Wiki Platform being used in the Development of the Next Generation of Sustainability Assurance Standard.

On Thursday 24th January, the first draft of the new edition of the world's most popular sustainability assurance standard - the AA1000 Assurance Standard (AS) - was uploaded onto its wiki-platform (accountability.opendemocracy.net). This starts the Sd3 sponsored collaborative drafting process of the second edition which follows an extensive period of research and a series of consultations in more than a dozen countries.

Our wiki-standard process uses exactly the same software platform as used for the development of Wikipedia to empower interested stakeholders to jointly revise and improve the AA1000AS. This technology is brought to the project by openDemocracy; experts in facilitating on-line, technology-rich debate. AccountAbility is contributing knowledge of the traditional standard-building process and will lead all stakeholders through the wiki process. Sd3 and BISD, partners in the revision process, will bring their innovative spirit and practitioner expertise to the development of the platform.

Sd3 Founding Director, Jason Perks said of the project; "Having experienced the lack of openness and transparency in other standards development, Sd3 have been looking for some fresh thinking in this area and are delighted to support this new wiki-based approach. We believe it has the potential to revolutionise the development of a wide range of standards."

AccountAbility believes the sustainability assurance standard needs to be created in an open and participative way because this is precisely the ideal it espouses. By balancing the rights and responsibilities of wiki participants, the end-goal of a working gold-standard for assurance will be achieved.

With this enhanced stakeholder involvement process, the next generation of the AA1000 Assurance Standard will have the chance not only to respond to significant market needs but do so in a way that will set key markers for the future of organisational assurance.

Your engagement is fundamental to the success of the next generation of the AA1000 AS. Participants interested in joining the collective process, are invited to sign-up for wiki membership at www.accountability21.net. This stage of the wiki process runs until April 4th 2008 with a further two stages until September 08.