SG Serve’s Commitment to Compliance

 

1. SG Serve recognises that it is accountable to all its stakeholders, which include its members, beneficiaries, regulatory authorities, donors and members of the public. For SG Serve to operate successfully, the Board believes that there must be confidence and public trust in its work. It is therefore imperative to have a sound governance and management system that can withstand the scrutiny of its stakeholders.

​

2. The Board is committed to setting and maintaining a high standard of governance in the spirit of the Code of Governance for Charities and Institutions of a Public Character (“Code”).

 

3. The Board has developed a Manual based on the Code. The Board shall ensure that SG Serve adheres with the principles and guidelines of the Code. The Code will help SG Serve to be more effective, transparent and accountable to its stakeholders.  It aims to help members of the public understand SG Serve’s standard of governance and to make an informed decision about the support they give in terms of time and monies.

​

4. The guidelines in the Code are tiered into Basic, Intermediate, Enhanced and Advanced sections according to the IPC status and size of the charity.  Similarly, there are different versions of the Evaluation Checklist for the different tiers. SG Serve comes under the Basic tier of the Code.

​

5. To comply with the Code, the Board will maintain and regularly review SG Serve’s system of internal controls, performance, policies and procedures to ensure that:

​

(a) SG Serve regularly identifies and reviews the key risks to which SG Serve is exposed to and has a system to manage these risks;

(b) SG Serve understands and complies with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements;

(c) SG Serve has appropriate up-to-date financial and management controls;

(d) delegation to Board Committees, staff and volunteers works effectively and the use of delegated authority is properly supervised;

(e) proper arrangements are in place for the recruitment, supervision, support, appraisal and remuneration of all staff; and

(f) volunteers are managed and supported.

​

Financial Management and Internal Controls

​

The Board reviews and approves the annual budget prepared by management. All extra-budgetary expenditure beyond the delegated management authority is reviewed and approved by the Board and the operating and capital expenditure budget is regularly monitored.

 

SG Serve is committed to disclosing audited statements which give a true and fair review of SG Serve's financial statements to ensure that they are in accordance with the requirements as specified by the regulatory bodies. Members of the public can email us to request for a copy of Annual Report of SG Serve.  

​

Risk Management

 

Risk Management is an integral part of sound governance. It is integrated with SG Serve's strategy, cuts across the different functional areas of SG Serve's operations and is mainly embedded within the day-to-day management and operational processes of these functional areas.

​

SG Serve has identified 6 key risks, namely:

​

- Legal and regulatory compliance risk
- Funding risk
- Financial risk
- Service delivery risk
- Adverse events risk
- Information including cybersecurity risk

The risks are monitored and discussed within the Board meeting on a monthly basis. Key updates and issues are shared during the Board meeting. Channels of communication for urgent dissemination of information and action plans are also established.

 

Board Committees

​

To assist in the execution of its responsibilities, the Board has designated Board members to oversee the following areas: Programmes and Services, Fundraising, Audit and Finance.

These designated Board Members have clearly established terms of reference setting out their authorities and duties.

​

Disclosure and Transparency

​

SG Serve is committed to the principles of accountability and transparency. In order to adhere to these principles, SG Serve regularly makes available information regarding our programmes/events, operations, audited financials and Board members through an annual report, website and social media pages.

​

Whistle-Blowing Policy

​

The Board and staff are fully committed to conducting all its activities with integrity and the highest ethical standards whilst complying with applicable laws and regulations. SG Serve strongly believes that the actions and conduct of the Board and staff are essential to maintaining these standards. In line with this commitment, SG Serve has a Whistle-blowing Policy to allow whistle-blowers to raise concerns over a breach of these standards, highlight incidents of malpractice or wrongdoings within SG Serve. This Policy applies to any suspected improprieties involving the Board or staff of SG Serve.

​

Conflict of Interest Policy

​

SG Serve’s Conflict of Interest Policy is embedded in our Constitution. The policy requires Board and staff to observe and to declare real, potential or perceived conflicts of interest to the Board at the earliest opportunity. Where a potential conflict of interest arises, the Board member or staff concerned should not vote on the matter nor participate in discussions. He should also recuse himself from the meeting. The reason for how a final decision is made on the transaction or contract should be recorded.

​

Declarations are required for related parties’ transactions. Any related party transaction will be reviewed at a stipulated interval and the outcome of the review be reported to the Board and documented.

​

Any appointment of staff who is a close member of the family of the current Board members or staff should undergo the established procedures for recruitment, performance evaluation and remuneration.

​

Board members or staff should make a declaration of such relationships and not influence decisions made during these procedures.

 

Data Protection and Privacy

​

SG Serve values the protection of personal data of its members, clients, beneficiaries, volunteers, partners, suppliers, donors and employees and the Board emphasises the importance of compliance with the Personal Data Protection Act. In connection with this, the Board has established the ‘Privacy Policy’ and is guided by the advisory guidelines developed by the National Council of Social Service and The Personal Data Protection Commission.

​

The Board expects all of its members, clients, beneficiaries, volunteers, partners, suppliers, donors and employees to comply with this Policy.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

​