Annual Plan 2020
The Clock is Ticking

23 rd December 2019

Scale Fir st , D e pth L ate r
The clock is ticking. With only ten years to achieve the SDGs, we must be aspirational. That is why we choose
scale first, depth later. Most benchmarks begin with around 30 companies - we're going for 2,000 by 2023. Thismeans we are going to benchmark hundreds of companies in 2020.
We will do spotlight projects and benchmarks – like the Gender Equality and Empowerment Benchmark in
Apparel – when it helps us learn, remain credible and stay relevant. We can then scale the lessons learnt.
Scale versus depth is one tension. We will face many more. In dealing with these, we trust in our Allies and thebroader ecosystem by sounding out views and sense checking our decisions – always listening to different
perspectives.
This will help us to remain inclusive. We need to be comfortable dealing with uncertainty, honest about what
we do not yet know, but always decisive, making things simple and remaining independent. It's only throughscale we can achieve our mission. The clock is ticking.

Contents
Benchmarking co mpanies across seven s ystems transformati ons ..................................... 5
Social Transformation ........................................................................................................................... 6
Gender Equality and Empower ment Benchmark (GEEB) ................................................. 6
Corporate Human Rights Benchmark (CHRB) ...................................................................... 8
Agriculture and Food S ystem Transformation ........................................................................ 9
Food and Agriculture Benchmark ............................................................................................. 9
Seafood ............................................................................................................................................. 10
Decarbonisation and Energy Transformation ........................................................................ 12
Digital Transformation ................................................................................................................... 14
Circular Transformation ................................................................................................................. 16
Financial Transformation .............................................................................................................. 17
Urban Transformation .................................................................................................................... 18
Organisation al I mpact......................................................................................................................... 19
WBA Wide Engagement ...................................................................................................................... 20
Communications ......................................................................................................................... 23
Operations ............................................................................................................................................... 26
Operational Highlights for 20 20 ................................................................................................. 26
People ............................................................................................................................................... 26
Learnin g a nd Developmen t ....................................................................................................... 26
Processe s ......................................................................................................................................... 27
Cult ure .............................................................................................................................................. 27
Governance ..................................................................................................................................... 27
Budget ............................................................................................................................................... 28
IT and Dat a ..................................................................................................................................... 28

4

Benchmarking companies acrossseven systems transformations
Systems thinking is not a new way to compartmentalisedevelopment, sustainability or even the SDGs. But it is a new way tostructure and assess the impact that business has on whether weachieve the SDGs by 2030. Systems place the SDGs into a wider
narrative and illustrate the interlinkages between them, while at thesame time divvying corporate accountability to the system(s) closest
to a company’s core business. Through the WBA systems narrative,
first launched at the High Level Political Forum in 2019, companies
are presented with not only a clear dissection of where their operations have the opportunity to make adifference, but also roadmaps of how.
The SDGs can only be achieved with the contribution of keystone companies, sectors and cross-sectoralcollaboration. Together, these actors have the ability to shift any negative or positive trends within theirsystems, and benchmarks have the ability to incentivise companies to move, motivate and influence one
another. Just like keystone species are unique and imperative in a biological ecosystem, keystone companies areindispensable in their home system. All 2,000 companies have been selected due to their scale, influence,
impact on developing countries and above all impact on this planet’s habitats and inhabitants.
The seven systems present the framework through which the WBA will develop benchmarks. It provides theconceptual underpinnings and practical structure for assessing 2,000 companies by 2023. By the end of thisfourth year, all keystone companies will have been assessed by at least one of our benchmarks. Many will havebeen assessed more than once as the annual cycle will be well underway – a rich time-series through which toassess progress. Indeed, we will have a particularly comprehensive picture of the most influential keystonecompanies that, because they feature in multiple systems, will have been assessed on a wide range of criteria.
But we know that benchmarks and data alone cannot create the change. That’s why we were founded as an
Alliance from our inception, based on an understanding that our success rests on our ability to build a diverse
and inclusive global network of stakeholders from the public, private, and civil society sectors. Grounded in thespirit of SDG 17 (partnership for the Goals), our Alliance currently consists of over 100 organisations
representing a range of sectors, industries, and geographic regions, and committed to collaborating with us tomeasure, monitor, and accelerate increased corporate action and accountability on the SDGs. Over the nextyear, we aim to significantly increase the impact Alliance, including through the recruitment of new voices that
represent important constituencies in the global south.
2020 will be a year in which we further develop, and communicate, the three layers of WBA’s core business –the WBA institution; the transformation benchmarks (e.g. Digital Inclusion) and the spotlight benchmarks (e.g.
Seafood) and amplify the Alliance.
The full list of 2,000 keystone companies will be launched at the World Economic Forum in January 2020.
Though not all 2,000 companies will be benchmarked in 2020, the announcement allows all companies and ourAllies to digest the scale and scope of our ambitions. It puts the 2000 companies on notice of the intent that by2023 they will be measured on their core business performance; and therefore is, at the same time, aninvitation for them to work with us. It also builds a certain level of expectation surrounding these companies,
not only amongst themselves, but also amongst other stakeholders.

5Social Transformation
The Social Transformation is at the heart of the WBA seven systems approach. Its scope is the achievement of
universal human development by empowering people to pursue the choices they value and ensuring
inclusiveness and equality with human rights at its core. The topics in this system are of particular importance todeveloping countries. The benchmarks are relevant to all industries and all companies globally. For this reason,by 2023, WBA will have benchmarked the progress of all 2,000 companies on some aspect of the socialtransformation.
Obj ec tive
In order to scale the social transformation, WBA will, during 2020, develop and consult on a small set of core
indicators that are highly significant for developing countries, industry-agnostic and so can be applied to all 2,000
companies by 2023. Initial conversations have focused on exploring the potential scope of this benchmark andindicators of Allies. Other relevant initiatives have been mapped to identify potential topics and indicators suchas human rights and living wages as well as new ones such as lobbying, anti-corruption and tax.
In addition to these core indicators, WBA will also integrate system-specific social indicators into each of our otherbenchmarks – this will ensure that relevant transformation-specific social issues are also taken into account. For
example, the issue of women smallholder farmers may be relevant to the Food & Agriculture Benchmark. Digital
Inclusion will explore privacy and affordability.
For relevance and learning purposes, our Spotlight Benchmarks will go deep and identify insights and lessons toscale our efforts more broadly.
• The Corporate Human Rights Benchmark will assess the progress of 225 companies in 2020;• WBA’s new Gender Equality and Empowerment Benchmark will launch with an in-depth analysis of ~35
apparel companies.
Plans for both of these benchmarks are outlined in detail below.
A c tivities f or 20 20
During the course of 2020, the key activities for the Social Benchmark with the core indicators are:(1) Produce a draft methodology detailing the Core Social Indicators against which all 2,000 companies will
be assessed.
(2) Consult on draft methodology in Q1 2020 with a mix of stakeholders, including those from, orrepresenting, developing countries, to generate dialogue, understand perspectives and help develop
the indicators in readiness for a more public consultation.
(3) Establish an Expert Review Committee (ERC) and get input from them during Q1 2020.
(4) Conduct public consultation on draft methodology in Q2 2020 with a mix of stakeholders to obtain
feedback on the draft methodology before it is finalised.
(5) Publish final methodology in Q3 2020.

