Initiatives ... CSR
AccountAbility

AccountAbility, an organization founded in 1995 ... about the organization and its research and its standards

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

About Us

AccountAbility is a leading global organisation providing innovative solutions to the most critical challenges in corporate responsibility and sustainable development. Since 1995 we have been helping corporations, non-profits and governments embed ethical, environmental, social, and governance accountability into their organisational DNA. Our unique value proposition brings together leading edge research, widely recognized standards, and strategic advisory services to deliver practical solutions for our clients.

Quick Facts:

• Offices in London, New York, Sao Paulo, Johannesburg, Zurich, Dubai, and Riyadh
• Industry sectors: Financial Services, Pharmaceuticals, Energy and Extractives, Telecommunications, Consumer Goods, and Food & Beverages
• Geographic regions: North America, European Union, Latin America, Middle East, Southern Africa, and Developing world
• Focus areas: Research, Standards and Advisory Services

• Help its clients and members improve business performance and build sustainable competitive advantage
• Enable open, fair and effective approaches to stakeholder engagement
• Develop and recognise responsible competitiveness in companies, sectors, countries and regions
• Create effective collaborative governance strategies for partnerships and multilateral organisations that are delivering innovation and value
• Set and influence sustainability standards
• Help corporations, non-profits, and governments embed ethical, environmental, social, and governance accountability into their organisational DNA.

At the core of our work is the AA1000 Series of Standards based on the principles of:

• Inclusivity - people should have a say in the decisions that impact on them
• Materiality - decision makers should identify and be clear about the issues that matter
• Responsiveness - organizations should be transparent about their actions

The AccountAbility Institute is AccountAbility’s applied research and development arm. The AccountAbility Institute provides executives in business, NGOs, and government agencies with innovative tools to improve their organisation's sustainable development performance; vital data and knowledge to stay ahead of fast emerging and evolving trends; critical insight to anticipate next generation opportunities and threats; guidance to inform the design of policy; and benchmarking of good practice.

Our special areas of focus include:

• Organisational Accountability - What tools and approaches will enable organisations to be innovative, effective, sustainable, and accountable?
• Responsible Competitiveness (TM*) - How can markets be reshaped to reward social and environmental innovation? How do organisations gain advantage through commitment to sustainable development?
• Collaborative Governance - How to secure the accountability and effectiveness of today's extraordinary multi-sector partnerships, multi-lateral collaborations, and voluntary standards organisations?
• Citizen Participation - How can stakeholder engagement become a more effective tool for strategy, governance, innovation, compliance, and reputation?

Our approach is customised to each project and builds on four core strengths:

• Analytics: creating reports, benchmarks, indexes and ratings, and using databases with significant sample sizes and dependable results.
• Engagement: building effective collaborations within and between organisations and their stakeholders to tackle challenges that require teamwork – quickly, creatively and accountability.
• Incentives: designing awards programmes, innovation exchanges and other governance innovations that unlock creativity and generate change.
• Capacity building: on-site training and production of training materials to ensure that innovations become embedded at all levels within an organisation, city or national system.

• Access market intelligence, by using AccountAbility Institute data and networks to discover unexpected patterns, possibilities and pitfalls.
• Demonstrate leadership and build brand value, by supporting AccountAbility Institute white papers and high-profile events.
• Develop winning strategies, by learning from both established leaders and energetic newcomers.

(* Trade Mark)

AccountAbility's AA1000 series are principles-based standards to help organisations become more accountable, responsible and sustainable. They address issues affecting governance, business models and organizational strategy, as well as providing operational guidance on sustainability assurance and stakeholder engagement. The AA1000 standards are designed for the integrated thinking required by the low carbon and green economy, and support integrated reporting and assurance. The standards are developed through a multi-stakeholder consultation process which ensures they are written for those they impact, not just those who may gain from them. They are used by a broad spectrum of organisations -- multinational businesses, small and medium enterprises, governments and civil societies.

The AA1000 Series of Standards:

• The AA1000 AccountAbility Principles Standard (AA1000APS) provides a framework for an organisation to identify, prioritise and respond to its sustainability challenges.
• The AA1000 Assurance Standard (AA1000AS) provides a methodology for assurance practitioners to evaluate the nature and extent to which an organisation adheres to the AccountAbility Principles.
• The AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard (AA1000SES) provides a framework to help organisations ensure stakeholder engagement processes are purpose driven, robust and deliver results.

AccountAbility publishes guidance and research materials to enhance the understanding and application of the AA1000 Series. The following are guidance materials for the AA1000 Assurance Standard 2008:

• Guidance for Assurance Providers
• Guidance for Reporting Organisations
• Guidance for Stakeholders
• AA1000 Training, Certification, and Licensing

Governance

The AA1000 Series of Standards have an independent governance structure designed to provide broad stakeholder representation from the public and private sectors, civil society and the standards community.

Participation

There are a number of ways to become involved in the ongoing development of the AA1000 Standards:

• Use the AA1000 Assurance Standard and the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard, and supporting resources and feedback your experience and learning.
• Collaborate on research with AccountAbility to help strengthen the international standards architecture