iseal smart data technology innovations report oct15

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!An#Exploration#of#Technology#Innovations#for#Sustainability#Standards#Systems!

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By!Wiebke!Herding,!ON:SUBJECT,!and!!Sönke!Fischer,!Accreditation!Services!International!

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ISEAL!Alliance!www.isealalliance.org!October!2015!

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Smart!Data!

Table#of#Contents#

1.! Executive#summary#.....................................................................................................#3!2.! About#this#report#........................................................................................................#4!3.! Introduction#to#technology#innovation#........................................................................#5!4.! ISEAL#member#survey:#Technology#challenges#in#standards#systems#...........................#6!4.1! Mapping!technological!maturity!..................................................................................................!6!4.2! Wishes!and!directions!..................................................................................................................!7!4.3! Conclusions!..................................................................................................................................!8!5.! Focus#group#conversations:#Perspectives#on#technology#innovations#..........................#9!5.1! Managing!technology!innovation!...............................................................................................!10!5.2! Gathering!data!...........................................................................................................................!14!5.3! Integrating!data!..........................................................................................................................!18!5.4! Analysing!data!............................................................................................................................!23!5.5! Sharing!data!...............................................................................................................................!26!6.! A#roadmap#for#standards#systems:#Building#a#technology#ecosystem#........................#30!6.1! An!emerging!vision!.....................................................................................................................!30!6.2! Smart!data!for!your!standards!system!.......................................................................................!32!6.3! Technology!selection!process!....................................................................................................!33!6.4! Collective!action!on!technology!.................................................................................................!35!7.! Annexes#....................................................................................................................#37!7.1! Glossary!......................................................................................................................................!37!7.2! Methodology!..............................................................................................................................!40!7.3! Resources!and!References!.........................................................................................................!42!7.4! Article!in!“ISEAL!Community”!Newsletter,!September!2015!.....................................................!44!!

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Material!in!this!publication!is!free!to!use!with!proper!attribution.!Recommended!citation!format:!Herding,!W.!&!Fischer,!S.!(2015).!Smart&Data&–&An&Exploration&into&Technology&Innovations&for&Sustainability&Standards.!Report!for!the!ISEAL!Alliance,!London.!!

The!authors!can!be!contacted!as!follows:!

Wiebke!Herding!Managing!Director,!!ON:[email protected]!!

Sönke!Fischer#Operations!Director,!!Accreditation!Services!International#s.fischer@accreditation_services.com#

1!Executive!summary!

ISEAL!Smart!Data!Report! ! 3!!

1. Executive#summary#

Increasing#impact#with#technology#innovation#

Today’s!sustainability!standards!systems!are!challenged!to!keep!up!with!a!rapidly!evolving!technological!landscape.!While!the!corporate!world!has!learned!to!integrate!data!flows!across!global!supply!chains,!most!standards!systems!are!lagging!behind.!!

This!report!explores!the!relevance!of!current!trends!in!technology!to!sustainability!standards!–!from!mobile!data!collection!and!the!internet!of!things,!to!open!data!and!blockchains!–!and!proposes!a!roadmap!for!development.!A!survey!of!ISEAL!members!and!focus!group!conversations!with!external!

technology!experts!informed!the!recommendations!of!this!report.!!

Diverse#starting#points#

ISEAL!members!utilise!an!array!of!technological!solutions,!varying!in!sophistication!and!flexibility.!

Some!start!off!with!a!combination!of!spreadsheets!and!elbow!grease,!others!struggle!with!unwieldy!legacy!databases.!Some!invest!in!a!customised!database!and!accompanying!workflows,!others!focus!on!linking!data!from!multiple!systems.!Despite!their!differences,!these!organisations!share!a!

common!need!for!technology!that!is!simpler!and!more!effective.!!

A#dataNdriven#approach#to#technology#

A!better!understanding!of!the!data!management!process!–!gathering,!integration,!analysis!and!

sharing!–!has!emerged!as!a!central!precondition!of!technology!innovation.!Instead!of!following!buzzwords!and!fads,!standards!systems!need!to!map!data!flow!throughout!their!system!and!provide!technology!that!can!increase!transparency,!reduce!duplicate!data!entry,!and!improve!overall!data!

quality!and!consistency.!#

Integration#is#crucial#

No!single!technology!can!cover!all!of!the!data!management!needs!of!a!standards!system.!Instead,!a!

focus!on!data!exchange!formats!and!interfaces!enables!integration!both!within!and!between!organisations.!The!resulting!ecosystem!of!IT!platforms!can!evolve!to!adapt!to!changing!user!needs!and!technology!preferences.!!

One#step#at#a#time!

An!agile!and!iterative!approach!to!IT!system!development!allows!for!quicker!impacts!and!more!targeted!alignment!with!user!needs.!Standards!systems!using!a!step_by_step!improvement!process!

benefit!from!increased!effectiveness!and!overall!satisfaction,!and!can!reduce!the!risk!associated!with!technology!investments.!!

Collective#action#required#

ISEAL!members!must!take!action!to!ensure!that!standards!systems!remain!relevant!in!today’s!dialogue!on!how!our!society!defines!and!assesses!sustainability.!Their!leadership!is!vital!to!the!development!of!functional!data!standards!for!the!sustainability!standards!world.!Together,!ISEAL!

members!can!model!an!open,!collaborative!data!ecosystem!that!delivers!the!impacts!we!seek!with!our!work.!!

