Social Accountability

ISO 26000 is a guidance document for social responsibility | accountability, helpful to SA8000. While ISO 26000 alignment is with ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, is a guidance publication not intended for certification. Current guide ISO 26000 is to apply to all types of entities including industry, private, and even government.

Expectations are that any given company that is accountable and thus demonstrate effective performance in regards to their accountability and social responsibility such that policies and actions are define, implement and maintain such that accounts for the needs to address:

Child labor

Forced Labor

Health and Safety

Freedom to Associate

Discrimination

Disciplinary Practices

Work Load | Hours

Compensation

Benefits

Management System

"Green" Initiatives

Financial, legal and regulatory obligations

Such that respect, opportunity, responsibility and integrity flourish. These can be addressed under agreement as for a competent and independent third party attests in aligning with Guide ISO 26000.

Development of an International Standard that address social accountability responds to:

The importance and success that ISO standards are bringing to the private and public sectors,
The need of a standard contributing to infrastructure from an international perspective in which over 150 member countries can contribute and agree,

Why not presenting ISO 26000 as a certifiable standard?

ISO 9001 QMS standards focus on customer satisfaction and to meet the needs of interested parties, and ISO 14001 EMS standards focus to systematically identify and improve through environmental responsibility by addressing environmental aspects in benefit of interested parties. Both ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 are relevant to social responsibility | accountability, since both standards focus on the needs of interested parties (stakeholders). Then this leaves open for certification bodies to establish Social Accountability verification and validated protocols, such as SA8000 and equivalent or similar others.

The intent of the Social Responsibility | Accountability standard Guide ISO 26000 (2010) is to:

Assist organizations in identifying, establishing, implementing and acting over those social aspects for which is accountable in view of legal expectations and in protection of interested parties,
Provides a basis to advance or "Operational Social Accountability"
Propitiate guidance that relates to the previous,
Helps organizations to identify and engage with stakeholders, and
Provide a basis for the credibility of reports and claims made regarding social responsibility | accountability

Is the intent that ISO 26000 be a basis to establish fundamental performance and from thereon to optimize and enhance operations through processes. ISO 26000 is no susbtitute to laws and regulations, it references statutory, legal and regulations as well as expectations from concern parties. For certification verify SR&A (social responsibility and accountability based Guide ISO 26000 through many certification bodies).

Expectations are that ISO 26000 will help companies to identify areas to improve from a basic fundamental management system and demonstrate their commitment to society. And if operational activities or instances where there is no compliance to legal, statutory, requirements and including possibly expectations top management is accountable, It is top management to define, plan, act and verify effectiveness.