EC-Assess

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EC-Assess:

The Earth Charter

Ethics-Based Assessment Tool

An Open-Source Tool for Evaluating the Sustainability

of Organizations, Projects, Initiatives, and Individuals

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EC-Assess:

The Earth Charter Ethics-Based

Assessment Tool

An Open-Source Tool for Evaluating Sustainability ofOrganizations, Projects, Initiatives, and Individuals

Version 51 September 2008

Developed byAlan AtKisson, Dominic Stucker, Leah Wener

Earth Charter International SecretariatSan Jos, Costa Rica

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Credits

Developed by:Alan AtKisson, former Executive Director of ECI

Dominic Stucker, ECI Youth CoordinatorLeah Wener, former World Leadership Corps Fellow

Editors o Version 5: Dominic Stucker, ECI Youth CoordinatorAlicia Jimenez, ECI Project CoordinatorDaniel Korpela, ECI Intern

Photos:Jaana Laitinen and Daniel Korpela

Cover Design and Arts:Lidia PicadoALPI Producciones

Donor: Plan Netherlands

Published by:Earth Charter International Secretariat

Copyright 2008 by Earth Charter International

All rights reserved. No part o this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any orm orby any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, withoutprior permission in written rom the publishers.

Please direct comments or questions to [email protected]

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION 5

What is EC-Assess? 5

Why conduct EC-Assess? 5

Preparing to conduct EC-Assess 6

An Example o EC-Assess in Action 10

II. EC-ASSESS: Step-by-Step Instructions 17

Step 1: Select the Subject 17

Step 2: Map Whats Relevant 17

Step 3: Evaluate the Values 18

Step 4: Appraise the Perormance 18

Step 5: Reect on the Feedback 19

Step 6: Create the Campaign 20

Step 7: Score the Success 20

III. EC-ASSESS WORKSHEET 21

Overall Scoring 27

Analysis Notes and Priorities Identifed or Change Campaign 28

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The final words of the Earth Charter Preamble:

We urgently need a shared vision o basic values to provide an ethical

oundation or the emerging world community. Tereore, together in hopewe arm the ollowing interdependent principles or a sustainable way olie [the Earth Charter] as a common standard by which the conduct o allindividuals, organizations, businesses, governments, and transnationalinstitutions is to be guided and assessed.

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EC-Assess:The Earth Charter Ethics Based Assessment Tool

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What isEC-Assess?

I. INTRODUCTION

EC-Assess is an integrated ethical assessmenttool that can be used by individuals or groupswho want to evaluate and improve both theirlevel of declared commitment and their level of

performancein pursuit o a more just, sustainable,and peaceul world.

Te tool is designed to be applicable and useulin a very wide variety o contexts, ranging romindividual liestyle assessment, to projects ororganizations seeking to improve their ownpractice o Earth Charter principles, to groupsseeking to evaluate (rom an external position)the ethical commitment and perormanceo governmental agencies, non-governmental

organizations, educational institutions,corporations, etc.

EC-Assess is based on the ethical ramework othe Earth Charter, and uses a simple worksheet

ound in Section III o this booklet. Using asubset o the Earth Charters sixteen Principlesand sixty-one Supporting Principles, evaluatorsrst identiy which Supporting Principles are

relevant to the subject o the assessment (materialand within the subjects inuence). Tey thenevaluate (1) the extent to which each SupportingPrinciple is espoused publicly, and (2) the extentto which actual planning and perormancereects the implementation o that SupportingPrinciple in practice.

Te results allow the evaluator to identiy areaswhere either the declared embrace o a SupportingPrinciple is strong or weak, and where the actual

practice o a specic Supporting Principle is strongor weak. Te results highlight, in particular, thoseareas where declared commitment to a Principle,and the practices o that initiative or organization,are not in sync with one another.

Why conductEC-Assess?

Assessment is about accountability and

improvement. We assess both to gauge progress,and to nd out how to make more o it.

Ethics-based assessment is dierent romordinary perormance assessment, in that itocuses on the expressed core values o the subjectbeing evaluated, and compares perormance

against those values and aspirations. Te Earth

Charter is used as the ramework or EC-Assessbecause it is a very broadly endorsed statemento globally embraced values and aspirations orthe uture o our world. It provides a highestcommon denominator set o ethical principlesor building a just, sustainable, and peaceulsociety.

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The Earth Charter

Te Earth Charter is truly o the People, in thatit resulted rom an unprecedented global processo consultation and consensus building involvingthousands o citizens, leaders, and scholars.

Te Earth Charter draws its authority rom thisconsultation process and rom the thousandso institutional endorsements it has receivedsince 2000. It thus oers a high and legitimatestandard or measuring ethical commitment andperormance.

By utilizing EC-Assess as a normative, systemic,and customizable assessment, individuals andorganizations can stimulate discussion and inspireaction to change liestyles, goals, and operationsto better reect both their espoused values,and the values identied as most necessary to

ensure a just, sustainable, and peaceul world orcoming generations.

