Corporate social responsibility management system certification

Certification core content

The certification of corporate social responsibility management system revolves around the systematic management of social responsibility, with the following dimensions as the core:

Organizational environment and leadership role: understand the organization and its internal and external environment, identify the needs and expectations of relevant parties, the commitment and leadership role of top managers, formulate social responsibility policies, and clarify responsibilities and authorities.

Core issues of social responsibility: covering seven core issues,human rights, labor practice, environment, fair operation practice, consumer issues, community participation and development.

Risk assessment and management: systematically identify and assess the risks of adverse effects of organizational activities on society, and determine the social responsibility risks that need to be dealt with first.

Planning and goal setting: formulating social responsibility goals, planning measures to achieve goals, and coping with risks.

Support process: resource allocation, personnel ability and training, social responsibility awareness training, communication mechanism, and documented information control.

Operational control: integrate social responsibility requirements into business processes, supply chain social responsibility management and outsourcing process control.

Performance evaluation: social responsibility performance monitoring and measurement, compliance evaluation, internal audit and management review.

Improvement mechanism: correction of nonconformities, continuous improvement measures, prevention of adverse effects and promotion of beneficial effects.

Certification process

Corporate social responsibility management system certification is usually divided into the following stages:

Application and acceptance: submit application materials (business license, system documents, etc.), and the certification body will conduct application review to confirm that the organization has the basic conditions for certification (the system has been in operation for 3 months, the internal audit and management review have been completed, no major accidents have occurred within one year, and it has not been included in the list of serious dishonesty).

First-stage audit (document audit): conduct document audit and on-site preparation evaluation, review the compliance of social responsibility system documents with standard requirements, understand the basic situation of the organization, main risks and compliance with laws and regulations, and confirm the adequacy of the second-stage audit preparation.

The second stage audit (on-site audit): conduct on-site audit, including personnel interview, document record inspection, on-site operation inspection, social responsibility performance verification, evaluate the compliance and effectiveness of the system, and identify nonconformities.

Rectification and review: for the nonconformities found in the audit, the organization shall complete the rectification within the specified time limit and submit the evidence, which will be reviewed by the audit team.

Certification decision and certification: certification certificate will be issued after the technical review is passed, confirming that the organization meets the standard requirements, and the certificate is valid for three years.

Supervision and audit: conduct supervision and audit once a year after obtaining the certificate (within 12 months after certification for the first time, and the interval between two supervision shall not exceed 15 months) to confirm that the system continues to meet the certification requirements.

Re-certification audit: Re-certification audit is conducted before the certificate expires, and the certification qualification is extended, usually for three years.

Certification value

Enhance organizational image and trust: show the commitment and practice of the organization to social responsibility to stakeholders (customers, investors, communities and employees), enhance trust and enhance brand image.

Enhance market competitiveness: certified enterprises are more likely to enter new markets (56% of certified organizations say that market access is more convenient), and they have obvious advantages in bidding and supply chain access.

Get economic benefits: 41% of the certified organizations get direct financial benefits, and 26% enjoy more convenient financing channels (bank credit or public financing).

Reduce operational risks: systematically identify and manage social responsibility risks, prevent adverse events such as labor disputes and environmental accidents, and reduce legal risks and operating costs.

Improve operational efficiency: optimize resource allocation through systematic management, reduce resource waste and realize cost saving.

Meet compliance requirements: help organizations meet the requirements of domestic and international social responsibility-related laws and regulations (such as CSRD and ESG disclosure requirements) and adapt to regulatory trends.

Promote continuous improvement: establish a systematic performance monitoring and improvement mechanism to promote the continuous progress of the organization in the field of social responsibility.

Attracting talents and investment: It is particularly important to enhance the attractiveness of the organization to talents and investors in the context of the increasing popularity of ESG investment.