Community Based Reporting
Another View
of
Community Based Sustainability Reporting
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
What has been done in
Community Based Reporting (CBR)
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Community Based Reporting (CBR) has
focused on reporting by an organization,
for example, a corporation or NGO
The reporting has focused on the impact
the organization had on the community
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Concerns:
A.
B.
C.
Assessment is usually done by the
outside entity
Focus is on level of impact or intrusion
Essentially measuring impact on the
community…whether positive or negative
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
The Sustainable Communities
Project
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Focuses on the Community
Assesses the Sustainability of the
Community
Trains the Community in the process of
sustainability self assessment for the
future….which will then be a tool which
the Community itself will use for its own
planning.
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Sustainable Communities Project
Assesses
- The strengths of the Community
- The weaknesses of the Community
- What needs to change
- What is possible to change
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Sustainable Communities Project
Uses information, ideas and learnings from
other communities,
Does not rank communities in comparison
with others
Encourages community to assess its own
progress
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Project Focus
The Sustainability of the Community
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Background
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For more than 15 years, CREA’s work has
focused on sustaining living wages
Developed specific definitions for 5 wage
levels
Level higher than the Sustainable Living
Wage is the Sustainable Community
Income level
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Background (continued)
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For the Sustainable Living Wage (SLW), CREA
has developed specific and quantifiable
standards for housing, nutrition, clothing,
education, transportation, water (potable and
non-potable), medical care, etc.
Standards can be found on Resource CD
Now we are developing the additional standards
needed for the Sustainable Community
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
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Use standardized definitions that can be
applied specifically for each culture and
country
These standards are universally applicable
after a process of “acculturization” for
each country and culture.
This acculturization is done by local
members of the community.
These standards have been used in Latin
America, Africa, Asia and North America.
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
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Methodology automatically factors in
effects of changes in wages, prices and/or
inflation
Data collection is done through actual
pricing and extensive interviews.
Data is both quantitative and qualitative
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Example: Housing Standard
A house should provide shelter from the weather
including extreme heat and/or cold…
 …with sufficient living space and protection from public exposure
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A house should also provide sufficient sleeping spaces for all
members of the family as well as a space for bathing
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A house should provide space for cooking
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A house should provide running water for laundry, sanitary needs
and the general washing of household items
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A house should provide space for meeting sanitary needs so that
there is no risk of contamination.
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Methodology of Purchasing power
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Unit of measurement = Minutes of work
necessary to access/purchase any item
Core Question: How long do I have to
work to acquire X?
Unit = minPP
(minutes of purchasing power)
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Purchasing Power Methodology
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Everyone understands time as a
measurement
Everyone understands the limits of time
Time makes us all equal – no one can
make more time
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Using Time as Measurement
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Measure cost of items for which monetary
compensation is received – paid work
Measure cost of items for which no
monetary compensation is received but for
which time is required
Example: Women carrying water
Cutting firewood
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Comparisons possible
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Trans-National – from country to country
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Trans-Temporal – over time
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Trans-Cultural – different areas within a
country.
For example: rural, urban within a country
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Sustainable Community Project
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Builds on sustainable living wage work
Looks at the community as a whole
Examines what comes into the community
Both positive and negative
Examines what leaves the community
Both positive and negative
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Where Work is Being Done
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Cooperatives in Guatemala
Village in Uganda
Planning for Sustainability study for
metro-Hartford area in US
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Need for Appropriate Indicators
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Started with review of indicators available
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G3
GRI Sector Supplements
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
PS indicators
Asset4 Indicators
UN Millennium Development Goals
Katrina Guidelines
Others?
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Needed Indicator Areas
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Governance
Power and Voice
Decision making
Benefit distribution
Tax base
Finances
Trade – products, services,
etc.
Job creation – keeping youth
in the community
Land use and distribution
Other????
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
• Education
•
•
•
•
•
Transportation
Energy
Medical Care
Communications systems
Water – non-potable &
potable
• Waste disposal
•
•
•
•
Food/Nutrition
Clothing
Child care
Non-consumables
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Findings
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Most indicators, no matter the source, do
not deal with issues systemically
Indicators do not look at root causes
Indicators mostly ask for data that are
results
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org
Questions
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How to develop multi-faceted indicators
How to develop indicators that can be monitored easily
over time
How the community can use the indicators to assist in its
own sustainable development monitoring
Role of GRI in sustainability
To be continued…
© CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
crea-inc@crea-inc.org
www.crea-inc.org