Furthermore, when EC-Assess is used to assessthe projects or programs o other organizations,including those in the business and governmentsectors, such assessment - especially whenconducted using appreciate inquiry - canstimulate constructive exchange o inormation,dialogue, and debate, as well as motivatingadditional action or positive change.

Te EC-Assess process helps to harness the powero cognitive dissonance, instances when actionsdo not mirror espoused values. Tese points odissonance can be recognized as opportunitiesor launching campaigns to change personalbehavior, strategy, and practice.

Earth Charter International (ECI) stronglyrecommends that all evaluators - whether theyare individuals or organizations - conduct anEC-Assess ocused on themselves beore usingthe process to assess other evaluation subjects.Tis will build both a deeper understanding othe process, a sense o empathy or the subjectsyou are evaluating, and the opportunity to putthe tool to work in the improvement o your

own commitment and perormance relative tothe ethical vision o the Earth Charter.

Beore beginning the EC-Assess steps outlinedbelow, the evaluator should take into accountthese process considerations.

Adopt a mindset o appreciative inquiry.Approach assessment rom a positive andconstructive perspective, looking or strengthsand building upon them.

Be prepared to dig deep. Te assessmentwill be richer and more meaningul i eachSupporting Principle is careully taken intoconsideration. Make sure to properly view

EC-Assess as a normative, yet subjective, tool.

Be committed to change yoursel. Tisis easier said than done. Changing yourbehavior, policies, or operations is challenging.Durable change necessitates stepping outside

Preparing to conductEC-Assess

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o your (or your organizations) comort zoneand tolerating a great deal o ambiguity untilnew practices become habitual. Sometimeschange requires an initial investment oresources, nancial or otherwise, that willonly pay o in the long run. Such processescan take a long time and progress is notalways linear.

Involve others. Organizations should seekto involve as many sta as possible in the

process, so that the assessment also becomes astrategic training and team-building activity.

Put yoursel in their shoes when assessingother organizations. Again, use an approacho appreciative inquiry that is constructive andseeks out collaborative solutions to identieddissonance. Invite stakeholders rom theselected organization to conduct EC-Assess inparallel or in collaboration with you.

Beore starting the EC-Assess process, it is agood idea to read (or re-read) the entire EarthCharter1. Tis will remind you o the contextand purpose o the assessment, beore you delveinto the specic details o the main Principlesand Supporting Principles.

EC-Assess consists o seven steps, summarizedhere. Detailed step-by-step instructions ollow,along with the EC-Assess Worksheet.

1) Select the Subject. Te Subject o yourassessment is the entity you are evaluating.Choices range rom the individual andhousehold level, to entire NGOs and theirprograms, to organizations and initiatives

Note on Methodology

EC-Assess ocuses on Principles 5-16 andtheir specifc Supporting Principles. Tis

ollows the structure o the Earth Charter.Te frst our Principles o the Charter arebroad and encompass the whole o its ethical

ramework in general terms. Tey areollowed by the phrase, In order to ulfll

these our broad commitments, in it necessaryto... which then introduces the remaining,more specifc Principles and SupportingPrinciples. Principles 5-16 are morespecifc expressions o the Earth Chartersethical principles, and more conducive tothe exercise o assessment. Similarly, themain Principles 5-16 are themselves generalexpressions o more specifc actions that aredescribed in the Supporting Principles.

in business, government, and other sectors.Te rst step is to be clear about what youare and are not assessing.

2) Map Whats Relevant. In this step theassessor (or team o assessors) considerseach one o the Earth Charters SupportingPrinciples under Principles 5-16, and decides

which ones are relevant or material andwithin the Subjects inuence.

3) Evaluate the Values. For each one o theselected (relevant) Supporting Principles,the assessment team ranks the Subject

1 Find the Earth Charter text in over 30 dierent languages at www.earthcharter.org

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The Earth Charter

according to the ollowing 0-3 scale. Teessential questions are o what degreedoes the Subject declare that they careaboutthis Principle? and o what degree does

this Supporting Principle appear to be valued,based on the evidence o statements, policies,declarations, resolutions, guide- lines, etc.?

Score Evidence of Care for the Supporting Principle

0 Level of care for this Principle is either totally invisible, impossible to determine, or

not contributing to the Earth Charter vision

1 There exists evidence of minimalcare about this Principle2 There exists evidence of growingcare about this Principle

3 There exists evidence of greatcare about this Principle

Scoring Guide:

4) Appraise the Perormance. Now, or the sameset o Supporting Principles, appraise thedegree to which each is evidenced in action.Te essential questions are, o what degree is

the Subject demonstrating that they value thisSupporting Principle? Are they takingaction

to reect that, and not just talkingabout it?Note that the scoring is not meant to assesswhether the Subject has achieved the perectrealization o the Principles, but rather to gauge

their level o sincere and tangible engagementin the process o implementation.

