Digital Rights Check for Development Finance

This section of the human rights assessment tool and guidance is meant for project staff at Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) who are either using digital solutions or are involved with clients that develop digital solutions.

How should the tool be used by DFIs?

The tool can be used for DFIs that are themselves making use of digital solutions in their projects (such as e-learning platforms or AI systems to assess investment risks), as well as for considering the human rights risks associated with their clients developing and making use of digital solutions (such as FinTech solutions and e-health platforms). In respect to risks at the level of clients, the tool complements standard environmental & social due diligence and monitoring processes by zooming in on risks related to privacy, non-discrimination and freedom of expression.

Though it is primarily addressed to DFI staff, the tool can also be shared with clients who can go through the assessment themselves.

What is the result of the assessment?

At the end of the assessment, users will receive a consolidated overview of recommendations and related potential human rights risks. You will be able to download the overview in a pdf format that can be shared with others internally, projects partners and staff in portfolio companies.

The recommendations are formulated as actions to be taken by the developer or user of a solution. Therefore, when the solution is developed by a portfolio company the recommendations can be communicated to the portfolio company, who can then be responsible for taking action.

At the end, you will also be able to download an action plan where the recommendations are included, allowing you to work with your team, project partners and/or portfolio companies in order to address the potential human rights impacts related to the solution.

Reminder: Not a checklist

The tool is not a checklist or a risk assessment in the form of a traffic light system, where you will get a green, yellow or red score. Instead it will help you ask human rights-related questions and receive guidance on how to prevent and mitigate human rights risks.

How does it work?

Throughout the tool you will have to answer a series of questions. In order to help you provide your answer, you can click the blue button next to a question for further information about the question itself and how you should think about your answer.

Where relevant, you will find further resources for you to immerse yourself further in the topic as well as case studies providing examples of how the question may relate to your own work.

Depending on your responses, you will take different paths through the tool.

How long does it take?

The tool is expected to take around 30 minutes to complete from start to finish, assuming you do not stop in between. Nevertheless, you can always leave the tool halfway through the assessment (for example to consult the relevant project documents) and return to where you have left off.

Start assessment

What data is stored?

It is your (the user’s) progress in the form that is saved (e.g. the question values etc.), which allows you to go back and forward in the form. Data is stored in ‘localStorage’ (from the web browser) and for an indefinite period of time. No personal data is stored. For more, see the privacy statement.

Further information

You can always refer to our Glossary where you encounter a term you are unfamiliar with. You can find it in the footer (below).

See Frequently Asked Questions section for more information.