This report aims to present a constructive series of practical and concrete recommendations that will increase the capacity of off-site auditing to contribute to social development. It is also hoped that the report will form the basis for ongoing discussion, dialogue and change.

The research, commissioned by Oxfam Novib, began with a review of existing relevant studies in the area. This enabled an issue register to be developed. This issue register was used to frame a series of interviews with stakeholders representing standards bodies, certification bodies, NGOs, businesses and others with extensive experience of social auditing and voluntary standards (see Annex B).

Desk research and interview findings were subsequently fed into an analytical framework based on the AccountAbility Principles of Inclusivity, Materiality and Responsiveness. These principles provided a clear approach to understanding the current problems and potential for improvement.

The results of this initial analysis were used to develop a series of findings and recommendations, which were articulated in a draft discussion paper and debated at a multi-stakeholder workshop. The discussion and feedback from the workshop, as well as feedback from a range of relevant international stakeholders unable to make the workshop, all contributed to this report.

This report was commissioned by Oxfam Novib. The views and recommendations proposed are solely those of its authors.