The AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard (AA1000SES) is a generally applicable, framework for the design, implementation, assessment and communication of stakeholder engagement.
It describes how to establish the commitment to stakeholder engagement, the purpose for engagement and the process that will deliver quality engagement. It emphasises that stakeholder engagement must result in valued outcomes and be reported on in a credible way.
It has been designed to enable comprehensive and balanced engagement that will result in strategies, plans, actions and outcomes that address and respond to issues and impacts in an accountable way.
The AA1000SES is applicable to the full range of engagements, from strategic to operational. It is applicable to both internal and external engagement and for both public and private organisations. It can be used for time-limited, project-based activities as well as for ongoing organisational purposes.
The AA1000SES is not designed to underpin formal legal engagements between organisations and stakeholders (e.g. elections, formal negotiations between employers and employees). It may, nevertheless, usefully inform and support these engagements.
The AA1000SES is primarily intended for use by stakeholder engagement practitioners. However, management responsible for the commitment to inclusivity and for engagement strategy and implementation will also benefit from it, as will participants in engagement.
Users of other standards in the AA1000 Series will find AA1000SES useful in understanding and evaluating adherence to the principle of inclusivity.
AA1000SES may also be used to support a wide range of other standards that recommend or require stakeholder engagement. It may be applied for example to support quality and knowledge management, transparency and reporting, and governance and accountability.
The AA1000SES contains requirements and guidance to clarify the requirements. The requirements are stated in italics, the guidance is in normal text.
While the AA1000SES has not been developed to provide the basis for a certification program, the requirements have been stated as auditable criteria. This will improve monitoring and evaluation of an organisation’s stakeholder engagement as well as its reporting on stakeholder engagement.
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AccountAbility asked me:
“In the Purpose & Scope section the revised AA1000SES, the standard states that it can be used by both public and private organizations. Is it possible to do this in a single section? Do we need separate sections of standards? Does the Process section need to address these organizations differently?
What is the best way to address the different needs of different organizations?
Please provide your thoughts and add comments by visiting the AA1000SES wiki -http://accountabilityaa1000wiki.net/wiki/thestandard/1.-Purpose-of-the-AA1000SES-2010/”
Below my response to the question above:
Posted by Olaf Brugman on 11 Jun 2010I suggest to formulate the standard in a general way, for all types of organzations. This will keep the standard as clear and concise as possible, which makes it better understandable and adoptable. The path to differentation for different kinds of organization is endless, and will only lead to more ramifications, and to a highly complex construct, creating gaps with reality.
Einstein said: (paraphrase) that every idiot can make things bigger and more complex, but only a genius can bring complex things back to its simple essence”. And I that AA will add value where it is able to offer Big Ideas in the form of clear and concise explanations and requirements.
Clearly, practical application will yield many questions on how to understand and implement the standard in situation A or B. The specific challenges, thoughts and possible solutions in this respect are all meaningful and helpful, but should not sit in the standard itself. They could be added in collateral documents like implementation guidance, training, best practice reports etc. The standard should convey the image of an ideal situation.
I BELIEVE THAT THE ISSUES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WHICH THE STANDARD TRIES TO ADDRESS IS A CROSS CUTTING AND WILL BE APPLICABLE TO BOTH THE PUBLIC SECTOR.INFACT IT WILL ENABLE BEST PRACTICE TO BE SHARED IN ALL SECTORS AND HELP TO CHANGE THE MINDSETS OF THOSE WHO APPLY THE STANDARD.
Posted by Suzyo Ngandu on 29 Jun 2010