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Overview

Our code of professional conduct defines our commitment and expectation of all firm members to quality, integrity and professionalism. It is a guide to demonstrate the standards of behaviour expected from our team and also provides guidance on making the right decision during critical moments.

We expect all colleagues and third parties representing us (such as contractors or other consultants) to comply with this code of professional conduct. It is also our expectation that our suppliers will find this code aligns to their own practices.

Our Mission

Our mission is to excel in providing innovative and evidence-based health, social and financial development solutions as well as provide quality project and institutional management services.

Our objectives

  1. To support model programs aimed at improving health and productivity;
  2. To support programs aimed at promoting the welfare of vulnerable groups in society;
  3. To enhance the technical and institutional capacity of private and public organizations;
  4. To strengthen project planning, monitoring and evaluation;
  5. To strengthen gender integration and mainstreaming in development programs;
  6. To conduct research and share knowledge gaps and experiences through networking and advocacy;
  7. To enhance financial management, strategic planning and management practices.

Core values

Our hallmark approach is comprised of the following core values:

  • Professionalism: We aim at providing quality services. We believe that our success is best reflected in providing quality products to the satisfaction of our clients.
  • Integrity: While our clients demand high standards, we believe in providing an honest representation of issues for our clients. We conduct our business with utmost accountability. We also do not promise what we cannot deliver.
  • Confidentiality: We accord the highest respect to information that we have been entrusted with.
  • Commitment: We remain committed to deliver high quality services to our clients by adequately understanding their needs.
  • Continuous Learning: We aim at continually acquiring current information and utilizing it for service improvement.
  • Teamwork: We highly value the contribution of every stakeholder towards achieving our objectives.

Our guiding principles

Based on our experience, the following principles guide most of our support to clients:

  1. We believe that a high-degree of coordination and management is extremely important, given the technical and programmatic complexity of most programs;
  2. We believe in building local capacity through partnerships and maximum feasible reliance on professionals and institutions;
  3. We believe in a focus on information dissemination and utilization;
  4. We believe in a strong emphasis on the links between evidence-based information and decision-making that includes frequent and effective communication with program-oriented audiences.

Working Environment

The law: We are a firm that provides advice to other parties. We have a personal and professional duty to obey legal and professional requirements. We will make best efforts to comply with all labour and employment laws and regulations where we operate.

Professional responsibilities: It is our duty to understand and follow the ethical standards of the various bodies and our own expectations.

Fair treatment: We embrace diversity, inclusiveness and equal opportunity. We do not, in any way, condone practices which promote prejudice, discrimination, bias or abuse of others.

Information confidentiality: Where we have access to sensitive, personal information we will maintain these confidences, through the use of technology and our own professional and personal discretion. Where we have insider information, we will not act on such information in such way that provides unfair or unjust advantage to one or several parties to the detriment of others.

Disreputable characters: We refuse to undertake business with individuals or organisations that are involved in illegal activities. Where we decline to perform any work on the basis of such disreputable charges, we will make this position known in writing.

Company Activities

Making decisions: Minerva strives to comply with all legal and regulatory obligations. But what if you are not certain about the applicability of any laws, regulations or policies to guide you, how can you be expected to make the right decisions? Ask yourself the following key questions in order to guide you. If for any of these questions you can answer a YES then seek further guidance. If you have answered NO for all of the questions then you are likely to be in a good position.

  1. Does it violate legal or professional ethics?
  2. Is it inconsistent with the letter and spirit of this Code of Conduct?
  3. Would I be embarrassed if friends or family knew I did this?
  4. Could this cause harm to the Firm or damage to its reputation?
  5. Would I be embarrassed if this were reported in social media or as part of the news media?

Harassment: We do not tolerate harassment in our workplaces, irrespective of whether any of the persons involved are employees or non-employees. What is harassment? A person is considered the victim of such harassment if they are subjected to repeated behaviour, other than behaviour amounting to sexual harassment, by another person, including the person’s employer or a co-worker or group of co-workers of the person that:

  • Is unwelcome and unsolicited;
  • The person considers to be offensive, intimidating, humiliating or threatening;
  • A reasonable person would consider to be offensive, humiliating, intimidating or threatening.