Score Evidence of Action to Implement the Supporting Principle

0 Implementation/action to realize this Principle is either totally invisible, impossible to

determine, or not contributing to the Earth Charter vision

1 There exists evidence of minimalaction to realize this Principle

2 There exists evidence of movement towardmore action to realize this Principle

3 There exists evidence of engagedaction to realize this Principle

Scoring Guide:

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5) Reect on the Feedback. Te assessmentteam then studies the results, seeking orpatterns and highlights in the resultingEarth Charter ethical snapshot o theSubject. Note which values are both ullyembraced in theory as well as ully embodiedin practice ... as well as those values embracedin word, but are not supported by action.Tose Supporting Principles or which greator growing care was identied, but that arenot yet reecting signicant levels o engaged

action, represent areas o dissonance. Tesecan present the greatest opportunities ormeaningul change, because the Subject islikely to be motivated to bring action intoalignment with declared values. Tese areasmight emerge as the highest priority or achange campaign.

6) Create the Campaign. Te assessor orassessment team then ormulates a plan oaction or bringing about meaningul changein the lie and/or operations o the Subjectorganization. I the Subject is onesel orones own organization, this plan involvesconcrete strategies and tactics or promotingmore ully embodied values, through actionto implement those values. I the Subject isexternal to the assessors, the campaign maybe an inormation campaign, to presentthe overall results o the Assessment andencourage engagement and change on

the part o the Subject. Campaigns canbe created around one or more specicSupporting Principles, a Principle, or a Pillaro the Earth Charter.

7) Score the Success. Follow through with thecampaign(s) and keep track o progress. omeasure the impact o the campaign(s), repeatsteps 2-5 ater an appropriate time interval.

As you move through the above steps, and eelyou need guidance, please write to Earth CharterInternational, at ec-assess [@] earthcharter.org.Our sta or volunteers will do their best to assistyou. We appreciate your eedback on this tool,as we always seek to improve upon our work.

We hope that EC-Assess and the Earth Chartercan help you bring about desired and meaningulchange toward achieving sustainability in yourown lie and through your organization. Suchaction brings humanity one step closer torealizing a just, sustainable, and peaceul world.Please share EC-Assess with others to multiply itspositive eects.

We welcome your comments, suggestions, and,most o all, your stories about how ethics-basedassessment, using the Earth Charter, supportsyou in your own work to create a better world.

Step-by-Step Instructions and the EC-AssessWorksheet follow the next section. You mayalso choose to use the electronic version of the Worksheet, which calculates results

automatically, and is available in our onlineResource Center.

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The Earth Charter

By: Alicia Jimnez and Daniel Korpela

Tis section provides an example o how EC-Assess can be conducted, what kind o datacan be obtained, and how it can be presented.

It is divided into the ollowing sub-sections:Introduction; Methodology o Data Collection;Kinds o Inormation that can be Obtained;Dierent Forms or Presenting the Data; andRecommendations and Conclusions.

Introduction

Tis assessment was carried out by students

o INEX (International Network or EducationalExchange), an Austria-based organizationcommitted to education in leadership andsustainability. In the summer o 2008 INEXbrought twenty European Masters studentsto Costa Rica to participate in a course onsustainable development. INEX included theEarth Charter in its summer program in twoways: rst, by discussing theoretical aspects othe ethical principles contained in the EarthCharter in a two week theory course; and,

second, by using EC-Assess as a methodologicaltool or subsequent research.Te research objective was to analyze to whatextent the tourism sector in Costa Rica is movingtoward sustainability. ourism is one o the mostimportant economic activities in Costa Rica,

An Example oEC-ASSESSin ActionUsing EC-Assess to evaluate commitment and action o tourismstakeholders towards sustainability in Quepos, Costa Rica

being the number one source o oreign currency.Tereore, the actions toward the sustainabilityo this sector is likely to have great impacts onthe country.

Due to time constraints, it was possible toselect only one geographical area to conduct theassessment, Quepos and neighboring Manuel

Antonio National Park. Quepos is a small touristtown on the Central Pacic coast o Costa Rica.It has roughly 15,000 inhabitants, and an area o445.52 km2. Manuel Antonio National Park hasan area o 56.98 km2. ourism is the main eco-nomic activity and approximately 150,000 touristsvisit Quepos and Manuel Antonio each year.

Figure 1: View of Manuel Antonio coastal area.Photo by Jaana Laitinen

www.INEX.org

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Methodology o Data Collection

As mentioned in the introduction o this booklet,EC-Assess is a qualitative tool; thereore, anappropriate methodology to use was open endedinterviews. Since tourism is a complex sectorwith many stakeholders, it was important to rstidentiy and select the subject with whom toundertake the interviews to apply EC-Assess.

A large spectrum o subjects was selected to get

a comprehensive picture o the situation. Teinterviewees were representatives o the ollowinginstitutions: Local Government (the Mayor and advisory

sta);

Regional Ofces o the Ministry o Agricultureand Ministry o Environment and Energy;

Businesses (members o Quepos ourismChamber o Commerce, hotel owners, and

managers o tour companies and souvenirshops); and

Schools.

In addition, several tourists and citizens werechosen randomly to be interviewed; being themost important customers o this sector, theiractions and habits have an important impact onsustainability o tourism.