2!About!this!report!


2. About#this#report#This!project!was!commissioned!by!ISEAL!in!mid!2015!to!provide!its!members!with!a!solid!understanding!of!recent!innovations!and!trends!in!technology_based!solutions!that!can!increase!the!

effectiveness!of!sustainability!standards.!

As!an!initial!step!to!inform!a!potentially!longer!process,!the!project!was!designed!to!explore!the!breadth!of!the!current!technological!landscape.!A!dialogue_based!approach!was!employed!to!uncover!ideas!and!map!out!technology!buzzwords!and!trends.!We!explored!new!approaches!that!

can!help!standards!systems!operate!at!scale,!adapt!and!integrate!new!technologies,!and!create!new!value,!especially!in!relation!to!the!assurance!process,!chain!of!custody,!and!monitoring!and!evaluation.!Input!was!gathered!through!questionnaires!with!ISEAL!members!and!focus!group!

conversations!with!external!technology!experts.!!

This!report!presents!ISEAL!members’!challenges!and!experiences!with!current!technologies,!and!the!perspectives!of!four!panels!of!experts,!followed!by!approachable!guidance!and!recommendations.!The!results!and!recommendations!were!developed!to!help!sustainability!standards!navigate!through!

the!confusing!world!of!technology!innovation.!We!encourage!you!to!bring!your!own!challenges,!ideas!and!priorities!with!you!as!you!engage!with!this!material!to!improve!data!management!strategies!in!your!standards!system.!!

This!report!focuses!on!the!core!concepts!behind!today’s!technology!innovations,!to!help!standards!

systems!build!competence!to!evaluate!different!IT!platforms.!In!general,!many!solutions!for!a!given!technology!exist;!there!is!no!need!to!reinvent!the!wheel.!Examples!do!not!provide!the!best!or!only!possible!solution,!but!are!used!to!illustrate!a!concept!or!provide!an!entry!point!for!the!technology!

selection!process.!!

It!was!our!aim!to!use!simple!language!to!make!sure!that!important!concepts!can!be!understood,!while!at!the!same!time!honouring!the!complexity!of!the!topic!and!providing!guidance!for!the!creation!of!your!specific!data!management!system.!Underlined!words!can!be!found!in!the!glossary!at!

the!back.!!

Some!of!you!may!still!find!this!report!too!technical:!this!may!be!a!sign!to!reach!out!for!help!or!build!technical!skills.!If!you!find!this!report!too!simplistic:!please!help!others!to!catch!up.!As!a!movement,!we!have!a!lot!to!learn.!!

3!Introduction!to!technology!innovation!


3. Introduction#to#technology#innovation#Though!conceived!at!roughly!the!same!time,!the!core!approaches!behind!sustainability!standards!

systems!were!developed!without!the!internet!in!mind.!Since!then,!internet_enabled!technology!has!dramatically!changed!the!way!we!work:!mobile!devices!have!become!common!in!even!the!poorest!parts!of!the!world.!Satellite!imagery!provides!powerful!real_time!information!about!land!use!

worldwide.!Massive!connected!databases!seem!to!know!what!we!want!before!we!even!want!it.!We!now!know!more!about!the!planet!than!we!ever!asked!for.!We!no!longer!just!rely!on!expert!opinions,!but!trust!anonymous!online!reviews!or!the!passing!remarks!of!a!friend!on!Twitter.!!

The!number!of!networked!devices!overtook!the!global!population!of!humans!

in!2011.!Analysts!estimate!that!fifty!billion!sensors!will!be!connected!to!the!

internet!by!2025,!and!each!one!can!produce!large!amounts!of!data.!–!Thomas!

Davenport:!Big!Data!at!Work!(2014)!

Buzzwords!abound.!It’s!becoming!ever!more!challenging!for!organisations!to!keep!up!–!and!to!make!sense!of!it!all.!Amongst!claims!that!“the!data!revolution!is!changing!the!landscape!of!business”,1!some!will!tell!you!that!“big!data!is!bullshit”.2!There!is!the!infamous!“Internet!of!Things3”!and!

discussions!of!whether!artificial!intelligence!might!become!so!powerful!that!it!can!no!longer!be!controlled.4!!

The!rapidly!evolving!technological!environment!offers!great!opportunity!for!sustainability!standard!systems!to!evolve!into!leaders,!demonstrating!heightened!transparency!and!impact!in!their!sector.!!!

Most!of!the!sustainability!standards!as!we!know!them!have!developed!over!the!past!two!decades;!

their!requirements!were!refined!through!continuous!stakeholder!engagement.!However,!the!underlying!certification!process!nowadays!remains!remarkably!similar!to!20!years!ago:!an!expert!auditor!visits!a!certificate!holder!about!once!a!year!and!completes!a!checklist!to!document!the!

client’s!compliance!and!to!specify!areas!for!improvement.!Sending!auditors!to!a!client,!perhaps!to!a!coffee!farmer!in!a!remote!tropical!mountain!region!or!to!a!salmon!farm!in!a!sub_arctic!fjord,!is!expensive,!and!often!the!only!information!that!remains!from!this!visit!is!a!simple!checkbox!that!says!

