Corporate responsibility training

Versión en español

 

Our five-day public corporate responsibility training is for managers, academics, consultants and auditors seeking a solid grounding in corporate responsibility, and
those seeking to move into the CR field.

It was the first public CR training in the world to be certified by the International Register
of Certificated Auditors (IRCA) to its latest training criteria. The certification is now
overseen by AccountAbility (read more on the AccountAbility website).

Courses are run several times a year in Europe, the USA and Asia.

Course overview

Since its launch in March 2008, hundreds of delegates have completed our certified public corporate responsibility training.

Companies who’ve sent staff on the course include BAE Systems,BAT, BSI, The Co-operative, Deloitte, Eni, Ernst & Young, Guardian News & Media, Maersk, Nestlé, Nokia, PwC, RBS, SGS, SK Telecom and Vodafone.

The course is broken into four modules:

• Corporate responsibility and sustainability: A general introduction to current issues in corporate social responsibility, sustainability and accountability, and the regulatory context - including the new ISO 26000 international social responsibility standard.
• Stakeholder engagement: Covers the rationale for stakeholder engagement and how to undertake it successfully. Includes detailed examination of AccountAbility and UNEP stakeholder engagement methodologies.
• Reporting: Covers the aims and benefits of sustainability reporting and key principles including materiality. Looks closely at the Global Reporting Initiative ‘G3’ sustainability reporting guidelines. Review and evaluate a range of company reports.
• Assurance practitioner training: A two-day module. Covers the principles and procedures of sustainability assurance with reference to the newly revised AA1000 Assurance Standard. Hands-on experience through a team-based assurance exercise.

Delegates can take all four modules together over five days, or can attend one or more individual modules.

If you're looking for a fast and focused introduction to the corporate responsibility and sustainability field, we suggest you start with the first module. This has been the foundation training of choice for many delegates over the years.

The training is delivered by expert practitioners with many years of experience of working and advising on sustainability and CSR programmes for major companies.

• Why should I attend?
• Course modules in detail
• Prerequisites
• Course style
• The CSAP programme
• What delegates say
• Course brochure (PDF file)

Course modules in detail

The Two Tomorrows corporate responsibility training programme runs over five days and comprises four modules. You can choose to do all four modules over five days or else pick one or more individual modules.

Module A: Foundation in corporate responsibility and sustainability

This module covers current issues in corporate responsibility, its key drivers and the regulatory context. It will provide delegates with an understanding of the relationship between corporate responsibility, sustainability and accountability as well as explain the benefits that they provide to organisations. The module also provides an overview of leading sustainability guidelines, such as the GRI sustainability reporting guidelines, the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement and Assurance Standards and the ISO 26000 international social responsibility standard.

Module B: Foundation in stakeholder engagement

This module provides delegates with a thorough grounding in the rationale and benefits of stakeholder engagement, and how it relates to business strategy. It will provide an understanding of both the theory and methodology for effective stakeholder engagement, including how to identify stakeholders and the issues that are likely to be material to them. It covers both the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard and the UNEP Stakeholder Engagement Manual in detail, and will enable delegates to plan and implement effective stakeholder engagement programmes.

Module C: Foundation in sustainability reporting

This module covers sustainability reporting, including its purpose and benefits. Delegates will gain an understanding of the key principles underlying effective reporting, including materiality. The module will also cover the GRI G3 guidelines in detail, including practical exercises assessing the effectiveness of leading companies' reporting

Module D: Assurance practitioner training

This module takes place over two days. The first day provides delegates with an understanding of the benefits and principles underlying sustainability assurance. It includes detailed discussion of the changes to the AA1000 Assurance Standard. The second day will provide delegates with an understanding of typical assurance processes and procedures. It includes an opportunity to gain first hand experience through a team-based exercise where delegates will apply the AA1000AS principles to a case study and write an assurance statement following AA1000AS.

Prerequisites

Modules may be taken independently. However some prior knowledge is required. Delegates should have prior knowledge as follows:

• Module A: no prior knowledge required
• Module B: Module A or equivalent knowledge
• Module C: Module A or equivalent knowledge
• Module D: Module A, B, C or equivalent knowledge

If you are wanting to take modules B, C or D without having previously attended our training, we will ask you to complete a short questionnaire so we can check your understanding and experience.

Course style

The course is delivered through a mixture of lectures, practical exercises and small group discussion. Each module includes case studies and exercises based on leading companies. Modules include a brief assessment exercise such as a quiz or practical team exercise to ensure understanding.

To maximise learning, class size is limited to a maximum of 20 on any one day.

The CSAP programme

Successful completion of the course leads to an AccountAbility-approved certificate. The course fulfils the training requirements to apply for the Associate level of the Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner (CSAP) programme. It also contributes significantly towards the requirements of becoming a CSAP or Lead CSAP. For further details on the CSAP programme or the application process, please see the AccountAbility website or contact AccountAbility directly.

What delegates say

“It was informative and incredibly inspiring to share in the experiences and perspectives of such a diverse and enthusiastic group. We covered so much valuable material in such a short space of time – a real feat of facilitation!”
- Laura Frost, Arup

“The course was intensive and comprehensive, and a great personal and professional experience. I benefited most from the methodical coverage of key issues and AccountAbility standards, the case studies and the network of participants formed during the course. The knowledge I gained helped me win a stakeholder engagement project with a major client.”
- Shirley Kantor Shani, Social Strategy for Business