ISEAL Alliance

By Karin Kreider, ISEAL Scaling Up Director

In order to scale up the use of social and environmental standards around the globe there is an urgent need to increase the awareness and understanding of standards systems among key potential users of these systems: government representatives, civil society organisations focusing on capacity building or advocacy, and businesses who are either looking to apply standards to their own production systems, through their supply chains, or as screens to determine their engagement. 

While the market for certified products and services is growing rapidly, information and knowledge about standards systems as tools for improving performance and linking sustainable production with consumption remains a key limitation to growth. Most people engaged in sustainable development or CSR areas of practice have very little idea what a sustainability standard system is, how it actually operates and what questions to ask to seek to determine if a particular standard is worth engaging with. This is clearly a key bottleneck but also a tremendous opportunity for growth in the uptake of standards systems.

The ISEAL Alliance, together with partner GIZ, recently commissioned a study to explore the feasibility of a Standards Systems Academy which would provide a range of information and training services on social and environmental standards systems. As part of the study, three interrelated activities were conducted;

1. market research;
2. business model exploration and;
3. pilot training module development.

The market research has shown that there is interest in general training on voluntary standards systems (VSS) within the three target groups analysed (businesses, government officials and NGOs)  and that there are few other training providers currently providing this type of service.

In order to ensure the possibility of a fast scaling up, a licensing system was proposed, relying on local training organisations for the provision of trainings to end customers. The core activities of the Standards Academy would be the management of the network of local training organisations for training delivery, the development of training curriculum, the quality control of training delivered under the name of the Standards Academy, and the running of certification and registration services for participants of the training courses. The business model proposal suggests that the Standards Academy become an independent legal entity after a trial period. A close relationship between the Academy and ISEAL would be maintained, as it was identified by local training providers as very important to the credibility of the training.

The following key criteria for success were proposed for the Academy:

• Customer Focus: Fill a need, Add value for customers
• VSS Movement: Promote the use of VSS, Contribute to a coherent training landscape
• General: Ability to grow fast, Financial sustainability, Cost efficiency, Credibility

Although initially excluded from the market research, conversations with staff from ISEAL member organisations identified the opportunity to develop generic auditor training as an additional component of the Standards Academy. This will be explored further with ISEAL members.

ISEAL staff and board will be analysing the results of the study to develop an action plan for moving forward.