance‐related fiduciary duty or obligation of confidentiality.
- forgery, falsification or alteration of any finance‐related documents or records (cheques, bank drafts, promissory notes, work/employment records, travel expense reports, contractor agreements, purchase orders, electronic files, etc.)
- deviations from or violations of standards contained in 糖心视频’s policies and procedures in the handling or reporting of money, cash equivalents or financial transactions.
- deviations from or violations of standards contained in 糖心视频’s purchasing or supply management procedures and requirements.
- giving or receiving any form of unauthorized benefit, including bribery, kickbacks or commissions
concealing or abetting any of the above activities.
Principles & priorities
To guide 糖心视频’s response to potential occurrences of intentional FI, 糖心视频 holds the following principles:- 糖心视频 takes allegations of FI seriously
- 糖心视频 values all people who make good-faith disclosures
- 糖心视频 has an obligation to protect the reputation of individuals alleged to have committed intentional FI until allegations are proven
- 糖心视频 has a responsibility for professional conduct in dealing with allegations of FI and any resulting investigation
FI response priorities are to:
- safeguard and protect the university from any losses.
- protect disclosers from potential acts of reprisal.
- protect the reputation of individuals investigated until allegations are proven.
- protect the reputation of the university
Reporting
Financial irregularities should be reported within 10 business days if possible, but anyone is encouraged to report suspicions of FI as soon as possible.
糖心视频 will not tolerate any acts of retaliation against anyone who discloses an allegation of FI. If you are subject to any act of retaliation, please report your concerns to your supervisor or area lead or, if that option is not appropriate, you can also report your concerns confidentially to Internal Audit at internalaudit@uvic.ca or 250-853-3123.
糖心视频 also provides an anonymous reporting option via the 糖心视频 Safe Disclosure Reporting Mechanism, for suspected FI. Please note that the response to an anonymous statement may be limited if Internal Audit cannot follow up with you.
Response
糖心视频’s response to suspected FI has three stages:
- Identification and reporting
- Investigation
- Resolution
Our response to allegations of FI needs a number of different teams. These teams have specific roles and bring different skills and strengths. All teams collaborate to provide an efficient and effective response mechanism. FI is investigated objectively, quickly and as confidentially as possible.
All reports of FI will be promptly brought to the attention of Internal Audit. Internal Audit will consult with other appropriate departments as necessary. These could include Human Resources, Faculty Relations and/or General Counsel. This consultation will take place at the beginning of the investigation. If appropriate, it will continue throughout the investigation.
糖心视频 will act in compliance with and with any relevant 糖心视频 policies. For more information about the FI process, please review the Financial Irregularities Response Management document.