Israeli Standard SI 10000: Social responsibility management system

Social responsibility management is the way an organization applies social, environmental, economic, and ethnic considerations for prosperity and long-term sustainability.

In the modern era, social responsibility is an important factor for organizational and business success. Social responsibility is an approach that takes into account social, environmental, economic, and ethnic considerations in management and decision-making. Organizations and their stakeholders are showing increasing awareness of the need for social responsibility in management and the advantages that it can bring.

Organizations and companies already understand that, in the modern era, it is not possible to ensure organizational and business success without a similar commitment to social and environmental success. Consequently, the social responsibility approach is acquiring a central place in the organizational culture of different entities. In a globalized world, organizations are discovering that they are must demonstrate to others that they operate on the basis of the principles of social responsibility in order to be part of the supply chain. There are also export restrictions to countries with strict laws and regulations on different aspects of social responsibility.

Establishment of Israeli Standard SI 10000: Social responsibility management system

A social responsibility management system should be an integral part of all management systems that the organization regularly upholds. Consequently, it should be integrated in the general management system as an additional means to strengthen activity directed at the organization's success. A process-based system, which includes aspects of social responsibility implemented in all of the permanent processes that the organization applies for management, monitoring, and for short, medium, and long-term improvement. The management process is based on comprehensive and sophisticated risk management that identifies and manages the negative impacts that are liable to be caused from the organization's operations, thereby maximizing the value that it can generate for itself and all its stakeholders.

The social responsibility management concept considers compliance with the law as a minimum threshold requirement, and assumes that the organization is familiar with and obeys the legal environment in which it operates and the applicable regulatory updates and trends. Social responsibility management means taking an approach that goes beyond compliance.
 
The new version, Israeli Standard SI 10000: 2013: Social responsibility management system conforms to the structure of ISO standards for the purpose of certification, and includes a metrics annex for testing the organization's maturity in social responsibility management. The annex offers organizations a tool for evaluating their strengths and weakness independently, setting their maturity level and identifying opportunities for improvement.

The standard is applicable for organizations of every size in every industry and can be included or integrated with quality, environment, financial, health and safety, labor relations, and other management systems.

The road to certification

Certification follows the successful implementation an organization's in-house social responsibility system pursuant to the requirements of the standard. To start this process, it is recommended to purchase the standard at the Standards Institution of Israel Information Center, study the requirements, and participate in appropriate training. It is also possible to consult with the external social responsibility system experts.

The process ought to be seen as an opportunity for improvement via the organization team which will receive management commitment and involvement, and undergo a preliminary audit by Standards Institution of Israel to check for shortcomings. At the end of the process, independent Standards Institution of Israel auditors will perform an audit that confirms that the organization's social responsibility system is compatible to the specifications of the standard.