 |
 |
 |
The CRRA – Judging Categories
The overarching theme of the CR Reporting Awards is transparency in corporate responsibility. All successful reports will need to reflect this theme. The awards are based on the report content and communication, and are not a reflection of company performance, profile, our users’ perception of the company sector or any other such consideration. More general information on the Awards here
All these awards should be judged according to whether you feel the report is the ‘best’ from among all the nominees. As a CorporateRegister.com user we assume you will have views on what makes a good report, so we aren’t going to give you a long list of do’s and don’ts and tell you how you should vote. We’ve included a simple framework which has worked for us over the years, but you may already have your own which works for you. Over to you!
The Reporting Awards are divided into two groups of categories:
| Group 1: Type of Report & Company | |
| Best Report | Voters will have their own definitions of what constitutes the best report; we feel the best reports can generally be judged according to five essential elements: content, communication, credibility, commitment, and comparability |
| Best First-time Report | We define a first-time CR report as that which is a company's first-ever non-financial report. |
| Best SME Report | We define SME as an organisation with fewer than 250 employees and an annual turnover of less than €50m. |
| Best Integrated Report | We define an integrated report as one in which a company combines non-financial aspects into their Annual Report & Accounts (AR&As). The best of these reports are integrating the financial and non-financial aspects throughout, rather than including just a small section of non-financial information in the overall report. |
| Group 2: Aspects of Transparency | |
| Carbon Disclosure | Which report gives the best disclosure of the company’s carbon emissions, the implications for climate change, and the mitigation measures taken? Check for policy, quantified data, targets |
| Creativity in Communication | Which report is a real pleasure to read, because the authors have given thought to both the content and the reader? Do you find the report engaging and informative, or boring and unimaginative? This award is for the report which best succeeds in getting its message across, using creativity as a defining factor. |
| Relevance & Materiality | How many times have we seen reports which are long on length but short on relevant content? Which don’t tell us about the non-financial issues which impact company performance, but lay down a smokescreen of non-essential information? This award is for the report which cuts to the chase and tells us about the material issues (those that are specific to the company performance and sector, the risks and opportunities), clearly and succinctly. A short report which gives us the relevant information should win over a blockbuster of several hundred pages. |
| Openness and Honesty | It’s sometimes difficult to tell the whole truth. It’s easy to highlight the good news and ignore the bad. Whether performance is poor or excellent is less relevant for this award. This award is for the report which comes clean, tells both the good and the bad news, and which convinces us that this is a balanced picture. |
| Credibility through Assurance | Many of the best reports include a section on external assurance – the company engages an independent third party to verify aspects of the report, and publishes its methodology, conclusions and recommendations. This award is a joint award between the reporting company and the external assurance body, and is awarded for the assurance statement which adds the most credibility to the overall report. |
A Framework to Help Assess Reports
To help you judge the entries, below are five elements we’ve used to assess reports over the past 10 years: we call them the '5 Cs'.Good reports may not tick all the boxes - here are some illustrative examples that may be helpful as you review reports.
| The '5 C' Checklist | ||
| Content |  |
 offers a complete picture of the company’s background, impacts, policies, and performance includes the necessary elements of a ‘good’ report such as an index, introduction, and summary incorporates quantified data and references for further information |
| Communication | |
is easy to read and to navigate
is accessible to diverse stakeholders
communicates key messages effectively |
| Credibility | |
is a genuine report - not just a piece of marketing or public relations material
covers issues such as missed targets and ongoing challenges
includes an independent external assurance statement |
| Commitment | |
looks forward as well as backwards
includes ongoing policy commitments and targets
sets out a clear direction on corporate responsibility |
| Comparability | |
puts performance into context
measures current performance with that from previous years
evaluates performance against stated targets, sector competitors, and best practice |
Contacting CorporateRegister.com
If you have any questions or require further information about the CR Reporting Awards or CorporateRegister.com, please email us at info@corporateregister.com or call us on +44 (0)20 70143366.