TS ISO 37002

TS ISO 37002 is a guideline standard for establishing, implementing and maintaining a whistleblowing management system. Its focus is the management approach an organization uses to receive and handle reports of wrongdoing in a way that is trustworthy, impartial and protective. In other words, the standard addresses the overall system for managing reports, rather than prescribing the outcome of any individual case.

The four core stages of a whistleblowing process

The document organises the general process into four stages: receiving reports, assessing reports, addressing reports and concluding whistleblowing cases. This structure treats whistleblowing as more than a reporting channel; it is a management system with disciplines for intake, review, response and closure. In broader technical context, such systems are closely connected with governance, ethics, incident handling and internal control arrangements.

A guideline designed for many kinds of organizations

The standard is generic and intended for use by organizations of any type, size or activity, whether in the public, private or not-for-profit sectors. The extent to which it is applied depends on organizational factors, and the system may be implemented as a stand-alone arrangement or as part of a broader management system. That flexibility makes it suitable for adapting the same core principles to different operating environments while maintaining trust, impartiality and protection.

• Trust: people can rely on the report being taken seriously
• Impartiality: assessment and handling are carried out without bias
• Protection: relevant parties, especially reporters, are appropriately protected
• Flexibility: the system can operate on its own or within an existing management system