Ge nder Equality and Empowe rment Benchmark (GEEB)PU B L IC A TIO N DA TE | SE PTEM BE R
The Gender Benchmark will be our leading tool for measuring gender equality and empowerment among
6companies. It will capture the comprehensive set of issues that women face (e.g. representation, compensation
and benefits, health and safety, violence & harassment) across the full value chain of companies (e.g.,
workplace, supply chain, marketplace, community). It will consider the issues that are particularly relevant forthe many women in developing countries that are part of these companies’ supply chains. It will address both
the risks to women’s rights, as well as the potential opportunities linked to the equal treatment of women andmen. It will consider the issues related to women that have been addressed in other ‘social assessment’ tools
and resources (e.g., CHRB, UNICEF), with the aim of addressing opportunities for greater efficiency and ‘gendermainstreaming’ on the one hand, and greater depth on the other.
There is a significant appetite and need for a tool that is fully transparent (available for the public, companies
and others to see) as well as comprehensive (looking at both commitment as well as actual performance;
looking across the full value chain; covering all the key gender issues), that also drives consensus around themost effective way to measure gender equality or empowerment in a company context.
The objectives for 2020 are:(1) Continue to engage with key stakeholders to drive as much consensus across as many initiatives as
possible regarding how to effectively measure gender equality/empowerment in companies, leveraging
the Gender Benchmark as a key tool in this context;(2) Build on the knowledge gleaned from our initial scoping report and roundtables in Mumbai, Vancouver
and Bangalore to finalise the Gender Benchmark methodology, a spotlight on the Apparel industry,
with an eye for sector-neutral factors that can help us later scale the lessons learnt, which offers acomprehensive approach to measuring gender equality/empowerment among companies;(3) Launch the first version of the Gender Benchmark, offering full transparency into where the top global
Apparel companies stand on gender equality/empowerment;(4) Leverage key moments in 2020, particularly given the 25 th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for
Action (an important moment in the women’s right movement), to drive support for the Gender
Benchmark.
A c tivities f or 20 20 an d the ir purp ose
A big milestone in itself, as there is very limited consensus with regards to effective measurement of genderequality/empowerment among companies, is the draft methodology. Our goal is to socialise this with as many
stakeholders as possible, to get a very broad set of initiatives to feedback on it, and implicitly offer their‘blessing’ for the way forward in how things should be measured. The final methodology will be ready in Marchfor publication.
Gender-disaggregated data is generally very poor, making the data collection a very telling phase of thebenchmark cycle, and the engagement with companies to this end may differ from other benchmarks. The final
benchmark will ultimately be published in September. There is overall a lot of action around sustainable fashionin the apparel industry, paired with a lot of focus on gender equality. However, seemingly there is only limited
progress around the intersection between the two – i.e. social/gender-focused sustainability in the apparelsector (apparel companies will later be assessed on environmental components in the broader Circulartransformation).
Another major element of the Gender Benchmark in 2020 is around community building which is essential in
the feminist movement. With so many disparate initiatives, investing in community building is critical, especiallyas our version of community building is grounded in ‘collective action’. The main engagement moments for the
Gender Benchmark will focus on stakeholders in the apparel industry, including in developing countries, as well7

as investors and civil society organisations and media. Given that 2020 marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing
Platform for Action, key moments for the Gender Benchmark will align with the various events happening in thisanniversary year.

Corpora te Human Rights Benchmark (C HRB)
PU B L IC A TIO N DA TE | L A TE NO VEM BE R
The full CHRB methodology provides a deep-dive assessment that will be key in understanding the correlation
between the wider social assessment on the SDG2000 and a deeper, spotlight assessment of human rights
performance. CHRB has a major focus on developing countries: analysis in 2019 has shown that almost all
allegations against the 200 multinationals within scope took place within developing countries.
Demonstrating the correlation between the WBA social-indicator scores and the CHRB will add legitimacy to the
WBA social transformation assessments. A new review of CHRB’s full methodology in 2020 will also enable
closer alignment of the 225 CHRB companies with the SDG2000 companies, providing deep dives on keystonecompanies, developing country impact and high-risk sectors. Respect for human rights is fundamental toachieving the SDGs, but the CHRB focus is on transforming global business’ approach to implementing the
UNGPs (to mainstream the respect for human rights and provide the ‘floor’ on which to build positive
contributions to the SDG ‘ceiling’).

A c tivities f or 20 20 an d the ir purp ose(1) Produce five industry benchmarks, covering 225 companies, in extractives, apparel, agricultural, ICT
and automobile sectors – due Nov 2020;(2) Conduct an in-depth review of the CHRB methodologies, including multiple public consultation rounds,
tracking of progress against CHRB objectives, creation of revised methodologies for 2021 spotlightbenchmarks. Q1 will focus on internal reviews and proposals. Q2 - Q4 will focus on external
consultation, revisions and second consultations. Final versions of the new methodologies are likely tobe published in Q1 2021, with final inputs received in Q4 2020;(3) Continue and expand the pick-up and use of 2019 CHRB data by key investor stakeholders. This
happens throughout the year, but there is a focus around the shareholder AGM timetables.
In addition, there will be a strong focus on the following:•••

Supporting the work to develop core social indicators and human rights components to other WBA
benchmarks, in line with the push towards an assessment of the full SDG2000 company list; as well as
accurately and consistently assessing human rights aspects across WBA benchmarks
Supporting national and regional level use of snapshot assessments using CHRB methodologies to feed
into policy level discussions regarding mandatory human rights due diligence and other government
led interventions;Continuing external engagement as per 2019 (speaking slots at conferences, UNGC, WBCSD, seminars,
investor awareness/training workshops, business & human rights events etc).

8Agriculture and Food System Transformation
The science is clear: without change the food system will destabilise the planet. However, it is possible to createa sustainable food future. Scientific reports on the food system published in 2019, such as the EAT Lancet
report, and reports by WRI and the IPCC all contained this alarming and optimistic perspective. In summary,their message: a menu of solutions is available to feed nearly 10 billion people by 2050 without depleting theplanet’s resources. It won’t be easy, the timeframe is short, and it entails no less than a systemic change that
requires all to move. But it is possible. And it is time to act now.