Kinds o Inormation thatcan be Obtained

Te main objective o EC-Assess is to makeevident those ethical principles o sustainabilityin which there are the greatest discrepancies

between actions and espoused values; or it is inthese areas where there is the greatest opportunityto generate change in behavior and practicetowards sustainability.

Te ethical principles assessed can be dividedinto three broader areas (or Pillars) or extendedanalysis:

Ecological Integrity (Pillar II Principles 5-8)

Social and Economic Justice (Pillar III Principles 9-12)

Democracy, Nonviolence and Peace (Pillar IV Principles 13-16)

Example from the governmentand local government sectors

INEX students ound that some major

discrepancies between commitment andactions o local and national governmentinstitutions are related to the principles oEcological Integrity. Te interviewed LocalGovernment ofcials expressed a highlevel o care especially or environmentalconservation and protection (Principles 5and 6). However, the actions towards moresustainable environmental managementhave not corresponded to high commitment.Te potentially contradictory economic andecological interests o the local governmentwere identied as possible reasons orthis discrepancy.

Other problems were identied that aremaking it difcult or government stakeholders

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The Earth Charter

to achieve Ecological Integrity:

Lackofenvironmentallong-termplanningproducing disorganized and environmentallydamaging real estate developments

Lack of measures to avoid unsustainableconsumption o renewable resources (e.g. useo water, orest resources, soil)

Inecientwastemanagement

Trough this assessment, it was also discoveredthat the expressed level o care regardingprinciples on culture o peace or gender equalitywas signicantly lower than those related toecological integrity, indicating that more timeand eort needs to be devoted to these issues.

It was also possible to identiy good practices ogovernment stakeholders that are leading towardssustainability. For example, the Ministries oEnvironment and Agriculture are undertaking

endangered species protection, implementingrecycling programs nearby Manuel AntonioNational Park; promoting eco-riendly pro-ducts, and so orth. Also, the Municipality istaking measures against corruption by punishingsta members who accept bribes to allowconstruction in protected areas.

By systematically going through each supportingPrinciple in EC-Assess with the interviewees,the students were able to stimulate meaninguldiscussions with government ofcials. Tey wereable to discuss at length the local socio-economicand environmental situation and how it canbe improved. Te design o EC-Assess helps toacilitate such rewarding interactions.

Example from the business sector

For the business stakeholders (mainly hotels),the students ound that general awarenessand commitment to topics related tosustainability was rather high (average levelo commitment or all Principles was 2.15on a scale o 0-3). It is possible that theirperceptions and commitment have beeninuenced by the eorts o the National

Institute o ourism (IC), which issues acerticate o sustainable tourism to hotelsthat implement actions towards sustainability(e.g. energy saving, waste management, andusing alternative energy sources, amongothers).

Diferent Formsor Presenting the Data

Presenting data in aggregateorm in a bar graph

Figure 2 shows the aggregate totals or thethree pillars rom the business stakeholders. Itis possible to see that the highest level o careand level o action is in Pillar II (EcologicalIntegrity). Hoteliers seem to be less concernedwith Social and Economic Justice (Pillar III)as well as Democracy, Nonviolence and Peace

(Pillar IV). Arguably, programs should be createdto improve the level o care and action in theseareas. Te greatest discrepancy was ound inPillar IV, where there is the greatest potential orimprovement and increased action.

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Presenting data in written orm

o present the results obtained rom the interviewswith School representatives (mainly teachers), thestudents preerred to not use graphs but to givethe results in written orm, speciying the level o

care and perormance or specic actions.

Te ollowing are some example o actions thatmirror the Principles ound in each Pillar, andare relevant to the schools in Quepos. Te rstarrow represents the level o care and the secondthe level o action. For each o them, arrowsup show when the level o care or the level oaction are high, and the arrows down show theopposite.

Ecological Integrity

- protection o animals and endangeredspeciesJ

- mitigation o pollution E- sustainable management o non-renewable

resources K

- engagement in long-term global activities orprecautionary approaches to environmentalprotectionK

Social and Economic Justice

- adoption o sustainable patterns oconsumption and reproduction E

- promotion o human rights o women andgirlsJ

- mitigation o violence E- mitigation o discrimination J

Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace

- engagement in a vivid democratic stateJ- mitiagation o corruption E

Presenting data in disaggregated ormin a bar graph

Another way to present the results obtainedrom EC-Assess is to present the level o care and

Figure 2: Responses from businesses stakeholders

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The Earth Charter

action or each principle on the same bar graph(Figure 3). In this way, it is possible to clearly seewhere the major discrepancies are. Also we cansee how high or low the level o care and the levelo action are with regard to each principle.

From the more detailed graph above, the studentshighlighted three dierent Principles and proposeddierent actions or each. Tey took a closer lookat Principles ve, seven and ten and suggested somepotential actions to be taken by the stakeholders:

Figure 3: Results from tourists

Scenario Actions

If the level of care is high

but the level of action is low.