“compliant/!non_compliant”.!!

What#if#new#technology#could#help#us#to#gather#more#useful#information,#more#cheaply#–#and#make#more#sense#of#it?#

While!large!corporations!have!quickly!embraced!such!new!technology,!sustainability!standard!

systems!adopt!technology!innovations!with!great!caution.!From!a!business!perspective,!some!sustainability!schemes,!once!seen!as!great!innovators,!may!now!seem!old!fashioned!and!cumbersome.!Smart!tools!allow!companies!to!easily!measure!their!environmental!and!social!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1!Building!with!big!data.!The!Economist,!26!May!2011.!Available!online.!!2!‘Big!data’!is!bunk,!Obama!campaign’s!tech!guru!tells!university!leaders.!The!Chronicle!of!Higher!Education,!30!October!2013.!Available!online.!!3!The!internet!of!hype.!The!Economist,!9!December!2015.!Available!online.!4!The!dawn!of!artificial!intelligence.!The!Economist,!9!May!2015.!Available!online.!!

4!ISEAL!member!survey:!Technology!challenges!in!standards!systems!


performance!on!their!own,!potentially!minimizing!the!need!for!the!third_party!audit!process!currently!enshrined!in!most!certification!schemes.!!!

The!challenge!is!clear:!multi_stakeholder!standards!systems!need!to!provide!faster!and!easier!access!

to!data!about!the!state!of!certified!companies,!or!they!are!destined!to!lose!relevance!in!the!dialogue!on!how!our!society!defines!and!assesses!sustainability.!Ignore!technology!innovation!at!your!own!risk.!

4. ISEAL#member#survey:#Technology#challenges#in#standards#systems#

“Before!we!demand!more!of!our!data,!we!need!to!demand!more!of!ourselves.”!

–!Nate!Silver:!The!Signal!and!the!Noise!(2012)!

We!assessed!the!current!experiences!and!challenges!of!ISEAL!members!in!regards!to!technology!innovation,!via!a!survey!focussed!on!information!gathering,!management!and!analysis!as!it!relates!to!

the!assurance!process,!chain!of!custody!and!monitoring!and!evaluation.!A!total!of!18!ISEAL!members!completed!the!survey,!covering!85%!of!the!ISEAL!membership.!!

Three!main!technology!set_ups!are!currently!used!by!ISEAL!members!to!gather,!manage!and!analyse!information:!!

CRM#Systems:!Salesforce,!WORKetc! ASI,!EO,!FSC,!RJC,!RSPO*,!SAN*!

Custom#Databases:!SQL,!Access,!Filemaker!Pro,!Excel,!FoxPro,!Sharepoint,!other!

4C,!AWS,!Bonsucro,!Golf,!Goodweave,!IOAS,!SAAS!

Specialised#Software:!eCert,!CASI! ASC*,!FLO*,!LEAF*,!MSC*!!

*!complemented!with!custom!database!system!

Nearly!all!members!described!a!combination!of!technological!solutions!which!address!different!tasks!in!the!organisation;!only!two!currently!use!Excel!for!everything.!In!addition!to!the!set_ups!mentioned!

above,!members!also!use!the!following:!!

For#data#gathering:!WorldApp,!MagPi,!Labor!Link,!IFormbuilder!

For#traceability:#Fairtrace,!eTrace!

For#data#analysis:#STATA,!Qlikview!

No!single!solution!stood!out!as!better!than!all!the!others;!furthermore,!whenever!two!members!were!using!similar!IT!solutions,!the!level!of!customisation,!integration,!and!satisfaction!varied!substantially.!!

4.1 Mapping#technological#maturity#To!better!understand!the!specific!issues!faced!by!ISEAL!members,!their!IT!systems!and!resulting!

challenges!and!needs!were!analysed!along!two!axes:!!



• Sophistication.!How!much!has!the!organisation!invested!in!information!management!

systems?!How!well!do!the!systems!match!their!business!processes!and!information!needs?!!

• Flexibility.!How!easy!is!it!for!the!information!management!system!to!adjust!to!changing!

needs!and!to!evolve?!How!well!does!the!system!integrate!with!other!solutions?!#

!ISEAL!members!seem!to!be!roughly!evenly!distributed!between!each!of!the!four!resulting!quadrants.!

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Figure#4.1#Mapping#technological#maturity#of#ISEAL#members!

Nearly!all!ISEAL!members!mention!Excel!as!an!important!element!in!their!data!management!approach,!used!primarily!to!fill!gaps!in!existing!database!solutions.!While!Excel!can!be!a!very!powerful!tool!for!flexible!data!analysis,!or!as!a!temporary!exchange!format!between!systems,!it!is!

also!one!core!cause!of!frustration!as!it!only!supports!simple!tables!and!queries,!cannot!easily!be!accessed!by!multiple!users!or!through!the!web!and!needs!careful!data!quality!management.!!

4.2 Wishes#and#directions#When!asked!about!current!IT!development!priorities!and!plans,!one!in!two!ISEAL!members!claimed!to!be!working!on!improvements!to!their!internal!data!management!system!(e.g.!enterprise!resource!

planning,!customer!relationship!management,!data!warehouses).!One!quarter!of!respondents!are!working!on!extending!their!data!gathering!strategies!(e.g.!through!mobile!or!location_based!apps!for!auditors,!sensor!input,!satellite!data!–!or!simply!standardised!reporting!formats).!A!few!are!updating!

their!information!offering!to!stakeholders!(e.g.!with!a!new!website,!a!stakeholder!information!system!or!a!literature!database).!Four!respondents!claimed!to!not!be!pursuing!any!current!IT!innovation!projects!or!plans.!!

