The Stakeholder Engagement Manual Volume 2 - AccountAbility

Introduction
PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS FOR STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
Th ere are a range of frameworks, standards and codes, which organisations can
draw on to provide guidance for the process of stakeholder engagement and which
aim to improve the sustainability performance of the organisation. Th ese include
the GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (on reporting), SA8000 (on labour
standards compliance), the AA1000 Series (on systematic accountability, including
engagement), and the EFQM Excellence Model (on quality management). At
the national level various bodies have issued guidance and standards on social
responsibility, for example the SD21000 in France, SIGMA in the UK, AS8003
in Australia and Standard SI 10000 in Israel. At an international level, these will be
complemented by the current ISO process to develop international guidance on
social responsibility, in which stakeholder engagement will feature prominently.
Th ere are also a number of useful resources from organisations including Th e World
Business Council for Sustainable Development, Business for Social Responsibility,
CSR Europe, Th e Future 500 Initiative, the UK Environment Council, the South
African Calabash Project, the Brazilian Instituto Ethos, the Indian Development
Alternatives Group and the International Association for Public Participation. Such
sources of guidance are highlighted throughout the handbook, wherever relevant
and also in the resource list in Annex 1.
Th e achievement of procedural quality in stakeholder engagement does not
necessarily translate to a connection with the company’s core business activities or
material issues. While many standards, frameworks and sources of practical guidance
(including those from the fi elds of public and civil society participation) can help to
measure and achieve such procedural quality, many of them provide less guidance on
identifying and addressing the specifi c, important issues for each individual business.
Th e AA1000 Series, especially the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard
Exposure Draft provides guidance in how to use stakeholder engagement to deal
with issues of material signifi cance to the business and its stakeholders, and how to
align stakeholder engagement with an organisation’s core strategy. Th erefore it is
used as the framework for this handbook.
Th e AA1000 2 Series guides organisations in establishing systematic accountability
processes that involve stakeholders in the generation of strategies, policies and
programmes as well as associated indicators, targets and communication systems,
which eff ectively guide decisions, activities and overall organisational performance.
Th e AA1000 Framework is organised around the overarching principle of
‘inclusivity’.
“Striving for inclusivity means that an organisation is committed to refl ect, at all
stages of a process, the views and needs of all Stakeholder groups. Stakeholder views
are obtained through an engagement process that allows them to be expressed
without fear or restriction. Inclusivity requires the consideration of ‘voiceless’
stakeholders including future generations and the environment”.
2 The A11000 Series includes the AA1000 Assurance Standard, as well as the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard.
Stakeholder engagement is central to all components of the AA1000 series.