Food and Agriculture Benchmark
PU B L IC A TIO N DA TE | DE CE MB E R
WBA’s Food & Agriculture Benchmarks (“FAB”) will ensure that keystone companies in all segments of the foodsystems will be assessed on their contribution to the three dimensions of food system transformation: nutrition,
environment and social. In 2020, the WBA will initiate a ‘call to action’ for 300+ keystone companies in scope –the draft scope was presented at the 2019 EAT Forum - through the publication of the baseline benchmark,showing current commitments and kick-starting action in the lead up to the 2030 targets. This will be the largest
benchmark ever undertaken in a first year by going system-wide through a baseline assessment of allcompanies.
In 2021, 2022 and 2023 all keystone companies will have been assessed on their contribution to the foodsystem transformation, three times. This means that by 2023, we hope all companies will have formulated theircommitment and contribution to food system transformation and have shown change in either commitments,
policies and strategies, activities and processes and production - and preferably already in impact.
However, to achieve all targets of the food system transformation and to reach specific target groups involved –such as smallholder farmers and rural communities – smaller companies in the food chain need to also be
involved. By 2023, WBA will have also developed with partners and Allies approaches to involve smaller
companies in the food system transformation – which may differ for various segments in the value chain.
Objectives for 2020 are therefore:(1) Developing the indicators for the baseline benchmark;(2) Publishing the results of the baseline benchmark during the 2020 Tokyo Nutrition Summit;(3) Starting engagement with and opening conversations with all keystone companies selected for the
FAB;(4) Establishing the agenda for how the Food & Agricultural Benchmark will evolve towards 2030(‘conceptual framework’) to be presented at the 2020 EAT Forum;(5) Identifying models and different ways of including SME’s and companies beyond the keystonecompanies in the transformation.

B reak dow n of be nc hmark
Various existing benchmarks focus on sub-industries in the food chain: seed industry (ATSI), animal protein
industry (BBFAW, FAIRR), seafood industry (SSI), food producers (ATNI) or cross-cutting themes such as
deforestation (Forest 500) and human rights (CHRB). These benchmarks have had proven impact on industries
but together leave relevant segments of the food chain untouched (such as fertiliser, machinery, retail, foodservice) or assess companies only on part of the agenda of food system transformation. This limits thepossibilities for investors and other stakeholders to take food system transformation considerations into9

account in their portfolio’s and products and for other stakeholders to assess progress across the value chain
and in the round.
Where crucial gaps in the food system transformation agenda are not covered yet by benchmarks produced byAllies or partners, WBA can initiate or maintain the development of spotlight benchmarks such as the Seafood
Stewardship Index (because of its relevance for SDG 14) or the Access to Seeds Index (because of its relevancefor SDG 2, target 2.3.1, Productivity of small-scale food producers). Mapping these gaps will be part of theconversation with the Expert Review Committee and consultation of Allies and partners. WBA setting up
spotlight indexes, maintaining spotlight indexes or continuing existing spotlight indexes set up by partners andAllies will require additional funding and donor support.
A c tivities f or 20 20 an d the ir purp ose
For its activities and engagement, the FAB will as much as possible make use of existing events. Studies andmilestones will be presented at events such as the EAT Forum (June), the World Food Summit (TBC) and theAfrican Green Revolution Forum (TBC). For engagement with companies, trade fairs and industry events will beattended, such as the IDF World Dairy Summit (September), IFA Global Stewardship Conference (International
Fertilizer Association) (February) and the Global Summit of The Consumer Goods Forum (June). For example,
the different ways for SME inclusion will be presented at the Eat Forum 2020.
Launch of benchmarks will be linked to global events to ensure exposure in relevant stakeholder and target
groups. The baseline benchmark is set to be published at the Tokyo Nutrition Summit in December 2020, justlike the spotlight Seafood Stewardship Index was published during the Our Oceans Conference 2019 and theAccess to Seeds Index regional seed industry summits in Bangkok (Thailand), Abudja (Nigeria) and Dakar(Senegal) in 2019.
For specific target groups, such as farmers, that are less likely to be found at these kinds of events, WBA willorganise roundtables such as the farmer roundtables planed for November 2019 (Kathmandu and Nairobi).
WBA will also organise an industry roundtable for companies from all segments of the food chain (inputs,
production and processing, retail and service) to emphasise the systems dimension of the benchmark andexplore opportunities to create change across the value chain.
Five methodology building blocks will be produced in 2020:(1) Final scope (industries and companies) for the benchmark,(2) Conceptual framework and baseline indicators, (the growing model for the benchmark until 2030), tobe presented during the EAT Forum,(3) Baseline Benchmark Results, to be presented at Nutrition Summit in Tokyo,(4) First result of the exploration of inclusion of smaller companies, to be presented at EAT Forum,(5) Full methodology scheduled for Q1 2021 and depending on the planning of the UN Food System
Transformation Summit 2021 where the first full benchmark will be presented.

Seafood
For centuries, our planet’s oceans, lakes, rivers and other water sources have shaped and inspired our societies
and cultures, provided food sources and livelihoods, and informed adventurous and scientific intrigue. In recent
years climate change, growing populations and mounting seafood consumption per capita, are placingmonumental pressures on aquatic ecosystems. The Seafood Stewardship Index (“SSI”) was the firstWBA spotlight benchmark to be published (in October 2019) under the Food & Agricultural transformation.
Because of its relevance for SDG 14 life below water, and considering that the seafood industry has its own
complex supply-chain with unique issues, an in-depth benchmark of 30 companies has been developed. The SSI
demonstrates how the world’s leading seafood companies contribute to the sustainable management of ouroceans and coastal ecosystems, as well how they help ensure that responsible, sustainable practices are10

implemented in all stages of the supply chain. The first iteration of the benchmark was published at Our Oceans
Conference in Oslo, October 2019.
A c tivities f or 20 20 an d the ir purp ose
Without additional funding, activities in 2020 will focus on outreach and engagement and dissemination of theresults of the first benchmark. This is because WBA’s focus is taking the lessons learnt from SSI and scaling it
into the wider FAB systems benchmark (which contains a number of the largest seafood companies, albeit fewer
than the 30 in the spotlight). Seafood Expo North America (SENA) in Boston (March), Seafood Expo Global in
Brussels (April), and Seafood Expo Asia in Hongkong (September) are potential venues for outreach andengagement to communicate the results and promote actions arising from them amongst companies and theindustry, Allies, investors, civil society and policy-makers.
At least one further Expert Review Committee call will be scheduled in 2020. This will be the first opportunity
for the WBA to explore what ‘comes after’ a benchmark – identifying priorities for the engagement as well as
reflecting on the process to date.
With additional spotlight funding secured, initial planning to produce the second iteration of the SSI willcommence, set to be published in March 2021. Based on this timeframe, 2020 will involve restarting thedevelopment cycle. Stakeholder dialogues are an essential way to evaluate and discuss the results of thebenchmarking cycle, thus based on the feedback received during these dialogues, a revision of thebenchmark methodology will be developed. An important part of these activities is to revise and align the SSI
methodology with the FAB.
Objectives for 2020 will therefore likely focus around:(1) Evaluation of the first iteration;(2) Continued engagement with companies in scope as well as other stakeholders;(3) Aligning methodology with the FAB and reflecting on lessons learnt.

