On 22 February 2008, the Global Compact launched the GLN OpenAccess tool, an interactive self-assessment tool to support Global Compact participants with the implementation of the ten principles as well as with the Communication on Progress. The GLN OpenAccess tool assists companies to improve their understanding of how the management of social, environmental and governance issues impact the business and its stakeholders.

The tool is a product of the GLN OpenAccess project, a partnership between the Global Leadership Network (GLN), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the UN Global Compact. First presented at the Global Compact Leaders Summit in July 2007, the tool uses GLN’s framework to support Global Compact signatories, IFC clients and other private sector participants with the strategic alignment of corporate citizenship and core business strategy.

By looking at the company’s own functions and the industry context, the tool creates an explicit link between the ten principles and the company’s core business that enables signatories to:

• identify critical priorities, opportunities and risks;
• engage key colleagues and external stakeholders;
• assess performance in integrating the ten principles into business strategy;
• galvanize action and set goals and targets to support implementation and Communications on Progress.

Based on GLN’s own corporate citizenship planning and assessment tool and co-designed with IBM, the tool gives Global Compact signatories the opportunity to explore the business, market and societal aspects associated with each Principle and decide which of the ten principles are the most strategic to the company. Designed as a learning and benchmarking system, the tool draws on an extensive database of good practice case studies, real-time benchmarking and automated reporting to provide Compact signatories with the necessary information on key strategic alignment efforts.

The results will enable UN Global Compact signatories build strategies that make possible the UN Global Compact principles to serve as productive drivers of business performance and value for society.

Global Compact signatories can access the tool through an exclusive platform at www.gln-openaccess.org. The tool is currently available in English and Portuguese, with a Spanish and a Chinese version scheduled for March and April, respectively. GLN and the Global Compact will schedule a series of sessions with GLN and Global Compact signatories in various regions.