We!also!asked!what!technology!trends!standards!systems!would!like!to!be!able!to!take!advantage!of!

in!the!next!ten!years.!The!most!common!wish,!mentioned!by!eight!members):!A#fully#integrated#IT#system#that!!

• Is!linked!to!the!public!website!and!to!internal!business!systems;!



• Provides!transparency,!self_reporting!and!feedback!while!maintaining!confidentiality!as!

required;!

• Standardises!transactions!such!as!certification!body!reports,!auditor!registration,!transaction!

verification;!

• Encapsulates!market_specific!information!and!assists!with!provenance!claims;!and!

• Allows!for!mobile!access!and!customised!interfaces!for!specific!workflows.!!

Secondly,!seven!ISEAL!members!want!to!develop!remote#auditing#capabilities!that!can!help!to:!!

• Monitor!environmental!data!and!resource!flows!continuously!and!provide!information!for!

instant!decision_making;!

• Use!data!gathered!for!internal!control!to!reduce!the!need!to!send!auditors!to!the!field;!

• Detect!issues!in!the!field!directly!through!remote!sensing,!satellite!data!and/or!drones;!and!!

• Take!advantage!of!mobile,!crowd_sourced!data.!

And!lastly,!a!few!members!advocated!for!increased!interoperability#between#schemes!to:!!

• Share!data!across!standards!systems!for!impact!studies,!monitoring!and!evaluation;!!

• Allow!other!parties,!such!as!law!enforcement!and!agencies!working!on!trafficking,!to!build!

on!our!work;!!

• Maximise!the!intelligence!of!the!schemes!to!meet!their!objectives;!and!

• Allow!other!stakeholders!to!access!designated!sets!of!information!to!encourage!them!to!

participate!and!provide!input.!

4.3 Conclusions#The!ISEAL!member!survey!revealed!huge!differences!in!the!understanding!of!and!the!importance!given!to!technology!across!systems.!While!most!schemes!struggle!with!underdeveloped!IT!systems,!

others!face!strains!from!overly!complex!custom!systems.!Their!collective!dream!is!for!a!technology!system!that!magically!takes!away!the!pain!of!managing!data!and!provides!smooth!internal!integration!of!data!and!systems.!!

For!some!ISEAL!members,!technology!innovation!is!seen!as!key!to!delivering!their!mission!–!easy!access!to!information!can!help!them!deliver!against!ISEAL!Credibility!Principles,!such!as!transparency,!accessibility,!engagement,!improvement!and!rigour.!The!question!becomes:!what!information!do!we!

need!for!which!purpose!–!and!how!can!we!work!with!others!to!deliver?!!

5!Focus!group!conversations:!Perspectives!on!technology!innovations!


5. Focus#group#conversations:#Perspectives#on#technology#innovations#Parallel!to!the!survey!of!ISEAL!members,!a!set!of!four!focus!group!conversations!with!external!IT!

experts!and!technology!thinkers!explored!how!technology!innovation!can!increase!the!impact!of!sustainability!standards!systems.!Participants!included!experts!from!outside!the!sustainability!standards!world!as!well!as!sustainability_minded!IT!thinkers!to!increase!diversity!and!innovativeness.!!

The!focus!groups!took!a!data_driven!view!on!technology!innovations!by!looking!at!four!steps!in!the!

data!management!process:!!

1. Gathering#data#from!surveys,!mobile!apps,!sensors!and!crowd_sourced!input;#2. Integrating#data!using!data!standards,!databases!and!exchange!formats;#3. Analysing#data!with!data!science,!visualisations!and!other!reports;!and!#

4. Sharing#data!with!open!data,!citizen!science!and!trust!networks.!!

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!Figure#5.1#Focus#group#design#

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In!addition!to!these!topics,!all!four!focus!group!conversations!provided!thoughts!on!useful!approaches!to!managing!technology!innovation.!The!following!pages!present!the!results!step!by!step.!Each!chapter!starts!with!an!explanation!of!core!concepts!before!introducing!the!recommendations!

of!the!expert!conversations.!We!also!provide!prioritised!lists!of!technologies!for!standards!systems!to!consider!and!a!set!of!examples!and!inspirations.!!

5.1!Focus!group!conversations:!Managing!technology!innovation!


5.1 Managing#technology#innovation#

Important#concepts:#Managing#technology#innovation#

Popularity! !

How!widespread!is!the!technology!you!are!considering?!The!more!existing!users,!the!more!likely!it!is!

for!the!technology!to!be!maintained!for!years!to!come.!You’ll!also!more!easily!benefit!from!upgrades,!bug!fixes!and!new!features!without!having!to!invest!large!amounts!for!each!improvement.!If!there!are!too!few!users!or!if!you!employ!a!proprietary!technology,!you!might!have!difficulty!finding!

new!developers!if!you!need!to!switch!providers.!In!many!situations,!you’ll!find!that!open!source!software!is!more!widely!used!than!proprietary!software,!though!it!might!require!more!customisation.!!