11Decarbonisation and Energy Transformation
PU B L IC A TIO N DA TE | A PRIL O R M AY & JU L Y
Through the international adoption of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs it was agreed that a majortransformation of the energy system and high-carbon emitting industries is needed to reduce emissions andglobal temperature rise, including climate action in the creation of a green economy and jobs. Working in
partnership with CDP, the Climate & Energy Benchmark aims to incentivise keystone companies to align theirstrategies and operations with a well below 2-degree pathway, and create a ‘race to the top’ wherebycompanies that are doing well will be recognised for their performance. This is part of our wider systems
transformation narrative that, towards 2023, includes access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy witha particular focus on developing countries.
In 2020, the Climate & Energy Benchmark will assess and compare the climate action performance ofcompanies across three high carbon-emitting industries: oil and gas, electric utilities and automotive. The
electric utilities benchmark will be based upon the experiences and learnings from the automotive one and use
2020 to complete the Methodology for oil and gas. Alongside, we will look to develop a benchmark for an
additional industry, most likely real estate, guided by the availability of the methodologies developed bypartners ACT and ADEME. During COP25, CDP and WBA co-published the first set of benchmarks for the
automotive industry including 30 keystone companies. In 2020 the publications of electric utilities and further
sectors will follow, listing a total of between 80-100 listed and non-listed companies in the first series ofbenchmarks. Together with partners CDP and ADEME, the methodologies for the three selected industries aredeveloped and integrated into the stakeholder consultation process organised and coordinated by the WBA.
The methodologies developed are building on existing methodologies from CDP and ADEME’s ACT-project, theareas of disclosure recommended by the TCFD and adjusted based on the input given by stakeholders. Thesemethodologies are aligned with the sectoral decarbonisation approach (SDA) enabling the measurement of theindustries’ alignment with a well below 2-degree pathway. By 2023, other industries will be added based on
stakeholder’s preferences, taking into account the rate of diminishing returns/impact.
Objectives for 2020 are therefore:(1) Engagement with companies across the three benchmarks;(2) Alignment of methodologies with partners;(3) Publication of electric utilities, and further benchmarks;(4) Roundtable events and open consultations;(5) Scoping of additional sub-industry benchmarks to include in the Decarbonisation and Energy
transformation.
B reak dow n of be nc hmark
CDP and WBA will co-publish the first cycle of the Climate & Energy Benchmark in 2020, including three industry
specific sub-benchmarks; automotive, electric utilities and a third sector (potentially real estate). Based onWBA’s landmark study in 2016 these industries have been prioritised as pivotal in reducing carbon emissions.
Additional benchmarks will be decided through open consultations and stakeholder dialogue, ensuring
benchmarks reflect societal needs and expectations.
We will continue to collaborate to ensure that we are building upon existing work and therefore reduce theburden for companies and provide easy usability for investors and other stakeholders. For instance, we aim toalign with TPI and ClimateAction100.

12A c tivities f or 20 20 an d the ir purp ose
The Climate & Energy Benchmark will take advantage of existing events and forums, ensuring the publication ofreports and celebration of milestones are launched at events such as UNGA, COP and Bonn Climate Change
Conference. For industry exposure the Climate & Energy Benchmark will also attend flagship events around theautomotive, electric utilities and oil and gas sectors. This is to embolden engagement with the companies
included in the benchmark, but also to ensure a wider conversation around business best practice and the roleof the private sector in achieving the SDGs are supported.
WBA will organise various roundtables to discuss and align both industry recommendations and individualcompany recommendations to enable energy transition through the companies, policy makers and the financial
industry. A roundtable for sub-industry in development will take place, as well as building upon policy
conversations in 2019, such as during the GIZ-WBA workshop held in Berlin in September 2019 and during
UNGA 2019.

13

Digital Transformation
PU B L IC A TIO N DA TE | L A TE O C TOB E R O R E A RL Y NO VE MB E R
In the global consultations leading up to WBA’s founding, companies in the digital system where highlighted
among the most influential for SDGs. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are widely considered
to be cross-cutting tools that help accelerate the achievement of many, if not all SDGs. For example, Big Data
and AI are beginning to see fruitful applications in health care and environmental management while mobile
Internet connectivity continue to power financial inclusion that alleviates poverty.
However, the digital system will need to be transformed if it is to truly scale solutions for SDGs. First, the digital
economy must leave no one behind. We need to move towards a world where people of all walks of life, in bothdeveloped and developing countries, share equally in the benefits of digital technologies, and are respected asvalue creators in the digital economy. Second, the development and deployment of digital technologies mustprioritise the social good. This entails minimising risks and harms that arise from the use of digital technologies,
especially to the most vulnerable groups in society.
B reak dow n of be nc hmark s
WBA recognises that ever widening and proliferating digital divides are core to the problem of transforming thedigital system and that risks and harms are disproportionately inflicted on those with less wealth, income, andpower. In other words, digital inclusion is at the heart of a digital system transformation. Hence, the WBA isdeveloping a benchmark that tracks companies on their business practices affecting four dimensions ofinclusion: access, skills, use, and innovation.
The digital system is the newest among the seven systems requiring transformation to achieve SDGs.
Consequently, public debates are still raging around ethical behaviour and social responsibilities for ICT
companies as legal systems and international governance mechanisms struggle to keep up with newtechnologies and business models. ICT companies are starting to be held accountable for their actions on
privacy and security in accordance to emerging legal standards and norms. However, as important as theseissues are, privacy and security also need to be anchored in and linked to the more fundamental problem of
exclusion -- half the world is still offline and excluded from the benefits of the digital economy .
A c tivities f or 20 20 an d the ir purp ose
WBA’s Digital Inclusion Benchmark has set itself an ambitious goal: to help lay down an overarching frameworkthat industry, investors, governments and civil society can use to assess the broader social performance of ICT
companies using the lens of digital inclusion. In doing so, the WBA hopes to broaden the public policy discourse
and to incentivise companies to consider the social equity and distributional justice impact of their operations
that affect progress on SDGs, especially in the developing world.
In 2020, WBA will publish the methodology and first round of results of the Digital Inclusion Benchmark for an
initial set of 100 ICT companies. These 100 companies are a subset of what has been identified to be keystonecompanies in the digital system, all of which the WBA intends to benchmark by 2023. The final methodology will
be launched at UN World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva in late March, then further presented atboth the ICT4D (location tbc) and RightsCon in Costa Rica. Later in the year, we will look to organise a joint
public sector and investor roundtable during UNGA week, and at the margins of the Rise Conference in Hong
Kong, hold the 2020 ERC meeting. The benchmark results will be published in end October or early November
and followed up with roundtables in the US and China in December.

14

For 2020, these are the specific objectives:(1) Publish a credible benchmark methodology that serves as a best practice guideline for ICT companies;(2) Promote understanding of the Digital Inclusion Benchmark’s objective and methodology among
keystone companies;(3) Release the first round of results for an initial set of 100 keystone ICT companies by Q4 2020;(4) Spread awareness of the benchmark’s framework and methodology among investors, governments,
civil society actors, and international organisations.