Workplace harassment does not include reasonable management action taken in a reasonable way by Minerva in connection with the person’s employment, such as for example setting realistic standards of performance.

Likewise, we do not tolerate bullying which we define as any actions that involve an individual or group of individuals seeking to intimidate, humiliate or undermine colleagues either within or outside the office or through social media.

Where any person representing Minerva is found to be guilty of harassing or bullying, the firm will promptly and thoroughly investigate any complaints and take appropriate action.

Drugs and alcohol: Any form of substance abuse is incompatible with the health and safety of our employees, and we do not tolerate it.

We are not permitted to use or possess alcoholic beverages on company premises, except where alcohol is specifically and explicitly permitted. Where alcohol is being consumed, the application of good judgment is encouraged. In any case, we do not condone any behaviour which leads to impaired performance or endangers the safety of others, or violates the law.
Illegal drugs in our premises or other work-related activities are strictly prohibited.

No individual will report to work under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs or controlled substances.

Use of assets and confidential issues: It is important to maintain the use of tangible and intangible assets effectively to prevent their loss, theft or illegal use. As such, we will endeavour to maintain active and proper management of such assets. Further to the “Information confidentiality” note, we will not tolerate the illegal or wrongful use of another entity’s confidential information. We must respect the assets and confidential information of others.

Safety and Health: We incorporate safety and health practices into our operations and comply with workplace safety requirements.

Environment: We are committed to a leadership role in contributing to positive environmental management. We achieve this by understanding key environmental issues of our clients and helping them to achieve innovative solutions. Additionally, we instil environmental responsibility as a corporate value of our own.

Human rights: We are committed to respecting and promoting human rights to ensure that knowledge and empowerment of individuals play a positive role in the community. We do not tolerate practices of servitude, child labour, forced labour, human trafficking, or slavery.

Dealing With Others

Conflicts of interest: In the conduct of our business activities we must avoid any interest or association which could reasonably be considered to interfere with the independent exercise of our individual judgment.
A conflict of interest arises where an employee has professional or personal interests which are in competition with one another, thereby complicating the impartial fulfillment of employment duties.
We will avoid actual or apparent conflicts with Minerva interests. It is important that you consider how your actions might appear, and in this regard you should avoid the perception of a conflict of interest.
In itself, a conflict of interest is not necessarily a problem; however, it should be disclosed as soon as possible and managed accordingly.

Anti-corruption: We will exercise appropriate business courtesies as we engage in our business activities. We expect that that you will not bribe anybody. We define a bribe as the offering, giving, asking for or receiving anything with the intent of an improper action from the recipient.
No representative of Minerva should not violate or compel anybody to violate this prohibition on bribery in performing work-related activities.
When we offer or accept gifts, hospitality, or travel, we make sure they are reasonable, appropriate, and have a legitimate business purpose.

Procurement: We engage in fair and transparent procurement practices. In selecting suppliers, we will make our choices objectively, ensuring we select them based not just on price, but also quality, reliability and services whilst following any applicable procurement requirements.
We promote equal opportunity in our hiring practices, making recruiting decisions based solely
on work-related criteria. We do not use or encourage forced labour. When hiring employees
under the age of 18, we must comply with all external requirements on minimum hiring age, and on hours and tasks performed by these employees with a view to ensuring their wellbeing and safety.

Protecting confidential information: As trusted advisors, we are party to sensitive confidential information. The trust placed in us by our clients is based on their assurance that we will maintain confidences that are shared with us.
Equally, whilst executing our duties as representatives of Minerva we may need access to confidential information – it is the responsibility of each of us to maintain the confidentiality of such information except where its disclosure is specifically authorized by the firm or required by law. We must therefore be mindful where a client seeks our advice or requests our bid for some work, such a request is as confidential as the actual advice or bid itself.
We must never disclose the identity of clients, former clients or prospective clients, unless we have such consent given explicitly, and even in such cases we must remain judicious about any disclosure of the information.
We must not send, via email or other means, client or Minerva information to public, webmail email services (e.g. yahoo or Gmail) unless specifically directed to do so by a client.

Media relations: Although building media relations is a key aspect of building brand awareness and reputation, it is not without its own risks. It is therefore important that we manage media relations with appropriate care. Only authorised individuals may speak with or respond to media contacts as representatives of the firm.