W+ Standard Verification Information Webinar Liz Allen & Lisa McMullan Social Audit Network May 2019
Webinar hosts, SAN Directors Lisa McMullan Liz Allen • Social enterprise, corporate social • Women’s entrepreneurship, responsibility, business planning and enterprise education, social enterprise and social impact all things social impact • Director at The Connectives • Director at The Women's Organisation • linkedin profile • linkedin profile
Prove! – demonstrate and report on social, environmental and economic performance and impact… Improve! – use the information for planning future actions and improving performance Account! – be accountable to all those you work with and work for…
Webinar aims • To raise awareness and understanding of the W+ Standard • To share information about the W+ Standard Verification process • To build a network of interested parties • To invite expressions of interest to become a SAN approved W+ Standard Verifier
What is W+? • A standard that can be applied to projects supporting the economic and social development of women • A methodology to measure progress on women’s empowerment • A means of compensating for women’s unpaid work • A chance to support communities in developing countries • Developed by WOCAN
What is W+? The W+ measures women’s empowerment in 6 domains: 1. Time 2. Income & Assets 3. Health 4. Leadership 5. Education & Knowledge 6. Food Security
Why do we need a standard? • WOCAN created the W+ Standard to: • measure the impact of projects and investments on women’s empowerment • accelerate investments in women - particularly women’s groups • address persistent gaps in women's access to resources and capital and scale up solutions to climate change, food security and poverty
W+ Verification • Independent verification provided by SAN • Review • Project Idea Note • Project Design Document • Monitoring Report • Site visits to establish • What has been achieved? • How much change has happened in the lives of the women? • Can we see evidence of their empowerment?
Underpinned by SAN principles… 1. Clarify purpose 2. Define scope 3. Engage stakeholders 4. Determine materiality 5. Make comparisons 6. Be transparent 7. Verify accounts 8. Embed the process
W+ benefits • It produces quantified women-benefit units that contribute towards post 2015 Sustainability Goals (SDGs), Climate Financing or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) targets. • Demonstrating commitment to women’s empowerment • Evidencing of impact; individual woman and community levels • Engaging & consulting women as key stakeholders • Improving & informing future activities • Being accountable
Associated Standards • VCS (Verified Carbon Standard) that can now have a W+ label • SD VISTA certification of VERRA (the same organization as that of VCS): the W+ is going to become the mechanism to measure SDG 5 • GIIN (Global Impact Investing Network) – Gender Lens Investing Initiative - has asked to include the W+ in their Impact Toolkit
Examples • Ouarzazate, Morocco – sheep farming co-operative • Kavre & Sindhuli, Nepal – biogas units • Lombok, Indonesia – biogas units • Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam – financial education
Morocco sheep farming co-operative
Indonesian Biogas
Biogas Unit
Vietnam – financial education programme
Next Steps – becoming a SAN W+ Standard Verifier • Learning programme • In person and online options • Next opportunity: online programme; 4 x sessions in July 2019 with portfolio to be submitted in September 2019 • Anticipated cost per place circa £500 GBP • Opportunity to participate in verification process • Lead a verification process Interested? info@socialauditnetwork.org.uk
ANY QUESTIONS?
Thank you • info@socialauditnetwork.org.uk
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