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Paddy Doherty explains how to choose meaningful indicators for social and environmental standards systems
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Expanding the role of voluntary standards systems in achieving social justice and ecological sustainability
www.isealalliance.org
ISEAL Impacts Code
Short Course on Indicator Selection
Paddy Doherty
Impacts Manager
www.isealalliance.org
Expanding the role of voluntary standards systems in achieving social justice and ecological sustainability
What is an indicator?
> Indicators are signposts - they only indicate
> Wide range and no particular format for indicators - they can use quantitative or qualitative data
> Not measurements themselves, but are dependent on measurements e.g. “streetlights are indicators of the wealth of a community”
> Indicators need to be accompanied by protocols describing what will be measured to give the indicator meaning e.g. “# of streetlights per km²”
www.isealalliance.org
Expanding the role of voluntary standards systems in achieving social justice and ecological sustainability
www.isealalliance.org
Expanding the role of voluntary standards systems in achieving social justice and ecological sustainability
Selecting Indicators
> Include stakeholders in the process
> Clarify the organisation’s goals and objectives
> Describe the strategies used to reach the objectives - examples:
• Standards and verification activities
• Market development
• Capacity building (training)
• Advocacy (policy work)
www.isealalliance.org
Expanding the role of voluntary standards systems in achieving social justice and ecological sustainability
Key Impact Issues
> Environmental Integrity
– Biodiversity
– Water
– Soil Fertility
– Climate
– Natural Resource Management
> Social Development
– Labour Rights
– Gender Equity
– Access to Education
– Access to Health and Sanitation
– Cultural Identity> Economic Resilience
– Secure Livelihoods
– Social Capital
– Resilience to Economic Risk
– Inclusive Value Chains
www.isealalliance.org
Expanding the role of voluntary standards systems in achieving social justice and ecological sustainability
Gender Equity
Strategy Area Standards and verification Capacity Building
Intended outcomes
Women are receiving similar pay for similar work of men
Women are employed in non-traditional jobs
Indicators Women to men wage ratio Women employed in non-traditional jobs after training
www.isealalliance.org
Expanding the role of voluntary standards systems in achieving social justice and ecological sustainability
Enterprise Resiliency
Strategy Area:
Standards Capacity Building
Market Development
Intended outcomes:
X% of certified fishers have guaranteed contracts (including prices) with buyers
Small-scale fishers in certain countries are investing in new fishing equipment
X # of retailers are actively promoting branded fish in stores
Indicators: Contracts with buyers
Purchases of fishing equipment by certified fishers
Promotional campaigns by retailers
www.isealalliance.org
Expanding the role of voluntary standards systems in achieving social justice and ecological sustainability
Salient points
1. Choose the right indicators first; then determine if they are feasible to implement
2. If it is not feasible to monitor everything that is important, then be open about what is being monitored, and why
3. No indicator is perfect
Expanding the role of voluntary standards systems in achieving social justice and ecological sustainability
www.isealalliance.org
Thank you
Paddy Doherty
www.isealalliance.org
