Harm mapping
Every programme begins with harm mapping sessions identifying potential risks to users, communities, and environments. Mitigation strategies embedded into delivery roadmaps with quarterly reviews.
Ethics & Governance
Interdisciplinary ethics council guiding programme integrity
Harm mitigation protocols, consent-based research practices, and inclusive language standards reviewed by independent ethics council with escalation pathways for staff and stakeholders.
Ethics council operations
Gopsco's ethics council includes external ethicists, legal advisors, and community representatives reviewing programmes quarterly for harm patterns and accountability gaps.
Council composition: 5-person rotating council with 3-year terms. Minimum 2 external members, 1 community advocate, 1 legal expert. Meets quarterly with emergency convening authority.
Review scope: Programme harm assessments, research ethics approvals, inclusive language audits, and escalated concerns from staff or stakeholders. Council issues binding recommendations with 30-day implementation deadlines.
Independence: Council members report directly to board of directors, not operational leadership. Budget authority and veto power over programmes raising ethical concerns.
Operational ethics practices
Inclusive language
Documentation and interfaces reviewed for ableist, racist, or exclusionary language. Automated linting tools flag violations. Team training refreshers conducted semi-annually.
Consent-based research
Research participants provide informed consent with opt-out rights. Data anonymization protocols prevent re-identification. Research findings published with community review cycles before external release.
Escalation paths
Staff and stakeholders may escalate ethical concerns directly to ethics council via confidential hotline (bypassing operational chain). Retaliation prohibited with board-level accountability.
Report ethical concerns
Contact ethics council at
ethics@gopsco.comor confidential hotline +1 (628) 222-7030 option 3