Contact us
Illustration for ISO management-system services

ISO 26000

ISO 26000 social responsibility implementation

ISO 26000 consulting helps organisations understand their responsibilities for operational impacts on people, the environment and society. Vosurein reviews activities and stakeholders, then identifies priorities, departmental actions and evidence for communication so that social responsibility extends beyond a list of events.

Discuss ISO 26000 social responsibility implementation needs

For Your Business

Who this service is for and when to start

Suitable for companies starting to establish ESG management, wishing to organize responsibilities across departments, or needing to respond to customer and employee concerns. It can be initiated before strategic planning, policy updates, or major operational changes, allowing issue discussions to potentially influence decisions.

The Challenge

Common challenges faced by businesses

Donations or volunteer activities are visible but do not necessarily address the main impacts caused by operations. If working conditions, supply relationships, and customer rights are not checked, social responsibility may become disconnected from daily operations.

Another issue is making public commitments first while the department lacks resources or metrics to support them. It is necessary to first confirm what can be done, who is responsible, and then form appropriate external statements.

Our Approach

Methods and applicable requirements

ISO 26000:2010 provides social responsibility guidance. It is not a management system requirements standard and is not intended for certification. Adopting it does not entitle an organisation to claim ISO 26000 certification. This service helps identify responsibilities and put actions into practice.

The priorities below depend on the organisation’s context. Confirm the scope and level of supporting evidence at the start.

Identify relevant issues

Examine the actual relationship with operations from the perspectives of organizational governance, human rights, labor practices, environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, and community involvement and development.

Stakeholders

Identify who is affected by the business, who can provide important information, and arrange appropriate participation methods; do not only invite those familiar with the business or easily reachable.

Responsibility and Action

Assign priority issues to departments with authority and resources, agree on short-term handling and medium-term improvements, and retain unresolved matters.

Communication and Review

Check whether commitments are supported by actions and whether the disclosed information is consistent with the scope; avoid promoting the results of a single activity as if the entire business has fully achieved it.

Process

Consulting scope and process

  1. Organize Activities and Relationships

    Interview key departments and review operational activities, affected parties and existing social responsibility work.

  2. Select Priority Issues

    Discuss impacts and current capacity to address them. Identify issues requiring management decisions and gaps in supporting information.

  3. Arrange Department Measures

    Assist responsible persons in setting actions, resources, and tracking methods, and plan communication or internal training if necessary.

  4. Review Actions and Disclosure

    Review progress and feedback, confirm evidence, limitations, and subsequent improvements of public statements.

Preparation

What documents do companies need to prepare?

  • Operations and Relationships: Main activities, supply chain, and stakeholders.
  • Policies and Responsibilities: Policies related to governance, human rights, labor, and environment.
  • Implementation records: Measures, complaints, communications, and problem tracking records.
  • Public Commitment: Responsibility statements in websites, reports, and customer responses.

An index or summary is enough for an initial discussion. Before sharing personal data, confidential contract information or system records, agree on access authorisation, redaction and retention.

Project Planning

Estimating time and cost

Evaluate based on the number of issues, the scope of operations, depth of stakeholder participation, and the number of workshops. General system guidance, legal opinions, professional investigations, or report preparation should be confirmed separately; certification fees should not be considered a necessary expenditure for the introduction of this guidance.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can an ISO 26000 certificate be obtained?

ISO 26000 is not applicable for certification. Consultant courses, participation certificates, or assessment reports cannot be claimed as ISO 26000 management system certification.

Is social responsibility the same as charitable activities?

No. It also depends on the company's daily decisions and impacts in governance, employees, environment, customers, and supplier relationships.

Can it be connected to ESG management?

Issues and actions can be linked to existing management processes; which reporting framework to use externally needs separate confirmation.

Do all issues need to be addressed at once?

First check the relationship between the issues and operations, then decide on priority actions. Not listing them in the current work does not mean relevant responsibilities can be ignored.

Can ISO 26000 replace GRI?

It cannot directly replace it. Social responsibility management and reporting disclosure have different purposes. Relevant information can be shared, but needs should be confirmed separately.

How to avoid content being just slogans?

Each commitment corresponds to a responsible person, practical measures, and traceable data. Work that is not yet completed should be honestly explained.

Related

Related services and enquiries

Tell us your industry, the activities you want to improve, your existing system and your target completion date so we can define the scope together.

Content checked: . Applicable versions and requirements depend on the company’s circumstances.

Let's Talk

Start a conversation about your needs.

Tell us how the work is done today and when you hope to finish,
so we can agree the scope and way of working together.

Discuss your service needsBack to ISO management-system contents