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Impacts Code

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Watch a video on Demonstrating Impacts

Learn about sustainability standards and impacts

The true test of a standard is whether it actually improves sustainability. This video explains the importance of evaluating impacts to to make a standard more effective. More on our multimedia page...

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The ISEAL Code of Good Practice for Assessing the Impacts of Social and Environmental Standards (Impacts Code) helps standards systems to better understand the sustainability results of their work, as well as the effectiveness of their programs.

The Impacts Code offers a framework for building a monitoring and evaluation system capable of examining both short-term and long-term outcomes and requires standards systems to publicly report on the results of their evaluations. All standard-setting organisations that are members of the ISEAL Alliance commit to implementing the Impacts Code.

The Impacts Code requires standards systems to develop and implement a monitoring and evaluation plan that includes all the steps required to assess their contributions to social and environmental impact. These steps include identifying the impact they are seeking to achieve, defining strategies, choosing indicators and collecting data, conducting regular analysis and reporting of data as well as additional impact evaluations, and setting up feedback loops to improve their standard’s content and systems over time.

Take a look inside

Click below to read a snapshot of the Impacts Code in an online flip reader.  Download the full Impacts Code here or download the four page summary here.

 

 

 

Demonstrating and Improving Impacts

ISEAL members contributed actively to the development of ISEAL Impacts Code and recognise the importance of understanding, communicating and learning from the impacts of their programs. With support from the Ford Foundation, ISEAL and its agriculture and forestry members have launched a five year project to understand the contribution that standard systems make towards improving livelihoods and reducing poverty among smallholder producers and labourers. ISEAL members directly involved in this project include Forest Stewardship Council, Fairtrade International, 4C Association, Rainforest Alliance/Sustainable Agriculture Network, UTZ Certified and Union for Ethical Bio Trade.

In this project and other efforts to implement the Impacts Code, ISEAL and its members seek to build on expertise, knowledge, and systems already developed by other organisations with experience in monitoring and evaluation of sustainability standards. This includes organisations such as the Committee on Sustainability Assessment (COSA) and research organisations like CATIE.

For more information about the Impacts Code or projects related to its implementation, please contact our Senior Monitoring & Evaluation Manager, Kristin Komives at kristin@isealalliance.org

Related information and resources

Building the Bridge between M&E and Audit Data

Marta Maireles González
27 Jun 2012
As ISEAL members move forward with implementing the Impacts Code and building their monitoring and evaluation systems, they depend on credible and high quality information about how certification is leading to sustainability objectives. Can the assurance process help to generate this data? A session at the ISEAL conference looked at how audits could be strengthened to support M&E.

Standards & the Private Sector: Mutual Interest in Impacts

Kristin Komives
15 Jun 2012
In a frank and earnest session during the ISEAL conference, standards-setters and top companies discussed their shared need to learn more about the impacts of certification. Debating the challenges involved collecting and analysing data, they looked at how collaboration could help deliver the high quality information that is needed about impact.

Monitoring and Evaluation System Report

ISEAL Alliance
11 May 2012
The Monitoring and Evaluation System Report is the main document that members use to report on progress in implementing their monitoring and evaluation programmes.

Impacts Code Compliance Roadmap

ISEAL Alliance
1 Apr 2012
Assessing Compliance with the ISEAL Impacts Code is a form completed by ISEAL members that outlines the steps they will take and timeline for reaching full compliance with the Impacts Code.

Assessing the Impacts of Sustainability Standards: Our Recommended Reads

Marta Maireles González
17 Jan 2012
As the Impacts Code enters a new project phase, there is no more important debate in the standards community than how to measure & scale up the impacts of sustainability standards. Marta Maireles recaps the must-read research on this topic.

ISEAL Alliance Issues First Annual Report

ISEAL Alliance
26 Sep 2011
ISEAL has published its first ever annual report. Released on 22 September 2011, ISEAL’s 2010 Annual Report highlights work on the groundbreaking Impacts Code and the growth in the ISEAL learning community.

Measuring the Impacts of Certification

Rosie Forsyth
6 Jul 2011
In a thought-provoking session at the ISEAL Public Day Conference Dr. Kristin Komives, Monitoring and Evaluation Manager at the ISEAL Alliance, and Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Director of Evaluation & Research at the Rainforest Alliance, took a closer look at how to assess the impacts of certification.

Update: Launch of the ISEAL Impacts Code this Month

ISEAL Alliance
30 Nov 2010
Brazil is a country already strongly engaged in moving to more socially and environmentally responsible practices. It has some of the strongest environmental laws in the world, an effective NGO movement and a supportive financial sector.

Uma visão geral sobre a Aliança ISEAL

ISEAL Alliance
16 Nov 2010
Introduction to the ISEAL Alliance in Portuguese

ISEAL Launches Impacts Code in Sao Paulo – Tuesday 16 November

ISEAL Alliance
8 Nov 2010
Next week ISEAL — in association with Imaflora and Amigos da Terra — will be hosting a high level meeting in Brazil with 100 key decision-makers — from business and civil society — who are engaged in sustainable value chain implementation efforts and discussions.