This fact-sheet summarizes findings from research conducted by the University of Fordham Law Clinic into the current use of metrics in the human rights reporting of 12 companies in the Internet and Communications (ICT) sector included in the UN Guiding Principles Reporting Database.

The research was conducted from mid-2018 to early 2019. It has informed the direction and focus of the Valuing Respect project.


A QUICK LOOK AT OUR FINDINGS

After reviewing the disclosures of 12 ICT companies in the database, the analysis revealed that inputs, activities, and outputs were the most frequently reported types of indicators. This was the case in a number of areas such as employee training on social responsibility, information security as well as supplier audit results for code of conduct compliance.

Some information was disclosed to provide insight into practices and behaviors, such as responses to copyright and government information requests. Other information addressed outcomes for people, usually derived from employee surveys. Outcomes for business was the least reported indicator type among the companies reviewed. 

observations
  1. Reporting about training on social responsibility and related issues is dominated by indicators of activities that took place and not the results of those activities. 
  2. A small number of the reviewed companies reported data around government requests or demands for privacy information. 
  3. Data is provided on the requests received from copyright owners to remove content. 
  4. Reporting on supplier audits tends to use output indicators, with little disclosure on the impact of such audits’ insight. 
  5. One ICT company reported about its sanction mechanism for noncompliance with its standards and policies. This reporting was around input, activity, and output indicators, with some examples of practice. 
  6. One company disclosed the number of companies that it was able to galvanize to take collective action. These are outputs from an activity not often reported. 

To read the extended version of these observations, please download the full report below.

About the Valuing Respect Project