Assurance
Gaining independent assurance of aspects of your CSR programme, including your reporting, can be vital in building trust among your stakeholders.
In recent years, some companies have begun seeking third-party opinion on their reports. However, the assurance statements in many of these reports still tend to be limited to verification of data. At csrnetwork, we go far beyond that.
Yes, we verify the accuracy of your performance data and claims. But that's just the start. We also examine whether, and how well, your report addresses the issues that matter to your stakeholders. We check not only that the information in the report is right, but also that the right information is in the report.
In our assurance work, we assess the materiality, completeness and responsiveness of reports, usually using the internationally recognised AA1000 Assurance Standard.
We also look for ways to involve your stakeholders so we can assess how well the report addresses their concerns. We are a key supplier to JustAssurance, a not-for-profit assurance provider that puts your stakeholders at the heart of the process.
In our assurance statement, and in our feedback to you, we are not afraid to speak our mind. Unlike some providers, we will not shy away from offering meaningful opinion. The end result is assurance that achieves its aim: greater trust among stakeholders.
While our assurance usually focuses on companies' public CSR or sustainability reports, we also assure other activities including governance arrangements, management methods, data-collection systems and stakeholder engagement processes.
Example assurance statement: Alfred McAlpine
Example assurance statement: StoraEnso
Example assurance statement: Musgrave
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Case Study
Finnish retail organisation Kesko asked us to provide a clear and frank assessment of its 2007 Corporate Responsibility report.