15

Circular Transformation
Over the past 50 years humanity’s ecological footprint has increased by almost 200 percent, resulting in awidening gap between sustainable resource availability and demand. SDG 12 on responsible consumption andproduction specifically addresses the need to reduce our ecological footprint by changing the way we produce
and consume goods. A shift to a circular economy - an industrial system that is restorative or regenerative byintention and design - is urgently needed. Today the global economy is only 9% circular1 and the trend isnegative, which means that the pressure to accelerate the transition to a circular economy is growing.
Continued extraction of finite resources, climate and demographic changes will make it harder for businesses toprovide the products and services necessary for a well-functioning global circular economy. Successful circular
initiatives will reduce dependence on dwindling natural resources and will create value for companies and theirstakeholders2.
WBA believes that a circular transformation is needed to be able to decouple consumption and production fromnatural resource use and to design the eradication of waste and pollution. Moving to a circular economy will
unlock great economic potential and is needed in order to stay on a below 2-degree pathway. The WBA’s
Circular Transformation will benchmark companies around their role in shifting to a circular system. By 2023 we
aim to evaluate hundreds of keystone companies that form part of this system. These benchmarks will focus on
industries including apparel, personal goods, paper and packaging and manufacturing sectors. The impact of
implementing circular economy principles on developing countries could be extremely beneficial as harmful,toxic or dangerous activities would be limited, better planned or regulated. These include, for examples, the useof harmful dying chemicals in the apparel sector, or the dismantling and recycling of ship or electronic waste.
A c tivities f or 20 20 an d the ir purp ose
As part of SDG2000 in January 2020, we will publish a list of hundreds of companies that we will benchmark inthe system by 2023. Before any methodology development for a benchmark starts, the WBA assesses thepotential for a new benchmark in a scoping report. Looking at our broad list of Allies and stakeholders, there areseveral front runners working on indicators/measurement tools in the circular economy. Irrespective of whether
a partner is identified and who that ultimately is, it is WBA’s intention for 2020 to deliver a scoping report which
includes an assessment of feasibility and added value of a benchmark. It will also outline objectives, suggest andprioritise scopes and potential themes to be included with supporting rationales. The scoping report will alsopresent a thorough overview of existing initiatives and identify current gaps to the field. If the right partner andaccompanying funding is secured, WBA expects that in 2020 a benchmark can be initiated with results in 2021.
The methodology will need to be adaptable with the potential to benchmark hundreds of companies across avariety of industries. Increasingly banks have started to explore how they can enable the transformation to acircular economy by providing finance under favourable conditions if companies demonstrate to develop circular
products and business models. WBA will therefore involve banks in the methodology development to explore if
the methodology could help banks in making these assessments.
Objectives for 2020 are:
(1) Engagement with and alignment with existing benchmarks and stakeholders;(2) The creation of a scoping report;(3) Initial roundtable consultations on the transformations.

1

Systems Transformation publication (footnote 117): Circle Economy, “The circularity gap report 2019,” Circle Economy,
Amsterdam, 2019.
2

WBSDC, tbc
16

Financial Transformation
The financial system is a lever for all other transformations. Financial institutions form a critical part of the WBA
theory of change, investors in particular. With its domain cutting across the other six systems we view thefinancial system as the lifeblood that keeps the systems alive, in the same way that the social transformation isthe beating heart at the centre. Before beginning to draft a methodology or explore firm partnerships, we willconduct a year-long consultation in 2020 with financial institutions (including institutional investors, asset
managers, banks, insurance companies, Multinational Development Banks and others) to gauge the correct
positioning and angle of benchmarks. We are recruiting a dedicated Investor Lead to manage theseengagements and the consultation to ensure a water-tight robustness of the eventual methodology. This will
enable us to build and affirm a point of view on what constitutes positive long-term behaviour by financial
institutions, financial market participants, and their authorities. This will result in the publication of the scoping
report that will form the basis for methodology development on the finance system transformation benchmark
in 2021 and inform ongoing policy engagement. It will also help us to simultaneously strengthen our
relationships with critical stakeholders like investors in a complex system that shapes our methodologies, uses
our results and is ultimately also going to be assessed through our benchmarks.

17

Urban Transformation
Sustainable urban development requires that the benefits of urbanisation are shared, ensuring that all haveaccess to infrastructure and social services. The Urban Transformation benchmark will assess and compare how
companies are playing a part in fulfilling this aim, identifying and evaluating hundreds of keystone companies
that form part of this system.
In 2020, WBA will map relevant industries and publish a list of the several hundred of companies in scope thatmake up this system across multiple sectors as part of the SDG2000 launch. Currently, we have no allocatedfunding for this transformation, and will continue to explore options throughout the year so that we can begin
to scale efforts towards 2023.

18

Organisational Impact
Combined, all these activities and objectives, ultimately takes us one step closer to the ambition set out in thetheory of change to transform systems and improve business impact on people, workers, communities and theenvironment.
In response to a public request for proposals, WBA has commissioned external consultancy Steward Redqueen
to advise the development and implementation of WBA’s monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) framework.
This framework, to be in place early 2020, will focus on creating accountability and should allow for continuous
learning.
In addition, WBA has committed to an external mid-term review before the end of 2020 to take stock of where
we are and whether we are on target to achieve projected outcomes.
The SDGs were created to leave no one behind in a world that allows many to head into increased prosperity
and development, and the inclusion of developing countries in all WBA’s work is imperative for this mission. To
better understand and assess the actual role and impact of industries and companies included in ourbenchmarks in developing countries, the WBA is developing an MNE impact in developing countries framework.
In addition, building on the outcomes of capacity building workshops in developing countries, the WBA willdevelop a strategy for building capacity in developing countries. In 2020, we will focus on operationalising bothof these as well as continuously improving our approach.

19WBA Wide Engagement
T he A llianc e
From its inception, the WBA has understood that success rests on our ability to build a diverse and inclusive
global network of stakeholders from the public, private, and civil society sectors. Benchmarks compare
companies’ performance on the global challenges we all face and are a critical solution in driving progress, butthey can only be as powerful as the number of actors using them. Thus, to build ownership and ensure thatbenchmarks reflect societal expectations and are relevant to the external environment they seek to change, it iscritical that they be designed through true multi-stakeholder dialogue. Since the launch of our global
consultation in September 2017, the Alliance has grown to over 100 organisations representing financial
institutions, civil society, academic and research institutions, reporting standards and benchmarking bodies,
multilateral institutions, and business platforms across both the global north and south. In addition, the WBA
works with actors on a one-on-one basis to ensure that we are consistently relevant and impactful in our work.
As the Alliance has continued to grow over the past year, we would like to focus on strengthening our network
in developing countries and with investor communities; and therefore in 2020 prioritise growth with thefollowing:•••

Financial institutions and financial representative organisations to strengthen our value proposition
and theory of change around the power of benchmarks to reorient capital towards
sustainable development through collective engagement. Part of this collective engagement will beplaced on companies’ supply chains and identifying where collective action is most impactful indeveloping countries.
Business platforms and trade associations to continue socialising and strengthening our value
proposition to companies, particularly as we consider what the most effective ways of engaging withcompanies will look like throughout the different methodology development process. Where we have a
global organisation like the ICC already as an Ally, we will look to work with their sister-organisations in
the global south.
Civil society organisations, particularly those located in the global south, to ensure that we are inclusive
and representative, to reinforce our belief in the power of benchmarks to reflect societal expectations,and stay true to the underlying aim of the SDGs to leave no one behind.

