Frequently asked questions

The TG self-assessment tool is a tool for businesses to provide companies with a better understanding of where they are in their transformational governance journey. 
 

The voluntary tool will help companies of all sectors, sizes and regions to understand the concept of transformational governance and identify areas where further action can be taken to fulfill any gaps in their current approach as well as opportunities to further strengthen their policies and procedures. 

The tool is based on self-reporting and is meant to be a learning platform. The data is not third-party validated and thus does not serve as a reporting mechanism, auditing tool or certification.

We recognize every company structure is different, so we leave it to your company to decide how best to utilize the TG self-assessment tool with your country subsidiaries. However, we do note that issues related to transformational governance vary among countries, thus you might find it beneficial for subsidiaries to take the assessment at their country level to accurately reflect their current country context.

Yes, we encourage companies of all sizes to take the assessment, but we recognize SMEs may have fewer resources and/or capacity and some of the questions on supplier engagement may be skipped.

There is no need to take the tool more than once per year. We recommend using the tool as a way to measure your company’s progress on TG and to utilize resources tailored to your assessment results. 

There are no fees associated with this tool.

Congratulations on completing the assessment. Celebrate and share your strengths internally and externally using the social media toolkit. Use your results to identify your company’s gaps and what next steps can be taken to improve. 

Kindly note, the listed areas of improvement are for your company’s knowledge. No required action is necessary, but we encourage you to take the results into consideration to strengthen your company’s governance.

If you are having trouble with any of the questions in the survey, please reach out to governance@unglobalcompact.org with any inquiries.

The tool covers company policies and practices related to leadership, ethics, compliance, transparency and anti-corruption, Government and stakeholder relations, human resources management, contractor and supplier management and procurement. This means you might need information from colleagues in these teams. 

You may also need to speak with key suppliers and contractors. Prior to starting the assessment, download the guidance checklist document and share it among members of your assessment team. Gather relevant data and reports to complete the assessment. 

Transformational Governance proposes a more holistic reading of the G in ESG. As such, it provides a lens through which businesses can enhance and expand their understanding of governance not only with regard to their internal governance (corporate governance), but also with regard to how they impact on the environment and societies they operate in (sustainable governance) and how they may contribute to building strong, transparent and effective institutions at different levels (global governance).

Peace, justice, and strong institutions, bound together as SDG 16, are the vital enablers and accelerators of sustainable development because they bring together Governments, civil society and businesses in common interest. 

The relevance of SDG16 to business is not well understood in contrast with most of the other SDGs, but it may be the greatest for two reasons. 

First, peace, justice and strong institutions are the building blocks that enable Governments, civil society and businesses alike to focus on each of the other SDGs. When those factors are in place, progress towards achieving the other SDGs can accelerate. 

Second, peace, justice and strong institutions themselves are essential to sustainable and profitable environments for business and investment. When those factors are in place, business and investors can spur economic innovation and development, generate jobs and incomes, diminish poverty and expand opportunities. 

Any individual or organization that may affect or be affected by a company’s actions and decisions. In the UN Guiding Principles, the primary focus is on affected or potentially affected stakeholders, meaning individuals whose human rights have been or may be affected by a company’s operations, products or services. 

Other particularly relevant stakeholders are the legitimate representatives of potentially affected stakeholders, including trade unions as well as civil society organizations and human rights defenders.

Protecting your privacy is a top priority. The data entered into the self-assessment is strictly confidential, and the results will never be linked back to an individual company or divulged to the public. Data will be solely used in its aggregate form to better understand trends on living wage and areas needing further support and resources.

Additionally, all data is stored on a modern and fully secured server. All user interactions and data sent to the self-assessment are encrypted using TLS connections that are comparable to online banking encryption. This ensures the complete privacy of all user data entered into the site during the self-assessment.

By using the tool, you will not only benefit from gaining a better understanding of your company’s progress on transformational governance, but you will also contribute to the collection of valuable data at the aggregate level that will inform future work to advance transformational governance in companies and across supply chains.

While not mandatory, companies are encouraged to voluntarily share their results with their stakeholders as a way to initiate dialogue and action on transformational governance.

Unless a company makes its results public on its own website or the UN Global Compact releases a report of trends across the aggregate data, all company results are confidential.

No. There are no risks to participating in this assessment. It is simply a useful learning platform for transformational governance.