(Principle 5: Protect and restore the integrity o

Earths ecological systems, with special concern or

biological diversity and the natural processes that

sustain lie.)

Provide facilities (e.g. trashcans for recycling

and information on sustainable lifestyles).

If the level of care and action are high

(Principle 7: Adopt patterns o production,consumption, and reproduction that saeguard Earths

regenerative capacities, human rights, and community

well-being.)

Build upon activities already initiated.

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Examples o Recommendations

Te dialogue that started with each stakeholderhelped the students not only to understandthe local situation better, but also to proposerecommendations specically or each stakeholder.Te ollowing are some examples o recommendedactions or each stakeholder to help them addressareas with major discrepancies between level ocare and level o action.

Scenario Actions

If the level of care is low

(Principle 10: Ensure that economic activities andinstitutions at all levels promote human development

in an equitable and sustainable manner.)

Generate awareness through information.

INEX students also acknowledged the importance

o encouraging a systemic way o thinking amongall the stakeholders that have inuence on thetourism sector. Finally, they proposed that thestakeholders develop capacities to collaborateand bridge existing gaps to eectively mobilizesustainability plans into action.

Sector Recommendations

Business GetmoreactivelyinvolvedintheprocesstoobtainCerticationinSustainable

Tourism.

Ministries of Agriculture

and Environment

Promotemoreinter-institutionalcoordination.

Developalongtermsustainabledevelopmentplanincoordinationwithallthe

areas stakeholders.

Local Government Partnerwithhotelsandotherbusinessesinalandscapeplantobeautifythe

town, in addition to developing a recycling project.

Schools Createaschoolnetworkofenvironmentalcareandenlargecooperationwith

national parks.

Tourists and Citizens Respectandfollowplansandregulationssetforthbydifferentstakeholders.

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The Earth Charter

Conclusions on EC-Assess

Tis research project shows that there is potentialto use EC-Assess to highlight sustainabilityprinciples organizations and sectors identiy asimportant but are ailing to put into practice.

Trough the dialogue that is generated duringthe interview process, it is possible or thoseconducting EC-Assess to identiy strategicactions where there is potential or improvement

(a high level o care and low level o action).EC-Assess can be conducted by anyone, theycan be people employed in local organizationsor external researchers. With this tool it is alsopossible to identiy actions or other scenarios,like what to do when there is low level o care ora certain principle o sustainability.

An important aspect to consider when planningto conduct EC-Assess is the length o time that

is required to apply this tool. It is not a shortprocess, so assessors and/or interviewees should beprepared to invest signicant time and energy.

Another interesting aspect o EC-Assess isthe possibility or comparisons that this toolprovides. It is possible or uture students toundertake an assessment o the tourism sector in

Figure 4: Biodiversity in Manuel Antonio.

Photo by Daniel Korpela

another part o Costa Rica, and identiy whetheror not there are similar tendencies among thesame stakeholders, such as local governments,national government ofcials, businesses,

tourists, citizens and schools.

Another option is to go back to Quepos andManuel Antonio, and assess how the situation haschanged over time and see i the recommendationshave been put into practice. It would also beinteresting to see i and how peoples perceptionshave changed.

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II. EC-ASSESS:Step-by-StepInstructions

Step 1: Select the Subject

Name and briey describe the entity you are going to assess. I you have difculty dening itsboundaries, think in terms o where decision-making control stops.

Note: We use the term Subject on purpose to underscore (1) that the assessment is inherentlysubjective and (2) that the entity being evaluated is the subject, and not the object, o evaluation.Tat is, the Subject should be a participatory actor in the assessment process.

Step 2: Map Whats Relevant

o begin the actual assessment, rst ll in the Relevance column or the entire worksheet, writingeither Yes or No beside each Supporting Principle as appropriate to the Subject.

Te guiding principle or determining relevance or materiality is, Can this Subject make decisionsthat aect the realization o this Principle?

Relevance will be diferent or diferent kinds o Subjects. For example, abusinessmay nd Principle7d (on the internalization o externalized costs etc.) as very relevant, because there are many decisionsa business can make to implement this Principle. On the other hand, a school project might notnd Principle 7d very relevant to their work at all, nor could it take decisions to implement thePrinciple meaningully. Indeed, the action verb at the beginning o each Supporting Principle mayhelp determine whether or not the Principle is material.

When in doubt, its relevant. I there seems to be some lack o clarity about whether a SupportingPrinciple is material or not to the Subject, include it in the assessment, since the lack o clarity usuallyderives rom a mixed picture o the Subjects ability to make decisions regarding its realization. Havingincomplete control or limited inuence is still a orm o inuence, and even a more limited level oinuence brings with it ethical responsibility to consider ones actions in light o the Principle.

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The Earth Charter

Step 3: Evaluate the Values

For each Supporting Principle that has been judged Relevant, evaluate the evidence or whetherthe Subject has declared that they care about that Principle - in whatever way is appropriate to thatSubject. Note that it is not at all necessary that the Subject reerence the Earth Charter, or evenknow about it! Te question is, does the Subject care about this issue, and to what extent? Writtenevidence can be ound in vision and mission statements, strategies, policy, business plans, hiringpolicies, contracts, etc. Unwritten, common practice may also be a source or evidence o care.

