Assignment 4: Identifying CSR/Sustainability NGO and NPO Heroes Chosen NPO: AccountAbility “Setting the Standard for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainable Development”

Why AccountAbility? AccountAbility is a leading global organisation, established in 1995 which provides innovative solutions to the most critical challenges in corporate responsibility and sustainable development. Through the use of its AA1000 Series of Standards, AccountAbility helps corporations, non-profits and governments embed ethical, environmental, social, and governance accountability into their organisational DNA. Geographic Focus: North America, European Union, Latin America, Middle East, Southern Africa, and Developing world Help its clients and members improve business performance and build sustainable competitive advantage. Creates effective collaborative governance strategies for partnerships and multilateral organisations that are delivering innovation and value, and set and influence sustainability standards.

AA1000 Series of Standards The AA1000 standards are designed for the integrated thinking required by the low carbon and green economy, and support integrated reporting and assurance. They address issues affecting governance, business models and organizational strategy, as well as providing operational guidance on sustainability assurance and stakeholder engagement developed through a multi-stakeholder consultation process which ensures they are written for those they impact, not just those who may gain from them. 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 - organisations should be transparent about their actions

 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

Qualifications and Training o Certification as a Sustainability Assurance Practitioner (CSAP) – developed in 2007 by AccountAbility and IRCA (International Register of Certificated Auditors), it is the first internationally recognised professional qualification in the field of sustainability assurance. Benefits: – Provides practitioners with the ability to develop, validate and communicate their competence in a systematic manner – Simplifies the process by which organisations identify credible assurance expertise ―Improve stakeholder confidence in the expertise of sustainability assurance professionals engaged by organisation

Case Study Developing a Strategic Vision for the International Trade Centre’s Trade for Sustainable Development program: The Trade for Sustainable Development (T4SD) program at The International Trade Centre (ITC) is designed to empower producers, exporters and buyers to overcome challenges arising from lack of information on voluntary sustainability standards and to expand sustainable trade. With this context, ITC and T4SD sought to update and reposition their strategy regarding the development of customized front-end applications for the database that could meet the information needs of a broader range of potential users. AccountAbility conducted interviews with stakeholders from the voluntary sustainability standards movement, including donors, subject matter experts, information systems and IT specialists, strategic partners, members of voluntary standards systems, and ISEAL Alliance, the global association for social and environmental standards. AccountAbility synthesized their perspectives and insights in a SWOT analysis and conducted a gap analysis upon reviewing key success factors and core competencies of ITC.

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