Wanted! External Assurance Service Providers

Since the 2003-2004 sustainability report, GRI has been regularly publishing its own reports based on the GRI Guidelines. Whilst continuously striving to improve, GRI has decided to opt for external assurance after consultation with its Board of Directors, starting this year. External assurance will provide GRI with the opportunity to check and improve its data gathering processes and systems.

Therefore, GRI is welcoming proposals from external assurance service providers for the external assurance for all data gathering processes and systems related to the information published in GRI’s next sustainability report.

Selection criteria
GRI will assess the qualifying proposals against, amongst other, the following criteria:
1. The provider’s experience (track record) using the ISAE 3000 assurance standard or comparable;
2. The provider’s portfolio and experience working with organizations similar to GRI (size, nature of business (not-for-profit), sustainability focus, etc);
3. The relation between the quoted fee and the service (value and cost/benefit analysis);
4. The provider’s engagement model and team’s structure (number of people working on the project, geographical proximity to GRI etc);
5. The provider’s capability to meet GRI’s timeline for the publication of the report;
6. The provider’s own sustainability performance (e.g. availability of a sustainability report).
Read the full request for proposals here.

Application
The proposals should be sent by email no later than 4 March 2015 to grisownreports@globalreporting.org For any queries, or clarifications, please send an email to the same email address.

Disclaimer: Please note the final decision shall not indicate a formal endorsement of a specific provider, but rather a choice of the most suitable candidate given GRI’s type of business, operations, and selection criteria at this point in time.