Note: Tis part o the evaluation is by denition a subjectiveand normative judgment. Tis is thenature o ethics-based assessment. Note also that you can only make this judgment based on theevidence at hand. Tat is why a zero score does not indicate that the Subject does not care about thatPrinciple, only that there is no visible evidenceo such care.

Enter scores (0, 1, 2, or 3) in the second column o the worksheet, using the scoring guide below.For each Principle, average your scores or the relevant Supporting Principles to determine the scoreor the main Principle. When nished, calculate the average or each Pillar (Ecological Integrity; Socialand Economic Justice; and Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace), in addition to the average theaverages to get an overall score or Declared Level o Care.

Score Evidence of Care for the Supporting Principle

0 Level of care for this Principle is either totally invisible, impossible to determine, or

not contributing to the Earth Charter vision

1 There exists evidence of minimalcare about this Principle

2 There exists evidence of growingcare about this Principle

3 There exists evidence of greatcare about this Principle

Scoring Guide:

Step 4:Appraise the Perormance

Now ollow the same procedures as or Step 3, but consider the evidence or whether the Subjectis taking action to realize each relevant Supporting Principle. Is the Subject acting on this issue andto what extent? Use the scoring guide to determine the score, and derive averages and overall scoresin the same way as well.

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Score Evidence of Action to Implement the Supporting Principle

0 Implementation/action to realize this Principle is either totally invisible, impossible to

determine, or not contributing to the Earth Charter vision

1 There exists evidence of minimalaction to realize this Principle

2 There exists evidence of movement towardmore action to realize this Principle3 There exists evidence of engagedaction to realize this Principle

Scoring Guide:

Step 5: Refect on the Feedback

For the next step, we recommend a discussion meeting where the assessors and the Subject review anddiscuss the results, in the spirit o appreciative inquiry. Start rom the understanding that the Earth

Charter Principles describe a comprehensive set o ideals, many o which have been relatively newlyunderstood to be important, and that it would be very unlikely or anyone or any organization to scorehighly on every parameter.

Questions to ocus on might include, Where can this Subject start to improve, right away? In whatareas would a ocused eort to improve perormance create better alignment with expressed values- as well as result in a more just, sustainable, and peace-oriented development or that Subject?

Use the Scoring Sheet as a starting point or reection and discussion - but remember, an assessmenttool is just a tool. Tere may be important issues that emerge that are not directly reected inassessment scores. Keep the conversation open and exible, so that you have the chance to get tothe heart o the issues and nd those areas where a ocused initiative might overcome blockageto change, or hit a leverage point that releases cascading positive changes with systemic impacts.

Scoring Guide:

FillintheScoringSheetbycalculatingtheaveragesforeachPillar,aswellastheoverallLevelo Care and Level o Action.

Note once again that this evaluation is subjective, but is based on evidence at hand. For organizations,that evidence may be in the orm o public reports or presentations, or knowledge obtained throughinterviews with people who work there. Once again, a zero does not mean that nothing ishappening; but it does indicate that the assessment team was unable to nd evidence o action.

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The Earth Charter

Identify thoseareas clearlydeservingof priorityattention, for examplewhenPrinciplesthat are very relevant receive low scores generally, or where a high Level o Care score is notmatched by a high Level o Action.

Reviewtheentireassessmentworksheettolookforimportanttrendsandpatternsandissuesthat link together.

TenselectaPrinciple,orsetofPrinciples,tofocusoninthecreationofanactioncampaign.

Step 6: Create the CampaignTe act oassessmentpresupposes a commitment to take action - either to change onesel or ones ownorganization, or to attempt to inuence the assessed Subject and encourage them to take action toimprove perormance.

It goes beyond the scope o this tool to discuss how to create change eorts, but there exist manygood resources to support you in developing a campaign. Focus on those areas where improvementis necessary and/or possible, but have patience: changing habits, cultures, and the core values thatdrive decision making is oten challenging, to say the least.

At this point in the process, the work is less ocused on Supporting Principles, and much moreconcentrated on the process o raising awareness and acilitating change. Let the spirit o the EarthCharter - its proven capacity to inspire and support change and innovation over the long run - helpyou in this as well.

Step 7: Score the Success

Assessment should never be a one-time action. Choose an appropriate time interval - a realistic period

during which change can be expected to occur - and revisit the EC-Assess scores or the Subject to seehow well the campaign or change has worked. Celebrate progress, search or new opportunities... thequest or change toward a more just, sustainable, and peaceul world is the work o generations. Everystep orward makes a dierence!

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III. EC-ASSESS WORKSHEET(Also see the Excel version o this Worksheet, available in our online Resource Center , which automaticallycalculates averages and generates bar graphs or easier results interpretation.)