Interoperability!!

No!software!solution!will!solve!all!your!problems!forever.!That’s!why!it!is!important!to!choose!

software!that!plays!nicely!with!others.!Make!sure!that!you!can!easily!import!and!export!your!data!in!an!open!format!–!in!the!best!case,!your!software!offers!an!API!(application!programming!interface)!meaning!that!you!can!automatically!link!various!pieces!of!your!technology!ecosystem.!!

Business!model!!

There!are!four!basic!business!models!for!software:!!

SelfNhosted#proprietary#software.!In!this!case,!you’ll!pay!a!fee!upfront!for!a!license!to!install!the!

software!on!a!personal!computer!or!shared!server.!In!addition,!you’ll!need!to!pay!for!customisations!and!updates.!You’ll!also!need!to!maintain!your!own!hardware.!!

SelfNhosted#custom#software.!You!ask!a!developer!to!build!a!system!for!you,!usually!based!on!existing!foundations.!Once!the!software!is!rolled!out,!you’ll!need!a!separate!contract!for!

maintenance!and!new!features.!!

SelfNhosted#open#source#software.!In!this!case,!no!license!fee!is!required,!but!costs!still!occur!for!qualified!professionals!to!install,!customise!and!maintain!the!software.!Again,!you’ll!need!to!provide!a!server!(or!pay!someone!to!do!so).!!

Software#as#a#service.!In!this!case,!you’ll!pay!a!monthly!or!annual!license!fee!(sometimes!by!user),!

but!you!don’t!need!to!worry!about!start_up!costs!and/or!hardware.!Updates!are!included;!customisations!need!to!be!covered!separately.!Software!as!a!service!usually!encompasses!both!open!source!and!proprietary!components.!!

One!rule!of!thumb!is!that!a!website!needs!substantive!development!every!3_5!years!–!plan!to!make!

similar!investments!in!your!other!technology!systems.!Even!better:!budget!money!every!year!to!slowly!roll!out!improvements!–!take!an!agile!approach!to!making!changes.!!

!



Recommendations:#Managing#technology#innovation#

“This!is!maybe!the!first!step:!what!is!your!objective!and!related!to!your!

objective!what!will!be!the!data!framework!that!you!need!in!your!data!

requirement?”!–!Focus!group!participant!

It’s!helpful!to!remember!that!technology!innovation!is!not!an!end!in!itself.!Technology!helps!standards!systems!achieve!their!goals!and:!!

• Speed!up!processes!by!reducing!the!need!for!human!intervention;!!

• Base!decisions!on!the!current!reality!of!their!system!and!its!participants;!and!!

• Increase!learning!and!participation!across!all!parts!of!their!system.!!

“The!technology!is!rapidly!evolving!and!not!something!I!pick!at!the!beginning.!

Usually!it's!more!about!developing!the!human!processes,!and!then!you!marry!

the!technology!to!that.”!–!Focus!group!participant!

Clarifying!the!problem(s)!we!are!trying!to!solve!–!and!the!human!processes!involved!–!is!thus!the!first!step!in!any!successful!technology!project.!!

In!addition,!we!found!four!elements!that!were!considered!useful!when!managing!technology!innovation:!!

1. Agile!management;!!

2. Data!governance!and!quality;!!3. Time!(and!other!resources);!and!!4. Collaboration.!

Agile!management!

In!a!complex!environment!like!a!sustainability!standards!system,!it!is!impossible!to!determine!all!requirements!and!constraints!in!advance.!In!the!words!of!one!expert:!“Big!bang!approaches!never!work.”!Software!development!has!moved!largely!to!a!management!model!called!agile!development.!

The!basic!idea!is!to!build!a!useful!prototype!with!minimum!functionality!as!quickly!as!possible,!roll!it!out!to!users!and!immediately!incorporate!their!feedback!into!the!next!version.!!

“The!key!thing!there!is!that!you!iterate,!iterate,!iterate,!iterate,!iterate.!You!

don’t!build!a!big!system.!You!build!small!systems!that!talk!to!one!another.”!!!!

–!Focus!group!participant!

Starting!off!with!issues!that!can!a)!be!solved!quickly!and!b)!deliver!instant!benefits!to!the!users!is!a!good!way!to!create!awareness!for!the!potential!of!technology!innovation!and!thus!helps!to!build!

momentum!and!stamina!to!address!some!of!the!harder!problems.!!

Data!governance!and!quality!!

“Experience!reveals!that!treating!data!as!longXterm!assets!or!part!of![an!

organisation’s]!core!infrastructure!and!managing!data!within!a!coordinated!



framework!produce!considerable!savings!and!ongoing!value.”!–!Australian!

Local!Government!Association!(2007)!

As!we!are!moving!towards!using!our!data!more!systematically!to!increase!the!effectiveness!of!our!standards!systems,!we!need!to!consider!questions!of!ownership,!quality!and!use.!Especially!when!dealing!with!data!from!other!organisations!and!individuals,!this!demands!the!development!of!formal!

policies!and!contracts!for!data!management,!such!as:!!

