The health and safety of all participants is paramount. The UNC Charlotte Impact Academy has compiled strict systems and procedures, including the presence of long-term staff on the ground who work closely with local partners to ensure they are up to date with local developments. We periodically review risk assessments for each location and project, and have Emergency Action Plans in place for a variety of scenarios. We also have protocols for incident and near miss reporting, and weekly reporting to senior managers to ensure we are always up to date with local and regional developments.
All our participants and staff receive a full orientation, always have permission to decline to participate if they feel unsafe, and have access to a 24-hour emergency support system. This emergency support system includes senior, experienced staff on standby both in country and regionally in case of incident or concern. UNC Charlotte Impact Academy programs also host regular health and safety meetings to review incidents, near misses and concerns, on top of the standard briefings and edit procedures, if necessary.