By the end of 2020, we aim to grow the Alliance to 175 organisations representing a balanced and diverse
constituency of actors committed to using benchmarks to incentivise, measure, and monitor corporate
performance on the SDGs.
Ally Assembly:
We will once again bring together our global community of Allies for a multi-day, in-person convening in the
global south to delve deeper into key issues affecting the Alliance, including the way in which we engage withcompanies with long-tail supply chains in developing countries, and build new ways of collaboration.
Engagement Strategy
We have a multi-pronged approach to our engagement (which we expect will feed in directly to us building theAlliance too, as described above). With each stakeholder group, we will need to develop a specific engagement
approach with developing countries:

20

INVE STO RS
Aligning WBA indicators with the needs of investors in measuring impact and undertaking collective
engagement. Financial Institutions, especially large institutional players – have a pivotal role to play in mobilising
the private sector in support of the SDGs. They can typically do so in three ways: bringing their investments inalignment with the SDGs; engaging with the companies in which they invest, directing them to bring theirbusiness models in alignment with the SDGs; and through policy advocacy in support of sustainable finance. Inview of their role, in 2020, the WBA will focus on strengthening our engagement with the financial institutions
as we develop benchmarks (so we ensure that the data we produce is relevant to the needs of investors) andseek to mobilise the financial institutions so that we can collectively engage with the companies that
underperform in our benchmarks, also noting those that perform well.
GO VE RNME NT & POL IC Y
Putting forward policy and regulatory recommendations for an enabling environment for business in theachievement of the SDGs. This strategy is articulated around three pillars: using benchmarks results – which
demonstrate how companies are behaving around the SDGs and where there are gaps of inaction – to reinforce
the need for certain policy interventions; working with governments and multilateral organisations at both theglobal (UN, G20, G7 and others) and regional and local (African Union, European Union, ASEAN and others)
levels on policy issues which promote good business practices and advance sustainable system changes; andharnessing the transformative power of the global financial system advocate for capital market reform so thatmarkets become more long-term and sustainable.
C OM PA NIE S
Engaging with companies directly through the benchmarking process; and providing a multi-stakeholder
dialogue for accountability and leadership. In addition to building the Alliance and activating engagement
through our partner organisations, we will continue to focus on engaging companies directly through individual
benchmark consultations. We will develop an illustrative ‘benchmark engagement journey’, which will put inplace a consistent WBA approach to company engagement. At a WBA institutional level, we are exploring thepossibility of establishing an informal CEO Leader network to support the socialisation of the benchmarks at avery senior level. While this group would not be a part of the Alliance or have any formal decision-making
authority, it would serve as a sounding board for the WBA to help guide our approach and efforts aroundcorporate engagement and accountability on the SDGs, and will provide a helpful network for us to tap into toensure our benchmarks are as impactful as possible. We anticipate launching this CEO Network at the sametime as the SDG2000.
C IVIL SO C IE TY
Building a movement on transparency and accountability and providing a supporting environment where civilsociety can come together with the private sector to advance goals together. The WBA has already developed aunique role as a ‘broker of conversation’. We know from our Allies and the UN High Level Political Forum that
there is a demand for the WBA to continue to place emphasis on the new social contract and advancing the
dialogue and relationship between the public and private sector, while establishing new norms of behaviour onsustainability. We will continue to broker this dialogue and support transparency efforts particularly around
private finance initiatives, such as the Project Everyone spin-off, Make My Money Matter campaign.
A MB A SSAD O RS
Expanding our group of high-profile individuals who can represent the WBA in their own circles andcommunities by speaking direct. We hope to equip our Ambassadors with the right narrative and tools so thatthan can share their experiences of working with us and the importance of our work to driving shared goals andoutcomes. We will consider both the value-add that we can provide for these individuals, as well as how to21

engage them sparingly given time constraints, while also ensuring a regular stream of communications andoutreach (i.e. offering opportunities to meet in-person once a year, convening virtual meetings, etc.).
Key Engagement Milestones
Each benchmark has its own development journey with the scoping report, the methodology, public
consultation and launch of the benchmark. This process also drives the engagement approach that is aligned tothe benchmarks, for example, we will hold benchmark roundtables to delve into the specifics around individual
benchmark methodologies. We will ensure that there is consistency between the different benchmarks and that
all external moments are co-ordinated and launches are timed with key, global fora where possible.
In addition to the key milestones for benchmarks, the WBA will continue to ensure its relevance to the external
environment through institutional engagement. All milestones will be mapped out in a separate Engagement
Strategy before the end of the year, but in summary:
•

•

•

•

Global Advocacy and Socialisation: This will involve continued advocacy and engagement at key fora
such as the UN General Assembly, the High-Level Political Forum, and the World Economic Forum, as
well as new efforts to build a presence and drive forward policy positioning at major geopoliticalsummits such as the G7 and G20.
Regional Policy Engagement: This will involve new efforts to engage appropriate policy and industry
stakeholders, including the EU, ASEAN, AIPEC, and BRICS, in order to build the relevance of benchmarks
on a regional basis and increase awareness of the impact of large companies and their supply chains indeveloping countries.
WBA Roundtables: This will include regular continued convenings of stakeholders to discuss issues
relevant to leadership, accountability and corporate behaviour change. At least half of these will beheld in the Global South.
Targeted External Representation: This will include continued external representation of the WBA at
key conferences, meetings, and forums held globally, to ensure that the benchmarks and other outputs
are known about and used. These might be speaking opportunities, or WBA side-events, depending on
the opportunity and need. We will prioritise gatherings in the Global South.

22Communications
Inspire our audiences to transform through trustworthy, simple, aspirational and transparent communications
on WBA and our benchmarks.
Communications is critical to WBA as an organisation that is growing fast and needs to scale at pace withmultiple audiences. There is a significant opportunity to support the engagement and research activities both at
an institutional, transformation and benchmark level. Communications is essential to further build the WBA
institution, underscore and affirm the robust methodologies we have and are developing, and ensure wedevelop benchmarks that are accessible and internationally respected and used by companies, investors, civilsociety and individuals alike. We develop high quality creative content to build a license to operate and boost
dialogue. For WBA it is vital that colleagues become influential thought leaders with regards to the benchmarks
at a global level. These deliverables will help build the WBA brand as well as ensure we build our reputation byliving up to our values.
From the start of each project the communication function exists in symbiosis with research and engagement toleverage key moments for WBA such as the publication of benchmarks and the launch of the 2,000 keystonecompanies, as well as promoting the Alliance.
Objectives for 2020 are:(1) To build and sustain WBA’s brand, giving WBA the license to operate.
(2) Impactful publications of the benchmark results.
(3) Launch the 2,000 keystone companies creating a moment of truth.
(4) Keep the momentum going to keep our audiences motivated direct and through the Alliance.
To build and sustain WBA’s brand, giving WBA the license to operate
We keep growing and building the brand. This means we will continue implementing the brand strategy weworked on in 2019 in visuals, tone of voice, language, content, messaging, narratives and social media.
ooo

We want to be known as the accountability mechanism and why this matters to business andinvestors;
We further build the brand by creating and publishing ‘branded content’: which means it is clearthat WBA is the sender but in our communications we focus on letting the content do the
speaking. Our data has to speak and through storytelling we communicate our content with ouraudience. By being aspirational and using storytelling in our communication we show different
perspectives and dynamics.
It is important to adapt our content and stories to the audience we are talking to, and those wewant to talk more with. We see our main communication audience as companies, financial
institutions and media, and adjust our language and presentation accordingly.