1. Data#provision#requirements:!Standards!systems!can!create!contractual!responsibilities!for!certificate!holders!and/or!certification!bodies!to!gather!and!provide!certain!data!sets.!Additional!incentives!to!provide!data!could!include!reports,!analysis!and!insights!based!on!

the!data!provided!and,!where!desired,!involvement!in!the!process!of!learning!and!improvement.!

2. Data#quality#and#maintenance:!It!is!much!easier!to!develop!good!data!collection!practices!than!to!correct!errors!downstream.!As!much!as!possible,!the!primary!responsibility!for!the!management!of!data!quality!needs!to!rest!with!the!collector!of!the!data.!The!manager!of!the!

data!set!can!then!focus!on!error!detection!and!feedback!and!conduct!data!audits.!For!a!detailed!discussion!of!data!quality!management,!see!Chapman&(2005):&Principles&of&Data&Quality.!!

“If!the!quality!of!the!data!sucks,!no!one!would!want!to!use!it:!It’s!garbage!in,!

garbage!out.”!–!Focus!group!participant!

3. Data#use#and#ownership:#These!policies!regulate!access,!use!and!distribution!of!data.!Generally,!there!are!three!cases:!a)!closed!data!can!only!be!accessed!by!the!data!owners!or!

people!within!an!organisation,!for!reasons!like!privacy,!commercial!sensitivity!and!security;!b)!shared!data!is!shared!with!specific!people!and!organisations!for!a!specific!purpose:!to!provide!services,!connect!information!and!contribute!to!research;!and!c)!open!data!is!data!

anyone!can!access,!use!and!share.!Also!consider!data!use!policies!for!anonymised!and!aggregate!data:!these!can!generally!be!shared!more!widely!than!individual!data!points.!For!a!detailed!discussion!of!legal!aspects,!see!ISEAL&(2014):&Draft&Guidance&Note&on&Data&

Protection&and&Information&Privacy.&!

Time!(and!other!resources)!

“You!really!need!to!look!at!everything!that’s!going!on!within!a!scheme,!how!it!

operates,!how!the!standard!is!defined,!how!the!data!is!collected!to!ensure!

that!you!get!everything!that’s!necessary!in!order!to!perform!the!analysis!and!

then!to!be!able!to!make!use!of!the!information!you!get!out!of!it.!It’s!a!big!

project.”!–!Focus!group!participant!

Just!as!with!staff,!workflows!and!office!space,!data!management!systems!are!crucial!business!resources!that!impact!the!effectiveness!and!relevance!of!a!standards!system.!Investing!in!smart!data!management!is!a!strategic!decision,!not!something!the!IT!department!can!do!on!its!own.!As!change!

takes!time,!standards!systems!need!to!plan!financial!resources!and!staffing!so!that!they!can!constantly!and!strategically!work!on!improving!their!systems!one!step!at!a!time.!This!approach!is!far!



more!successful!than!a!one_off!investment!in!a!single!system!that!is!supposed!to!solve!every!problem!(and!then!cannot!be!maintained!or!fails!to!meet!the!evolving!needs!of!the!users).!!

Collaboration!

“If!we’re!trying!to!create!parallel!systems,!people!will!get!frustrated.”!–!Focus!

group!participant!

Sustainability!standards!are!not!the!only!organisations!trying!to!use!technology!to!foster!sustainable!production!and!consumption!patterns.!In!many!cases,!certification!bodies,!trade!associations,!and!

large!corporations!have!invested!in!their!own!data!management!systems.!Duplicating!their!efforts!does!not!serve!anyone!–!instead,!we!need!to!work!towards!an!ecosystem!of!interconnected!technology!solutions.!!

From!astrophysics!and!biodiversity!conservation!to!development!cooperation,!the!focus!groups!

mentioned!many!sectors!that!have!invested!in!a!strategic!and!collaborative!approach!to!data!management!and!sharing.!While!this!has!been!a!ten_year!journey!for!the!most!successful!of!them,!

they!now!reap!the!benefits!of!more!targeted!interventions!and!data_driven!decisions!across!organisations.!

Examples#and#inspirations:#Managing#technology#innovation#

Global#Biodiversity#Information#Facility#GBIF!is!an!international!open!data!infrastructure!for!data!about!all!types!of!life!on!Earth!that!allows!institutions!to!publish!data!according!to!common!standards.!!

GS1#Originally!founded!to!manage!the!barcode!standard!used!by!retailers,!GS1!now!manages!a!set!of!standards!for!supply!chains!and!business!operations.!!

International#Aid#Transparency#Initiative#IATI!is!a!global!initiative!to!create!transparency!in!the!records!of!how!aid!money!is!spent.!It!manages!a!common!data!standard!and!provides!access!to!datasets!

5.2!Focus!group!conversations:!Gathering!data!


5.2 Gathering#data#

Important#concepts:#Gathering#data&Beyond!the!usual!and!generally!widespread!tools!to!gather!data!across!sustainability!standards!systems!(paper,!pdf!reports!and!the!occasional!online!survey),!we!identified!three!potential!areas!of!

technology!innovation!for!data!gathering:!!

1. Smarter#audits#and#evaluations!_!through!improved!data!gathering!processes;!2. Machine#monitoring!_!delegating!parts!of!the!data!gathering!process!to!computers;!and!3. Everyone#as#a#data#source!_!technology!innovations!that!involve!more!people!in!data!gathering.!

