WBCSD Measuring Impact Framework - Understanding the business contribution to society
 In the spring of 2006, the WBCSD embarked on a two-year journey to develop a framework to assess the contribution of business to the economic and broader development goals in the societies where business operates.
This grew out of a request by WBCSD member companies to develop a measurement framework that could underpin the license to operate, improve the quality of stakeholder engagement, help manage risks more effectively and identify ways to enhance the business contribution to society.
The resulting Measuring Impact Framework, launched in late 2008, was developed in collaboration with over 20 WBCSD member companies, reviewed by 15 external experts and co-branded by the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
It is designed to help companies understand their contribution to society and use this understanding to inform their operational and long-term investment decisions, and have better-informed conversations with stakeholders.
Key features of the Framework
- Grounded in what business does – built by business for business and thus, begins with the business perspective
- Moves beyond compliance – attempts to answer questions about what business can contribute beyond traditional reporting
- Encourages stakeholder engagement – supports open dialogue with stakeholders to create a shared understanding of business impacts and societal needs, and to explore what business can and cannot do to address these needs
- Flexible - designed for any business and/or industry at any stage in its business cycle, operating anywhere in the world
- Complements existing tools – makes use of what is already out there (for example, the Global Reporting Initiative and IFC Performance Standards)
- Externally reviewed – reviewed by over 15 stakeholders from NGOs, academia and government including Oxfam, World Resources Institute, IFC and Harvard University
3 components of the Framework
 Measuring Impact Framework Methodology ( 2.7 MB) - The 4-step methodology aims to help companies in any industry operating in any part of the world measure, assess and manage their impacts on society. As a result, it needs to be adapted to the specific company strategy and development context where the business operates.
 Beyond the Bottom Line ( 4.7 MB) - This outlines the business case for measuring impact and highlights the work by member companies and partners which laid the foundation for the WBCSD Framework.
 User Guide ( 7 MB) - The excel user guide aims to help companies carry out an assessment. It is not designed with the same flexibility as the Methodology and thus, may not be appropriate for all assessments. Please download versions for 2003 and 2007 excel. In order to use the excel, enable macros. See this flash demo for information on how to use the excel guide.
Application of the WBCSD Measuring Impact Framework: case studies
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Geneva, 4 December 2009 - Mitigating climate change in the developing world requires more than just reducing carbon emissions. It requires a commitment to economic growth, poverty reduction and ultimately, sustainable development. As a leading carbon developer with an interest in understanding the impacts of its projects and their alignment with local and national development priorities, EcoSecurities set out to measure and understand how one Clean Development Mechanism project in its pipeline is contributing to sustainable development in local communities.
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Geneva, 25 August 2009 - The Newmont Ghana Gold/International Finance Corporation Ahafo Linkages Program was designed to increase the participation of local businesses in Newmont's Ahafo Mine and bring development benefits to surrounding communities. Newmont, along with the IFC, applied the WBCSD Measuring Impact Framework to the mine as a way to understand the extent of the project's benefits and establish a rigorous approach to measuring, monitoring and evaluating progress in achieving the project goals
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In order to best showcase company examples and share lessons learned from using the Measuring Impact Framework, the WBCSD has developed a case study template ( 65 kb) aimed at facilitating the process of compiling cases that inspire others to measure their impact and use this information to make better decisions.
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