Impactful publications of the benchmark results
In 2019 we developed the first two iterations of our online publication tool for the Seafood Stewardship Index
and the Climate and Energy Benchmark. In 2020 we will optimise and enhance functionality of this tool whilst
publishing the results of the first Gender, Digital Inclusion and Food and Agriculture benchmarks. To create
impactful publications in 2020, communications focuses on the following:oEvery benchmark will have their own story but how we present it to the world will always
complement the others, as they are based on the same values.
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o

o

Communication will support the writing and presenting of benchmarks through text, visuals andthe development of the online publication tool, which is part of our data platform (with an external
party). Communication supports two key moments for each benchmark with messaging, social
media and communication materials.
All the above as well as additional communication plans, PR and social media will be executed inclose collaboration with the researchers.

Launch the 2,000 keystone companies creating a moment of truth
Creating a significant moment of truth with our audiences reaffirm that the WBA approach and the global scaleof our ambition is different and game changing. The intent is for our rankings to become the internationallyaccountable mechanism. The 2,000 list could be positioned as what world needs to achieve the SDGs andtransform our systems. This would ultimately result in buy in to the role companies play and the impact thatthey have.
Key messages are:oooScrutiny of business progress on the SDGs is inevitable.
We are making action easier for companies to drive innovation for sustainable growth.
We are up against it. Change takes time and courage, so leaders need to act now.

Through:ooo

A statement of responsibility and influence: Call to action for all keystone companies.
Credibility of research: The go-to for getting to the real truth of performance.
Impactful content: Demonstrate the cascade effect and tell how our benchmarks and methodologies
can serve as roadmaps for companies, WBA benchmarks show where these companies really are so
our stakeholders can all make informed assessments, stimulate transparency and accountability

We will implement the above through three important steps:oooPre-launch: engagement with the 2,000 keystone companies and reaching them through networks andour business platform allies (ICC, WBCSD).
Create a moment of truth in January and launch the list at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Post-launch: - drive scale and corporate action to keep building awareness for the 2000 companies.

Keep the momentum going to keep our audiences motivatedKey moments create a drumbeat of change for WBA. When there are fewer key moments happening, it is up to
the communications team to keep the momentum going. This will take place via social media, newsletters,interviews (media relations), and by showing the importance of our Alliance. We are going to work closely with
our Allies on the amplification of our moments as well as leveraging the good work of our Allies to create that
drumbeat. Publishing a benchmark doesn’t stop when we have launched the benchmark results. We willcontinue to highlight case studies and elevate the insights online and work with the research and engagement
team to leverage the content. This will also build further positioning of our thought leaders through blogs,
speaking opportunities and direct engagement.

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Primary audiences for communication purposes•••

The 2,000 companies
Financial institutions
Media.

Secondary audiences• Governments;• Civil society;• Individuals (including youth).

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Operations
The institution WBA can be divided into research, engagement, facilitation – and fundraising which enables theother three. Without the benchmarks, there are no words to speak; without engagement there is no voice andno way of making it relevant to those who can influence company behaviour; and without facilitation, there isneither. Facilitation, or operations, are the cogwheels behind the scenes that drive the organisation and makes
sure its internal mechanisms are smooth enough to allow scale, benchmarks to be published and conversations
with stakeholders.

Operational Highlights for 2020
Ensuring smooth operations needs a continuous focus on people, processes and culture.
Peo pleHaving the right people on board at the WBA is crucial for its impact. It is our conviction that the only way to be
impactful is through happy people who bring their full potential to work. In 2020, creating the right workforce isremaining the focus for human resources. This means hiring the right people and ensure an optimum
performance through clear commitments cycles and learning and development. Further professionalising andstandardising our human resources processes and policies, as well as internal communication, is crucial tosupport the fast growth of the organisation and remains part of the day to day tasks of human resources. For2020 this means offering labour contracts in more countries, particularly recruiting those from or based indeveloping countries, including equal salaries and secondary terms of employment, such as pensions.
In 2020 there with at least five benchmark publications in 2020, the workload will significantly increase within
particularly the research team, and while that both demands working smarter (with automated tools andsystems), it also means acquiring in-house or outsourced human talent. To develop the methodologies andlaunch the benchmarks according to the timelines laid out in this plan, we will grow the team with the below
roles.
Not all the expertise required during 2020 will be directly employed or contracted by WBA, but rather we will
aim to employ downstream partnerships (co-ownership) and research partnerships (outsourced research
management) whenever possible and advantageous. We choose to do this for example when the level oftechnical expertise required or when the timeframe is very narrow to complete an activity or a project. One
such case is that a research partner will be contracted for the pre-population of the questionnaire for the Digital
Inclusion Benchmark, likely between spring and summer.
Not all additional roles and functions for 2020 have been decided, as the amount will depend on what budget
allows – though the list below gives an overview of some of the needs:
•
•

•
•

1 Engagement & Future Financial System Transformation Lead
10 Research Analysts (some in 2019): They will be monumental in especially the data gathering andverification process, and in particular during phases of prepopulating the questionnaires with public
information already disclosed by the companies. All 10 will be expected to have started by Q1 2020.
1 Business Manager (2019)
1 Communications lead, to amplify our work and to ensure a drumbeat of change

L earn ing an d D e ve lopme nt
Equally important to finding the right people, is to ensure people to bring their full potential to work. Firstly, we
further professionalise our bi-annual commitment setting conversations in which all employees, together with26

their director, identify and clarify commitments. Each and everyone also identify a learning question in order to
optimise performance. The latter is supported by an informal 360 feedback approach within the organisation.
The learning questions, combined with a need to ensure the organisation is able to lead systems change in aworld that is transforming will bring learning and development in the core and culture of the organisation andour day to day work. In order to support the entire organisation in a very effective an efficient way we willcontinue the four work streams:••••

Executive Team leadership development
Transformation leads leadership development.
Learning Project Team: A group from across the WBA team that wants to develop specific skills andfacilitation approaches
Alliance Learning Process: This segment would include preparing and guiding main events in the year
and continued review or feedback conversations.