NAME OF SUBJEC AND BRIEF DESCRIPION:

Relevance

of Principle

Declared

Level of

Care

Level of

Engaged

Action

Earth Charter Principles 5-16

(with Supporting Principles)

Earth Charter Pillar II. Ecological Integrity

YES

or NO0, 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2, 3

5. Protect and restore the integrity of Earths ecological

systems, with special concern for biological diversity

and the natural processes that sustain life.

a. Adopt at all levels sustainable development plans and regulationsthat make environmental conservation and rehabilitation integral toall development initiatives.

b. Establish and saeguard viable nature and biosphere reserves,including wild lands and marine areas, to protect Earths lie supportsystems, maintain biodiversity, and preserve our natural heritage.

c. Promote the recovery o endangered species and ecosystems.

d. Control and eradicate non-native or genetically modied organismsharmul to native species and the environment, and preventintroduction o such harmul organisms.

e. Manage the use o renewable resources such as water, soil, orest

products, and marine lie in ways that do not exceed rates oregeneration and that protect the health o ecosystems.

. Manage the extraction and use o non-renewable resources such asminerals and ossil uels in ways that minimize depletion and cause noserious environmental damage.

< Averages for This Principle

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The Earth Charter

Relevanceof Principle

DeclaredLevel of

Care

Level ofEngaged

Action

Earth Charter Principles 5-16(with Supporting Principles)

YES

or NO0, 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2, 3

6. Prevent harm as the best method of environmental

protection and, when knowledge is limited, apply a

precautionary approach.

a. ake action to avoid the possibility o serious or irreversibleenvironmental harm even when scientic knowledge is incomplete orinconclusive.

b. Place the burden o proo on those who argue that a proposedactivity will not cause signicant harm, and make the responsibleparties liable or environmental harm.

c. Ensure that decision making addresses the cumulative, long-term,indirect, long distance, and global consequences o human activities.

d. Prevent pollution o any part o the environment and allow nobuild-up o radioactive, toxic, or other hazardous substances.

e. Avoid military activities damaging to the environment.


YES

or NO 0, 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2, 3

7. Adopt patterns of production, consumption, and

reproduction that safeguard Earths regenerativecapacities, human rights, and community well-being.

a. Reduce, reuse, and recycle the materials used in production andconsumption systems, and ensure that residual waste can be assimilatedby ecological systems.

b. Act with restraint and efciency when using energy, and relyincreasingly on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind.

c. Promote the development, adoption, and equitable transer oenvironmentally sound technologies.

d. Internalize the ull environmental and social costs o goods andservices in the selling price, and enable consumers to identiy products

that meet the highest social and environmental standards.e. Ensure universal access to health care that osters reproductive healthand responsible reproduction.

. Adopt liestyles that emphasize the quality o lie and materialsufciency in a nite world.


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DeclaredLevel of

Care

Level ofEngaged

Action


YES

or NO0, 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2, 3

8. Advance the study of ecological sustainability and

promote the open exchange and wide application of the

knowledge acquired.

a. Support international scientic and technical cooperation onsustainability, with special attention to the needs o developingnations.

b. Recognize and preserve the traditional knowledge and spiritual

wisdom in all cultures that contribute to environmental protectionand human well-being.

c. Ensure that inormation o vital importance to human health andenvironmental protection, including genetic inormation, remainsavailable in the public domain.


Earth Charter Pillar III. Social and Economic Justice

YES

or NO0, 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2, 3

9. Eradicate poverty as an ethical, social, and

environmental imperative.

a. Guarantee the right to potable water, clean air, ood security,

uncontaminated soil, shelter, and sae sanitation, allocating thenational and international resources required.

b. Empower every human being with the education and resources tosecure a sustainable livelihood, and provide social security and saetynets or those who are unable to support themselves.

c. Recognize the ignored, protect the vulnerable, serve those whosuer, and enable them to develop their capacities and to pursue theiraspirations.


YES

or NO

0, 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2, 3

10. Ensure that economic activities and institutions at

all levels promote human development in an equitable

and sustainable manner.

a. Promote the equitable distribution o wealth within nations andamong nations.

b. Enhance the intellectual, nancial, technical, and social resources odeveloping nations, and relieve them o onerous international debt.

c. Ensure that all trade supports sustainable resource use, environmentalprotection, and progressive labor standards.

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The Earth Charter

Relevance

of Principle

Declared

Level of

Care

Level of

Engaged

Action



d. Require multinational corporations and international nancialorganizations to act transparently in the public good, and hold themaccountable or the consequences o their activities.


YES

or NO0, 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2, 3

11. Afrm gender equality and equity as prerequisites to

sustainable development and ensure universal access

to education, health care, and economic opportunity.

a. Secure the human rights o women and girls and end all violenceagainst them.

b. Promote the active participation o women in all aspects oeconomic, political, civil, social, and cultural lie as ull and equalpartners, decision makers, leaders, and beneciaries.

c. Strengthen amilies and ensure the saety and loving nurture o allamily members.


