01 June 2017 
Matt Sisson, Projects and Membership Manager
We’ve added a new resource to the Counter-Fraud Toolkit this week – a sample institutional Fraud Response Plan. Proactive fraud prevention should be universities’ primary counter-fraud related objective, but when fraud is suspected or indicated, it is essential that prompt and professional reactive action is taken. Unfortunately, fraud is unpredictable, time consuming to investigate, relationship-damaging, very disruptive and generally unpleasant, and has the potential to require significant stakeholder involvement.
We’ve produced the sample fraud response plan to compliment the four Fraud First-Responder training courses that we’ve run around the country over the last six months. It is designed to help HEIs understand some of the key processes that you might want to put in place, as well as to be used as a checklist to improve your existing plans or documents. It incorporates best practice from both the university and private sectors.
Please remember that every university is different, and that University Fraud Plans can cover different areas – from response, to policy and practice - and hence vary widely in size depending on purpose and content. It’s better to have a 3-page document that is understood and well-used than a 20-page one that no-one will ever access. While not exhaustive, this sample plan is at the longer end of the spectrum, so please read it carefully and consider what parts are appropriate for your HEI.
