PECB ISO 26000 Foundation flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Social responsibility definition

ISO 26000: responsibility of an organization for the impacts of its decisions and activities on society and the environment, through transparent and ethical behaviour contributing to sustainable development, health and welfare.

ISO 26000 certification status

ISO 26000 provides guidance only; it contains no requirements, so organizations cannot be certified or registered to it. Any claim of certification is inaccurate.

Seven core subjects

Organizational governance, human rights, labour practices, the environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, and community involvement and development. Organizational governance is the central subject.

Seven principles of SR

Accountability, transparency, ethical behaviour, respect for stakeholder interests, respect for the rule of law, respect for international norms of behaviour, and respect for human rights.

Accountability principle

The organization should be answerable for its impacts on society, the environment and the economy, and accept responsibility for them, including taking corrective action when mistakes occur.

Transparency principle

The organization should disclose openly and accurately the policies, decisions and activities it is responsible for, including known and likely impacts, while respecting confidentiality and legal limits.

Ethical behaviour principle

The organization should act in accordance with accepted standards of right conduct in the context of its activities, based on honesty, equity and integrity, and promote such behaviour.

International norms of behaviour

Expectations of socially responsible organizational behaviour derived from customary international law, generally accepted principles of international law, and intergovernmental agreements such as UN instruments.

Complicity

Being involved in, or benefiting from, wrongdoing by another party. ISO 26000 identifies direct, beneficial and silent complicity as a human rights risk to avoid.

Stakeholder definition

An individual or group that has an interest in any decision or activity of an organization. Includes employees, customers, suppliers, communities, investors, regulators and NGOs.

Sphere of influence

The scope of political, contractual, economic or other relationships through which an organization can affect the decisions or activities of others; used to direct due diligence, not to assign legal liability.

Due diligence definition

A comprehensive, proactive process to identify actual and potential negative social, environmental and economic impacts of decisions and activities over the full life cycle, aiming to avoid and mitigate them.

Sustainable development definition

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, integrating economic, social and environmental dimensions.

Respect for rule of law

The organization should comply with applicable legal requirements in all jurisdictions where it operates, accept that law is mandatory, and avoid actions that circumvent or undermine legal obligations.

Human rights core subject

Covers due diligence, human rights risk situations, avoiding complicity, resolving grievances, discrimination and vulnerable groups, civil/political rights, and economic, social and cultural rights.

Fair operating practices issues

Anti-corruption, responsible political involvement, fair competition, promoting social responsibility in the value chain, and respect for property rights.

Consumer issues scope

Fair marketing and factual information, consumer health and safety, sustainable consumption, dispute resolution, data protection and privacy, access to essential services, and education.

Recognition of SR practice

The first fundamental practice: identify the organization's impacts, then determine which core subjects and issues are relevant to its decisions, activities and sphere of influence.

ISO 26000 clause 7 integration

Guidance on embedding SR: awareness, relevance determination, SR policy, building into systems and governance, communication, and review and improvement of practices.

SR relevance tests

An issue is relevant when it strongly impacts the organization, the organization's activities strongly impact it, or stakeholders express significant concern. All three should be considered.

SR policy content

Should express values and expectations of behaviour, reflect the seven principles and core subjects, use clear language, be communicated internally and externally, and be periodically reviewed.

SR integration mechanisms

Leadership commitment, SR embedded in strategy and KPIs, assigned responsibilities, training, aligned remuneration and procurement, and integration into management systems and due-diligence processes.

Balanced SR communication

Reporting based on verifiable evidence that covers positive and negative impacts, addresses stakeholder concerns, avoids greenwashing, and is understandable to intended audiences.

SR communication channels

Dialogue with stakeholders, internal briefings, public reports, websites, participation in voluntary initiatives, and responses to stakeholder enquiries; each should be timely and accurate.

Review and improvement cycle

Monitor performance against objectives, gather stakeholder feedback, audit or assess, benchmark results, take corrective action, and update the SR policy, priorities and programme.

Voluntary initiatives evaluation

Annex A schemes should be assessed for credibility, transparency, stakeholder participation, governance, monitoring and verification before the organization relies on them.

Stakeholder engagement design

Define purpose and scope, identify stakeholders, choose dialogue format, set frequency, allocate resources, document outcomes, and tell stakeholders how their input influenced decisions.

Grievance mechanism purpose

A formal channel for stakeholders to raise concerns and seek remedy; it should be accessible, predictable, equitable, transparent, rights-compatible, and a source of continuous learning.

SR performance indicators

Measures chosen to track progress on prioritized issues; should be relevant, comparable, verifiable and linked to objectives, and may include qualitative as well as quantitative data.

Raising SR awareness step

The first integration step in clause 7: build understanding of SR principles, core subjects and impacts among leaders, employees and relevant value-chain partners.

Value chain responsibility

An organization should promote SR among suppliers and partners within its sphere of influence, using contracts, criteria, audits and capacity building, while avoiding shifting its own responsibility.

SR programme review triggers

Scheduled periodic review plus review after significant changes: new operations, mergers, incidents, regulatory change, or major shifts in stakeholder expectations.