AccountAbility and DQS South Africa launch first licensed online AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement training

1st July, London

AccountAbility is pleased to announce the launch of the first AA1000 Online Training offering, an advancement poised to improve the knowledge, skills, and capabilities of sustainability practitioners and enthusiasts everywhere. The fundamentals of sustainability management are rooted in the AccountAbility Principles (AA1000AP, 2018) of Inclusivity, Materiality, Responsiveness, and Impact, and bolstered through the AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard (AA1000SES, 2015) and AA1000 Assurance Standard (AA1000AS v3). Effective today, AccountAbility’s licensed training provider DQS South Africa will offer AA1000 online training content on Module A: Stakeholder Engagement Practitioner Certificate, an entry-point to the AA1000 training series which covers the AA1000AP (2018) and AA1000SES (2015).

DQS South Africa will teach the concepts of the AA1000 Series of Standards, so participants may improve and advance in their ability to apply the AA1000 in practical settings. For more information on fees and availability, visit here.

The following competency-based modules will also be offered in the months to come:

• Module B: Sustainability Practitioner Certificate, a practitioner-level course on the application and reporting of each AccountAbility Principle. This course, when taken with Module A, awards participants the distinction of Sustainability Practitioner.
• Module C: Associate Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner Certificate, a practitioner-level course covering foundational sustainability assurance knowledge using the AA1000AS v3. This course, when completed with Modules A and B, earns the participant the Associate Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner (ACSAP) qualification and contributes toward a practitioner’s learning journey to achieve higher qualifications such as the Certified Sustainability Assurance Practitioner (CSAP) and Lead CSAP Practitioner (LCSAP) designation.

Lucinda Kuys (Manager - Social and Sustainability Compliance) from DQS South Africa said: “We are very excited to be a part of the global sustainability drive, supported by the principles that AA1000 stands for. We believe that these e-learning courses will not just equip the professional, but also highlight the importance of sustainability to everyone that has an interest in good governance.”

DQS South Africa’s development and delivery of these flexible, cost-effective, and on-demand AA1000 online training modules will occur independent of AccountAbility, with the AccountAbility Standards Team providing oversight to approve content and confirm training module compliance and quality. Other training providers are also expected to obtain AA1000 online training licenses and offer the competency-based modules in the months to come, providing participants more options to suit their preference.