Service Offerings: CSR Reporting

CSR Reporting

Sample Clients

ChevronTexaco, Chiquita, Ford Motor Company, Gap, Inc., Home Depot, HP, IBM, McDonald's, UPS

Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) provides a wide range of assistance to companies engaged in corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting.

Building Models for Increased Transparency

BSR has helped lead the development of CSR reporting as a professional discipline. Staff have participated in collaborative efforts by entities such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), AccountAbility and the U.K. Company Law Review to develop and refine CSR reporting guidelines and standards.

Reporting Strategy

BSR helps companies determine their approach to reporting in areas such as frequency of reporting, scope (geographic, business unit, supply chain, etc), verification, and internal processes for managing CSR reports. BSR educates companies about external reporting guidelines and standards (AA1000, Global Reporting Initiative and others), and provides strategic counsel on transparency issues.

Report Development

BSR provides significant assistance to companies as they develop their reports. This includes helping companies draft effective outlines for CSR reports, write content, determine appropriate qualitative and quantitative (key performance indicator -- KPI) metrics to be included in their reports and make decisions regarding reporting standards, design, and tone. BSR facilitates internal report development processes and/or participates on the cross-functional committees often formed to develop CSR reports. BSR does not audit CSR reports.

Facilitation of Stakeholder Dialogue for the Reporting Process

BSR works with companies as a neutral convener/facilitator of stakeholder meetings. BSR offers support in the planning, design, facilitation and follow-up of single and ongoing stakeholder engagement events. BSR has special expertise in helping companies engage directly with local community stakeholders.

Report Review

BSR reviews draft CSR reports and provides detailed, comprehensive BSR reviews draft CSR reports and provides detailed, comprehensive feedback to companies on report content, scope, quality and tone. BSR also helps companies anticipate stakeholder reaction to report content to ensure a credible product.

CSR Reporting Example Projects

The following are illustrative examples of CSR Reporting projects completed by BSR:

Strategy

  • BSR provided -- over a two-year period -- extensive support to this global agricultural company to help it develop and implement an overarching reporting strategy with the goal of being an overall reporting leader in reporting. BSR staff presented to the company's CSR Reporting team, helped develop a report outline, provided counsel on strategies for securing stakeholder input, and reviewed report drafts for feedback and input.
  • BSR worked closely with this global energy company to help develop its first CSR report allowing the company to respond more effectively to stakeholder concerns and compete in its sector. BSR's engagement involved co-facilitating training sessions for the company's internal CSR reporting team, helping to draft a report outline, and providing input on report scope, tone and content.
  • BSR served as senior advisor to staff of this global pharmaceutical company as it worked to identify CSR-related economic performance indicators and metrics that align with the Global Reporting Initiative triple bottom-line standards. The project involved the development of an economic reporting framework and specific metrics related to sourcing, workforce, product development and manufacturing, product distribution and access, financial investments, site selection and social investment.

Report Development

  • BSR worked closely with this global retailer to help it develop preliminary reporting information to be included in its annual report, as well as an outline for its first CSR report.
  • BSR helped this global technology company develop its first CSR report providing detailed feedback on each of the sections of the report and outlining suggested improvements.
  • BSR was part of a multi-stakeholder team providing ongoing guidance and feedback to this global food retailer in the development of its first external CSR report. Counsel included discussion of transparency requirements, stakeholder engagement, assurance protocols, material issues and metrics.

Report Review

  • BSR -- for the last three years -- has provided feedback on the draft CSR reports of this global technology company. The review process included comments about the report's strengths and weaknesses overall, as well as comments on each section – social, environmental and economic.
  • BSR reviewed the first report of this global logistics service provider and outlined suggested improvements that could be made to the order and content of the report so that it would be more credible and better address stakeholder concerns.
  • BSR provided input on the first report of this global consumer products company. BSR commented on strengths and weaknesses of the report as well as on issues such as tone, credibility, transparency, content, flow, scope, metrics, design and overall presentation, and likely stakeholder response.