Transparency Benchmark Self-assessment and Review
All companies from the benchmark group of the Transparency Benchmark can fill out their self-assessment or self-analysis and participate to the Transparency Benchmark online. By filling in the self-analysis the participating companies ensure that all appropriate and available accountability information is included.
Only publicly available accountability information of a company may be included in the self-assessment. This means that reporting should be available on the website or be free of charge available on request. Reports that are only available against a payment at the Chamber of Commerce shall not be taken in to account. In addition, the information used for the assessment should have the status of periodic accountability. This means that the reporting covers a specific period and that this period is also mentioned within the report.
In addition it should be clear that new accountability information will be released after the expiry of a future period. Information on websites might be used in the assessment if there is an explicit and detailed reference (i.e. via a direct link to the relevant information) in the periodic reporting. Non-Dutch accountability information, for example an annual report of a foreign parent, may be used as the international annual report, as far as not written of translated in Dutch, yet written of translated into French, German or English (following BW 2:304, paragraph 1, sub d), if an explicit and detailed reference to the international report is included in the sustainability report and if on the basis of the information in the international annual report is possible to distinguish the operations that are related to the Netherlands, in terms of turnover and number of employees and if the international report concerns a sustainability report, the reporting provides insight into the degree to which the published data and information (also) relates to Dutch activities.
If a company has no publicly annual report available, a zero-score is awarded. This is also applicable in case of a report which is only available against a payment at the Chamber of Commerce.
The questionnaire consists of fifty questions. The scores can be saved interim, so it is possible to continue with the questionnaire at a later date. The time investment to go through the self-assessment depends on the way the reporting is designed.
After the entire self-assessment is completed, the responses are analyzed by EY. If on the basis of the analysis arise differences of opinion with regard to the answers to one or more questions, this will be made known and the organization in question will get the opportunity to explain its response more thoroughly. Based on the original answers and the answers after the commentary round the score will be determined. If the self-assessment is not completed by a company, the corporate social responsibility report will be reviewed by EY. The allocated score is therefore controlled by a commentary round with the company.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs will in no circumstances use or pass on to third parties the information provided by the companies. The saved data are accessible and available only for the respondent.
- Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