P roc esses
Within operations we try to automate as many repetitive actions as possible. In 2020 this means we will further
automate our administration to ensure predictability, agility and our ability to meet the reporting standards ofour funders.
Cu lture
Paying attention to our culture is crucial to support the fast growth of the organisation as well as to ensure wewill deliver the impact in an effective and efficient way. The activities in human resources are key to build theculture. Furthermore we organise monthly onboarding days for all new employees and new hires have a mentor
for their professional support and a buddy to help with the way of working. Our values are leading and core tothese activities.
G overna nc e

27All governance bodies will expand in the coming year to both serve as a mirror against one another and reflect
the world in which WBA operates (see the section on Transformations for more details on individual Expert
Review Committees). With two current Board members stepping down in early 2020, three new ones have tojoin in the same quarter. The WBA’s Supervisory Board will be populated to completion by the end of 2021, atthe latest. The objective is to have a balanced Board, not just across the individual members’ experience andexpertise, but also their backgrounds and personalities. The Board will need to develop a roster which
establishes the terms in which a Board member joins, in particular with regards to the duration of their mandate
and with regards to annual re-elections. In accordance with this roster, WBA will look to nominate and electadditional Board members during 2020.
Donor Management: In 2020 the WBA will continue to maintain regular contact with its existing core donors
and will host two donor meetings – a spring one to coincide with the finalising of the 2019 annual report, and an
autumn one to coincide with the planning of 2021. We expect the donor group to grow by at least four
additional government members throughout the year– Sida (Sweden), GIZ (Germany), Canadian Ministry of
Global Affairs and Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
We will also hold at least one face to face convening of current as well as potential donors (public and private)
to function as both an updating and a learning session. In the same spirit, we would host three webinars thatwould give potential donors a chance to raise any questions or concerns with WBA, each other and current
donors.

B udgetWith WBA being entirely dependent on grants and long-term fundraising opportunities, there is a constantdiscrepancy between what the ideal budget is to deliver every activity and what the baseline budget is to deliver
the main objectives. The budget provided in this annual plan is based on a combination actual costs and costs
used in the grant proposals. We enter 2020 with a realistic funding gap. Realistic as we believe we able to close
the funding gap as well as by increasing efficiency of delivering roundtables, methodologies, and launching abenchmark. In the case of being unable to close the funding gap, we have mechanisms in place to deal with
eventual gaps that cannot be closed. Aa first way to do this is to maintain agility in the benchmarks, e.g. depth
versus scale. This means that we adapt the number of indicators that we include in the methodology of ourtransformations whilst showing the road map to companies. Populating and analysing the indicators are labour
and therefore cost intense and rather than postpone any work on new transformations to benchmark all 2,000
keystone companies before end of 2023.

I T and D ata
Digitalisation and automation is important for the WBA to create the impact as it allows the people to focus on
those tasks and activities where they can make a difference. To have an effective and efficient team, WBA
continuously wants to vastly enhance its IT and Data platform.
The IT platform consists of a set products or tools to support our core processes. In order to efficiently andeffectively grow and adapt this platform to our needs, WBA maintains a set of architecture guidelines and uses
an agile/scrum development approach. These guidelines define the structure of the IT platform that is already inplace to ensure that future additions to the platform satisfy the same requirements. Such guidelines create asolid foundation for our platform, making it more scalable, increasing performance, and reducing costs. It will
also allow WBA to more immediately utilise new technologies, such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, andmachine learning (when useful), as the platform tools will already be well integrated with each other. The
agile/scrum development process ensures that the evolution of WBA’s IT platform can withstand a constantstate of flux, by being easily adaptable to change due to incremental builds and an iterative approach to28

development. This approach also ensures WBA closely monitor and manage development costs. Tools within
the IT platform thus far can be broken down into three categories:
Institutional:oTeam Collaboration Tool (Office365/Teams): to ensure fast decision making as well as
enabling cross culture and function knowledge sharing. The activities for 2020 are aimed tosupport the ability to use it via onboarding and a buddy system for new hires, to optimise theusage via group support sessions and to enhance innovation via prototyping new
functionalities by the super users;oEngagement Tool (Dynamics 365) : to ensure that a comprehensive overview of our outreachand engagement is maintained and easily accessible to all internal WBA staff. An MVP of thisproduct was launched in Q4 2019 in collaboration with Pixelzebra, a Dynamics 365
implementor, increased functionalities and usage are anticipated for 2020 as our needs grow;Engagement:

Benchmarks:

o

o

o

A large proportion of the work undertaken by researchers throughout the year consists ofdata collection and analysis, and this will only increase over the next year and beyond. To
alleviate the pressure of any manual work of the researchers as well as communication the IT
platform also WBA focusses on three process steps: data collection, analysis and scoring andlast but not least publication. In 2020 these are the activities planned. The architecture
guidelines enable us to scale these activities up and down to enable flexibility in our budget.
Survey Tool: in 2020 and with each iteration of a benchmark we will optimise our survey tool
to allow the companies to provide data and to pre-populate data that is already available tothe WBA. We will also continue to explore data scraping techniques to decrease manual
labour during the pre-population phase of the data-collection.
Analysis and Scoring Tool: this tool provides a space for researchers to analyse the data
provided by companies, where they can (1) score companies per indicator according to thescoring guidelines developed by WBA (2) peer-review each other’s scores and provide
feedback and (3) see the scores weighted and ranked immediately. Further development anddeployment of a scoring tool for survey data - this will likely unfold through merging thescoring tool directly within the survey tool in collaboration with Betabit;
Publishing Tool: Bringing the wealth of information over to the stakeholder groups is an
important element of our Theory of Change. We are building a publication tool that helps tocommunicate the wealth of data and insights. In 2020, the WBA will produce. another
iteration of the publication tool. The WBA is working towards a publication tool that brings
information directly from the survey tool (and thus scoring tool) to the publishing tool. In
order to do so this product is developed with creative agency GRRR and Betabit.

D ata M anage me nt
In Q4 we started working on defining our data management vision and principles. In 2020 WBA will further
develop and implement this strategic set of principles, which will include components related to governance,storage, security and privacy. It will ensure a plan is in place for handling any data acquired, created, stored,
managed, processed or shared by the World Benchmarking Alliance. This will supplement the policies we29already have in place regarding the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The WBA aims to betransparent and share its data, however we also need to maintain (for companies) some privacy on confidential
material. This interplay is an important consideration when working with WBA data.

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Disclaimer
The report is intended to be for information purposes only and is not intended as promotional material in any
respect. The material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument.
The report is not intended to provide accounting, legal or tax advice or investment recommendations. Whilst
based on information believed to be reliable, no guarantee can be given that it is accurate or complete.

Copyright
No part of this report may be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the World
Benchmarking Alliance Foundation. The information herein has been obtained from sources which we believe tobe reliable, but we do not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. All opinions expressed herein are subject tochange without notice.
© 2018 World Benchmarking Alliance - All rights reserved

St. World Benchmarking Alliance Foundation
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The Netherlands
https://worldbenchmarkingalliance.org

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