Smarter!audits!and!evaluations!

Auditors!and!evaluators!can!use!mobile!devices!(like!smartphones!and!tablets)!to!gather!data!directly!in!a!structured!format!and!incorporate!it!in!a!central!database.!Most!devices!can!also!automatically!capture!location!data!and!(georeferenced)!images;!they!might!also!include!other!

sensors!(like!an!accelerometer,!compass,!gyroscope!or!barometer)!or!can!read!from!them.!!

If!the!data!is!connected!in!places!with!easy!internet!connectivity,!we!can!allow!for!mobile!data!entry!by!providing!a!web!form.!Otherwise!we!need!to!make!provisions!to!gather!the!data!offline!first,!and!then!upload!it!later!(e.g.!with!a!mobile!application!or!other!temporary!storage).!Many!offline!data!

gathering!tools!already!exist!(for!example,!the!Red!Cross!Mobile!Data!Collection!Toolkit).!

In!some!cases,!specialised!hardware!can!help!to!gather!data:!telepresence!robots!and!video!cameras,!for!example,!cut!down!on!the!need!for!physical!presence!during!the!data!gathering!

process,!and!unmanned!aerial!vehicles!(UAVs,!more!commonly!known!as!drones)!can!provide!visual!information!from!above.!However,!these!machines!also!require!batteries!and!network!access!–!not!to!mention!transport!and!maintenance.!

Machine!monitoring!Technologically!advanced!producers!will!already!use!a!mix!of!sensors!to!monitor!their!operations!(e.g.!electricity!usage,!waste!water!discharge,!nutrient!content)!or!their!workers!(e.g.!with!biometric!identification!or!wearables!that!detect!stress).!Increasingly,!devices!used!for!these!purposes!are!

internet_enabled!and!communicate!their!data!wirelessly!–!the!collective!of!such!connected!devices!is!often!referred!to!with!the!term!“Internet!of!Things”.!Before!the!resulting!data!is!suitable!for!standards!systems,!however,!questions!of!data!integration!and!ownership!must!be!resolved.!!

A!more!obvious!technology!for!standards!systems!is!automatic!identification!using!barcodes!and/or!

RFID!chips.!Both!are!a!means!of!tracking!tags!attached!to!objects:!barcodes!need!to!be!in!the!line!of!sight!and!are!read!with!a!scanner,!while!RFID!chips!use!electromagnetic!fields!to!communicate!and!can!be!embedded!into!the!tracked!object.!Integrated!in!a!traceability!system,!automatic!

identification!reduces!the!need!to!manually!capture!information!about!the!transfer!of!certified!products.!!

Everyone!as!a!data!source!Other!new!and!potential!data!sources!come!from!using!stakeholders!to!provide!information!about!

certified!enterprises.!This!can,!for!example,!involve!asking!certificate!holders!and!their!staff!to!directly!self_report!about!their!operations,!perhaps!with!assurance!providers!checking!for!integrity!



and!conducting!spot!checks!(like!the!tax!office).!Other!options!would!be!to!ask!external!stakeholders!to!provide!information!on!specific!issues!(“crowdsourcing”)!or!to!incorporate!relevant!and!publicly!

available!social!media!information!(e.g.!increased!Twitter!reports!about!air!pollution!in!a!certain!location).!In!both!cases,!standards!systems!need!to!take!into!account!a)!that!not!all!sources!are!100%!trustworthy!and!b)!what!information!is!relevant!to!ask!or!to!scan!for.!!

In!some!cases,!standards!systems!don’t!need!to!gather!all!data!themselves,!but!can!use!external!

data!sources!(e.g.!with!geographic!or!market!data)!managed!by!other!organisations.!Examples!for!publicly!available!data!sources!include:!!

• World&Database&on&Protected&Areas&• Global&Land&Cover&Facility!• Open&Street&Map&• SRTM&Land&Elevation&Data!

!A!more!extensive!list!of!publicly!accessible!application!programming!interfaces!can!be!found!at!ProgrammableWeb.!

Recommendations:#Gathering#data#From!wearables,!satellites,!sensor!data,!barcodes!and!other!accessories!in!the!“Internet!of!Things”,!there!is!no!lack!of!new,!innovative!technology!that!can!help!standards!systems!gather!data.!In!

addition,!we!can!look!at!inviting!stakeholders!and!other!sources!into!the!data!gathering!process.!However,!when!we!asked!the!panel!of!experts!where!ISEAL!members!need!to!focus,!they!suggested!

Figure#5.2#Visual#recording#of#focus#group#conversation#on#gathering#data#



that!we!start!with!the!basics:!!

1. Prioritise#mobile#data#collection.!Phase!out!paper!or!pdf!reports!and!ensure!that!all!data!is!immediately!included!in!a!cloud_based!data!store.!Where!you!lack!connectivity,!collect!data!

locally!on!tablets!(or!even!temporarily!on!paper)!and!upload!it!as!soon!as!you!have!access!to!the!internet.!!

“Tablets!and!faceXtoXface!interviews!are!an!obvious!starting!point.!There!are!

already!1001!tools!out!there!that!are!very!cost!effective.!You!don’t!need!to!

build!the!software!yourself5.”!–!Focus!group!participant!

