Sector Supplement Development Process Overview
When GRI works to updating existing documents or adds new documents to the Reporting Framework this is the process it follows:
· GRI assembles a small Working Group of about 20 experts with regional diversity that represents different stakeholder groups, including business, civil society, labor, investors and others as relevant. The participants volunteer their expertise to develop the particular document.
· The Working Group process usually takes about one to two years to produce a draft version of the document.
· This draft is then released into the public domain for a minimum of 90 days, and all interested parties are invited to submit their comments and suggestions about the document.
· A wider Practitioners’ Network, including experts, practitioners and other stakeholders, can be formed. The Practitioners’ Network contributes to the Working Group discussions and is kept informed as the development continues.
· The Working Group submits the document to GRI’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) who reviews the content and the development process to make sure it complies with GRI’s due process standards and quality expectations. These require:
- high technical quality;
- accuracy; and
- development according to an inclusive multi-stakeholder consensus-seeking process.
· Based on results, the Technical Advisory Committee will present its recommendations to the Board of Directors. The recommendations will either be that the document must undergo an update or further development or that it can be released in its final version. If the document under development is the Guidelines themselves, the Stakeholder Council also reviews proposed amendments and issues a concur/non-concur opinion to the Board.
Please note that every part of the GRI Reporting Framework is a living document. Therefore they will all continue to follow a cycle of reviews, tests, and improvement to maintain an up-to-date Reporting Framework.