Client Protection Policy (OI4753)

This metric is intended to capture the organization’s policy on client protection, including market conduct rules and client protection regulation, whether created voluntarily or through government mandate.

Examples of policy characteristics, to footnote, may include: whether the policy is written and publicized, details of the client protection practices outlined within the policy, whether the policy complies with regulatory requirements, and whether the organization endorses the Smart Campaign's client protection principles.

Examples of client protection practices that may be captured in the policy include: codified organizational values and standards of professional conduct expected of all employees, integration of client protection standards into employee performance evaluations, design of products that are appropriate and do no harm to clients, avoidance of aggressive sales techniques and dangerous commercial practices, disclosure of full cost information, enforcement of clear and proactive communication with clients, and protection of client privacy, among others.

Organizations can refer to the Smart Campaign's Client Protection Principles (www.smartcampaign.org) and the SPI4 (http://cerise-spi4.squarespace.com/) for additional indicators related to client protection. SPI4 is a social audit tool, developed for financial service providers, which can apply to any organization with both social and financial objectives.