YESor NO

0, 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2, 3

12. Uphold the right of all, without discrimination, to a

natural and social environment supportive of human

dignity, bodily health, and spiritual well-being, with

special attention to the rights of indigenous peoples and

minorities.

a. Eliminate discrimination in all its orms, such as that based on race,color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, language, and national, ethnicor social origin.

b. Afrm the right o indigenous peoples to their spirituality,knowledge, lands and resources and to their related practice osustainable livelihoods.

c. Honor and support the young people o our communities, enablingthem to ulll their essential role in creating sustainable societies.

d. Protect and restore outstanding places o cultural and spiritualsignicance.


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DeclaredLevel of

Care

Level ofEngaged

Action


Earth Charter Pillar IV. Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace

YES

or NO0, 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2, 3

13. Strengthen democratic institutions at all levels, and

provide transparency and accountability in governance,

inclusive participation in decision making, and access

to justice.

a. Uphold the right o everyone to receive clear and timely inormationon environmental matters and all development plans and activities

which are likely to aect them or in which they have an interest.

b. Support local, regional and global civil society, and promote themeaningul participation o all interested individuals and organizationsin decision making.

c. Protect the rights to reedom o opinion, expression, peaceulassembly, association, and dissent.

d. Institute eective and efcient access to administrative andindependent judicial procedures, including remedies and redress orenvironmental harm and the threat o such harm.

e. Eliminate corruption in all public and private institutions.

. Strengthen local communities, enabling them to care or their

environments, and assign environmental responsibilities to the levelso government where they can be carried out most eectively.


YES

or NO0, 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2, 3

14. Integrate into formal education and life-long

learning the knowledge, values, and skills needed for a

sustainable way of life.

a. Provide all, especially children and youth, with educationalopportunities that empower them to contribute actively to sustainabledevelopment.

b. Promote the contribution o the arts and humanities as well as the

sciences in sustainability education.c. Enhance the role o the mass media in raising awareness o ecologicaland social challenges.

d. Recognize the importance o moral and spiritual education orsustainable living.


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The Earth Charter

Relevance

of Principle

Declared

Level of

Care

Level of

Engaged

Action



YES

or NO0, 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2, 3

15. Treat all living beings with respect and

consideration.

a. Prevent cruelty to animals kept in human societies and protect themrom suering.

b. Protect wild animals rom methods o hunting, trapping, and shingthat cause extreme, prolonged, or avoidable suering.

c. Avoid or eliminate to the ull extent possible the taking or destruction

o non-targeted species.< Averages for This Principle

YES

or NO0, 1, 2, 3 0, 1, 2, 3

16. Promote a culture of tolerance, nonviolence, and

peace.

a. Encourage and support mutual understanding, solidarity, andcooperation among all peoples and within and among nations.

b. Implement comprehensive strategies to prevent violent conict anduse collaborative problem solving to manage and resolve environmentalconicts and other disputes.

c. Demilitarize national security systems to the level o a non-provocative deense posture, and convert military resources to peaceulpurposes, including ecological restoration.

d. Eliminate nuclear, biological, and toxic weapons and other weaponso mass destruction.

e. Ensure that the use o orbital and outer space supports environmentalprotection and peace.

. Recognize that peace is the wholeness created by right relationshipswith onesel, other persons, other cultures, other lie, Earth, and thelarger whole o which all are a part.


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Overall averageLevel o Care

Overall averageLevel o Action

Average or Ecological IntegrityLevel o Care

Average or Ecological Integrity

Level o Action

Average or Social and Economic JusticeLevel o Care

Average or Social and Economic JusticeLevel o Action

Average or Democracy, Nonviolence, andPeace, Level o Care

Average or Democracy, Nonviolence, andPeace, Level o Action

Principle #s with High Care andHigh Action

Principle #s with Low Care andLow Action

Principle #s where Declared Care is Higherthan Action

Principle #s where Action is Higher thanDeclared Care

Overall ScoringNotes

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The Earth Charter

Analysis Notes and Priorities Identied for Change Campaign

The final words of the Earth Charters

The Way Forward:Let ours be a time remembered or the awakening o a new reverenceor lie, the frm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening o thestruggle or justice and peace, and the joyul celebration o lie.

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Earth Charter Initiative

The Earth Charter Initiative is the collective name of the extraordinarily diverse, global

network of people, organizations and institutions that participate in promoting and

implementing the values and principles of the Earth Charter. The Initiative is a broad-

based, voluntary, civil society effort. Participants include leading international institutions,

national governments and their agencies, university associations, non-governmental

organizations and community-based groups, city governments, faith groups, schoolsand businesses as well as thousands of individuals. The mission of the Earth Charter

Initiative is to help establish a sound ethical foundation for the emerging global society

and to promote the transition to a sustainable way of life founded on: respect and care for

the community of life; ecological integrity; universal human rights; respect for diversity;

economic justice; democracy; and a culture of peace. For more information about the

Earth Charter, please visit www.earthcharter.org

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Earth Charter International Secretariat

P.O. Box 138-6100 San Jos, Costa Rica

Phone (505) 2205 9060

Fax (506) 2249 1929

Email: [email protected]

www.earthcharter.org

Documents

EC-Assess