The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) invites all interested stakeholders to participate in an essential first step toward the improvement and revision of the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.
About the SFP
From the outset, GRI has committed itself to being a learning organisation. It recognises that sustainability reporting is a relatively new development, and that its Guidelines and other reporting guidance documents can be improved, based on users experience and feedback from all stakeholder groups. The Structured Feedback Process (SFP) is designed to capture valuable information from all stakeholders which will then inform the next revision of the Guidelines, scheduled for 2005.
Feedback Outlets
The primary tool for the SFP is a Questionnaire that guides participants through a variety of issues and asks for comments on how to further improve the Guidelines. The SFP may be complemented by other activities, for example, roundtables and expert dialogues, when funding and opportunity is available. The SFP will conclude with a set of recommendations gathered from all feedback outlets, and will inform working groups or GRI governance bodies during the revisions process.
Your engagement in this process is vital to the future evolution of GRI.
How to Participate
The GRI invites all reporting organisations and report users to join the SFP for the 2002 Guidelines. This inclusive approach seeks balanced sectoral and regional coverage and also welcomes participants with different levels of experience using the 2002 Guidelines. As announced in the June 2003 GRI newsletter, the SFP Questionnaire is now available on the GRI website (www.globalreporting.org/SFP). The Secretariat will solicit responses to the questionnaire until September 30, 2003.
All potential participants are asked to declare their intention to participate by completing the Participants Profile (attached herein) and return by email or fax within the next six weeks (July 1 to August 15), including an indication of a possible voluntary monetary contribution. GRI relies on all reporters and report users to support its work in continually advancing the quality of the GRI reporting framework, including the Guidelines, sector supplements, and protocols. Contributions to the SFP will be earmarked to support a set of SFP-related activities, including issue-specific or regional roundtables later this year, research analysis on existing GRI-based reports and a website discussion forum on specific issues the questionnaire has defined. Contributions will be fully disclosed and gratefully acknowledged on the GRI website.
The deadline for completion of the questionnaire is 30 September 2003 (attached herein).
A synthesis of the overall feedback will be posted on the GRI website at the conclusion of the SFP. Final recommendations based on the overall consultative process will be given to the GRI governance bodies in early 2004.
Timeframe for the 2002 Guidelines SFP:
Questionnaire:
July 1, 2003: Questionnaire will be posted on the GRI website (www.globalreporting.org/SFP)
August 15, 2003: Participants declare level of participation through email or fax
September 30, 2003: Questionnaire feedback deadline
March 2004: Final synthesis will be presented to the GRI BoD and posted on the GRI website
Additional instruments (if funding is matched):
Ongoing Website Forum
Between 11/03 and 02/04 Issue-specific or regional roundtables
Between 10/03 and 12/03 Desk research on existing GRI-based reports
If you have any questions on the SFP process or additional comments during the questionnaire feedback period, please contact sfp@globalreporting.org.
