ISO 26000 is a voluntary guidance standard on social responsibility designed for use by any organization. It can be used by business leaders to plan and implement actions to improve their sustainability – economically, socially, and environmentally. ISO 26000 was created by a diverse group of experts, representing many different countries, stakeholder groups, and points of view. Work began in 2005 and was completed in 2010. Its core subjects are:
- Organizational governance – practicing accountability and transparency at all levels of your organization; using leadership to create an organizational culture which uses core values of social responsibility when making business decisions
- Human rights – treating all individuals with respect; making special efforts to help people from vulnerable groups
- Labor practices – providing just, safe and healthy conditions for workers; engaging in two-way discussions to address workers’ concerns
- Environment– identifying and improving environmental impacts of your operations, including resource use and waste disposal
- Fair operating practices – respecting the law; practicing accountability and fairness in your dealings with other businesses, including your suppliers
- Consumer issues – providing healthy and safe products, giving accurate information, and promoting sustainable consumption
- Community involvement and development – getting involved in the betterment of the local communities that your organization operates in; being a good neighbor
The Challenge
For many successful organizations being socially responsible is a part of who they are and why they are in business: to provide useful products and services, to provide jobs and development opportunities for their communities, and to gain satisfaction through meaningful work. In many countries, these “socially responsible entrepreneurs” have been quietly making a difference by acting on their values and principles, and inspiring others. They have the spirit of social responsibility already. However, in many sectors and many parts of the world, people and businesses still lack the spirit or understanding of being responsible. They may lack the knowledge or incentive to realize that their actions are important for the well-being of other people and the environment. ISO 26000 is a response to the urgent need for all people, from all parts of the world, to have a positive impact on those around them, through the way they do business and live their lives.
SoftExpert Excellance Suite provides all the tools necessary for compliances with ISO 26000 requirements. SE Suite helps organizations to identify paths to innovation, reduce long-term risks, increase competitiveness and demonstrate a strong commitment to social responsibility.
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SoftExpert Excellence Suite ensures compliance with many regulations including the ISO 26000. The solution allows companies to increase efficiency for quality processes, minimize the high costs of compliance, and quickly bring new products to market.
Each SoftExpert module addresses key compliance issues as shown below:
| Module |
ISO 26000 Requirements |
SE Competence
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- Identify the vulnerable groups in your society, and establish mechanisms (hiring practices, etc.) to ensure that your business doesn’t discriminate against them or take unfair advantage of them.
- Work to give all people equal opportunities and equal treatment as your employees, customers, business partners, etc.
- Provide skills development
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SE Document
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- Demonstrate that you recognize that employment relationships involve rights and obligations
- Provide clear and sufficient information about prices, terms, conditions and costs
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SE Incident
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- Resolve grievances - Establish fair mechanisms for dealing with human rights grievances if and when they are raised by your employees and other stakeholders
- Provide consumer service, support and dispute resolution
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SE Inspection
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- Practice environmental procurement – evaluate suppliers of goods and services on whether they also are environmentally friendly
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SE PDM
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- Practice life-cycle management – consider all the steps of a manufacturing process, and all the links in the supply chain and value chain right to the end of a product’s life and how it is disposed of; look for ways to make these steps as environmentally friendly as possible
- Promote sustainable consumption
- Offer consumers socially and environmentally beneficial products and services
- Offer products and services that operate as efficiently as possible, considering the full lifecycle
- Design products so that they can easily be reused, repaired or recycled
- Protect consumers’ health and safety; design and test products to ensure this
- Pay particular attention to the information needs of vulnerable individuals
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SE Performance
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- Create and model a company culture where the principles are practiced
- Commit to respecting laws, including the responsibility to pay taxes to the government bodies and communities in which you operate
- Efficiently use financial, natural and human resources, while ensuring fair representation of historically under-represented groups (including women and racial and ethnic groups) in senior positions in the organization
- Encourage greater participation by employees in decision making on social responsibility issues
- Respect civil and political rights - Respect individuals’ rights to freedom of opinion and expression, to peaceful assembly and association, to seek and impart information, to due process and a fair hearing before taking disciplinary measures
- Assess existing community-related initiatives, identify ways to improve
- Fulfill tax responsibilities as described in law, and provide the authorities with the necessary information to correctly determine taxes
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SE Process
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- Delegate authority proportionately to the responsibilities assumed by each member or employee of the business
- Keep track of decisions to ensure they are followed through, and to determine responsibilities for the results of the business’ activities, either positive or negative
- Use environmentally sound technologies and practices
- Conserve water in business operations
- Practice honesty in business dealings
- Use natural resources in a sustainable way that helps to alleviate poverty
- Practice honesty in business dealings
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SE Risk
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- Find out about, and identify, human rights impacts related to your business activities
- Protect yourself and consider human rights impacts if you operate in risk situations
- Promote and maintain health and safety at work
- Prevent pollution, or reduce emissions of pollutants into the air, water and soil as much as possible
- Act to limit greenhouse gas emissions, which cause climate change; consider ways to reduce and adapt to the climate change that is already occurring
- Consider the impact of investment and out-sourcing decisions on employment creation; when possible, make decisions to maximize local employment opportunities
- Obtain prior informed consent of the local community for the use of local natural resources; respect the traditional use of natural resources by local populations, especially indigenous peoples
- Seek to minimize or eliminate the negative health impacts of any products or services provided by your business
- Incorporate consideration of the economic, social, environmental and governance dimensions of an investment, in addition to the traditional financial dimensions
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SE Time Control
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- Comply with national laws and regulations; provide decent conditions of work in wages, hours of work, weekly rest holidays, health and safety, and maternity protection
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SE Training
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- Provide career training opportunities
- Support education at all levels; engage in actions to improve educational quality, to promote local knowledge and eradicate illitera
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SE Waste
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- Eliminate or minimize negative health and environmental impacts of products and services, such as noise and waste
- Reduce waste by minimizing packaging material and, if appropriate, offer recycling and disposal services
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