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CSR Assessment

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What is a CSR assessment?

A CSR assessment is an evaluation of how well a company has integrated corporate social responsibility (CSR) into its business. CSR is a business model that encourages companies to consider and address environmental, social and ethical issues in their supply chains. By undertaking a CSR assessment, you can better understand how your company performs in relation to your peers and will be able to provide valuable information to your customers and other stakeholders.

The first step is to gather, analyze and examine all relevant and important information about the company’s services, products, activities and decision-making processes where the company currently stands in relation to its activities, and locate areas to address CSR issues. A proper CSR assessment should provide the following information about the company assessed on four themes.

Four CSR Themes

The CSR assessment will show the main risks and opportunities that a business faces and gives a thorough analysis of the following: How effective is the company’s strategy in responding to emerging opportunities and issues? Where are the company’s strengths and where does it have room to improve with regard to CSR? The answers to these questions can provide valuable information to stakeholders.

Learn More About the Criteria in our Comprehensive Methodology Guide

Why Conduct a CSR Assessment?

Most companies have these assessments conducted at the request of their clients and stakeholders. The lack of information regarding corporate social responsibility makes it difficult for upper management to make beneficial and informed decisions. Intelligence gathered from the assessment can protect a firm from heading in an unsustainable direction

Many large corporations now incorporate CSR into their brand image, making Supply Chain Sustainability, and social ethics just as important as the products they sell.

How is the Assessment Carried Out?

A CSR assessment generally involves the following steps:

  1. Assemble a CSR leadership team;
  2. Develop a working definition of CSR;
  3. Identify legal requirements;
  4. Review corporate documents, processes and activities;
  5. Identify and engage key stakeholders.

There are many ways to conduct an assessment, but this is one way for a firm to evaluate the full range of its operations through a CSR lens. The EcoVadis Assessment and Rating Methodology captures and analyzes information and distills it into a scorecard with a rating on a 0 to 100 scale. The methodology is based on the following principles:

  • Relies on evidence;
  • Considers industry sector, country and size;
  • Uses diversified sources;
  • Emphasizes technology;
  • Employs international CSR experts for assessments;
  • Ensures traceability and transparency;
  • Strives for continuous improvement.

Have you received a request from a client to be assessed on CSR Practices?

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