2. Build#a#shared#data#framework.!Define!the!questions!and!data!formats!on!which!you!want!to!collect!data,!to!ensure!the!consistent!use!of!the!data!throughout!your!data!management!

system,!avoid!duplicate!data!collection!and!slowly!move!towards!sharing!data!between!different!organisations.!ISEAL!(2013)!has!already!started!to!define!shared!indicators!in!its!

report!“Working!Together!to!Demonstrate!&!Improve!Poverty!Impacts”.!A!more!mature!example!for!a!data!standard!is!the!Open!Contracting!Data!Standard.!!

“Use!a!wellXdefined!data!

scheme!to!classify!data.!

Wherever!possible,!pick!those!

that!are!used!across!

industries.”!!


“Some!systems!and!industries!

might!be!capable!of!nearly!

fully!automated!audits!once!

you!get!the!framework!right.”!!

!


“Have!a!standard!that!says,!

‘We’d!like!you!to!supply!this!

data!in!this!format,’!depending!

on!how!IT!literate!your!

stakeholders!!really!are.”!!


!3. Be#open.#Over!time,!you’ll!want!to!experiment!with!adding!data!gathering!techniques!or!

integrating!external!sources!of!data:!Make!sure!that!your!systems!remain!flexible!enough!to!evolve!over!time:!as!your!data!definitions!and!user!needs!evolve,!you!might!add!new!data!fields!and!tables,!switch!to!different!forms!of!measurement!or!allow!users!to!contribute!

unstructured!data.!!

!“You!can!create!an!interface!or!framework!that's!flexible!and!will!

accommodate!future!technologies;!something!that!can!allow!for!many!

different!ways!of!collection.”!–!Focus!group!participant!

The!data!governance!policies!discussed!above!serve!as!core!requirements!to!smart!data!gathering.!They!can!help!us!to!design!incentives!to!gather!data!correctly,!anonymise!data!appropriately!for!further!use!and!allow!for!smarter!data!flow!between!organisations.!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

5!A!list!can!be!found,!for!example,!in!the!Red!Cross!Mobile!Data!Collection!Toolkit.!



#Figure#5.3#Emerging#technology#roadmap#on#gathering#data#

!This!roadmap!pyramid!shows#important#foundations!for!data!gathering!in!standards!systems.!!!Future#directions!encompass!slightly!more!advanced!technologies!that!we!consider!particularly!promising.!!!Technologies!at!the!very!top!are!optional!for!now:!they!are!more!complex!or!risky,!and!would!fill!very!specific!needs.!

!

Examples#and#inspirations:#Gathering#data#

Red#Cross#Mobile#Data#Collection#The!American!Red!Cross!maintains!a!toolkit!for!open!data!collection!tools!and!materials,!including!forms,!GPS!data!and!offline!map!use.!!

Ushahidi#Created!to!map!post_election!violence!in!Kenya,!the!open!source!project!has!grown!into!a!comprehensive!platform!to!crowdsource!information!to!be!sent!via!mobile.!!

Greenpeace#Forest#Guardians#Volunteers!compare!satellite!imagery!through!a!game_like!online!platform,!helping!the!organisation!identify!possible!areas!of!deforestation.!!!

5.3!Focus!group!conversations:!Integrating!data!


5.3 Integrating#data#

Important#concepts:#Integrating#data#When!we!work!with!complex!sets!of!data!from!multiple!sources,!we!need!a!data!management!system!that!is!up!to!the!task.!Three!concepts!are!important!to!understand:!!

1. Databases!2. Data!standards!3. Interoperability!

Databases!

When!managing!information,!you!will!need!to!work!with!databases!–!either!one!that!you!have!

designed!yourself,!or!one!that!is!included!in!one!of!the!products!you!use.!We!can!differentiate!between!three!main!types!of!data!storage:!!

Flat!file!tables!Flat!files!store!tabular!data!in!a!simple!binary!(e.g.!Excel)!or!plain!text!(e.g.!csv)!format.!Flat!files!can!only!manage!simple!data!structures!and!can!quickly!encounter!problems:!!

• Links!between!tables!and!the!structure!of!the!document!require!manual!maintainance,!often!leading!to!inconsistencies.!!

• Queries!across!tables!and!files!are!difficult!to!maintain.!!• Working!on!a!file!with!multiple!users,!managing!revisions!and/or!making!the!table!accessible!

through!the!web!can!be!challenging!or!even!impossible.!!

Relational!databases!Instead!of!one!big!table,!relational!databases!manage!data!in!a!system!of!related!tables,!each!indexed!and!linked!with!unique!IDs.!Every!piece!of!information!is!only!stored!once.!Tables!can!have!

one_to_one!relations!(one!certificate!per!producer),!one_to_many!relations!(multiple!certificates!per!certification!body)!or!many_to_many!relations!(multiple!certification!bodies!per!scheme,!and!multiple!schemes!per!certification!body).!!

Users!generally!do!not!interact!with!the!data!directly,!instead!they!use!queries!–!e.g.!using!the!structured!query!language!SQL!–!to!a)!answer!specific!questions!–!e.g.!how!many!enterprises!were!certified!in!the!past!year!in!India?!–!or!b)!access!the!data!through!a!custom!interface,!either!on!the!

web,!on!a!mobile!or!through!a!desktop!application.!Examples!of!relational!database!applications!are!Salesforce!or!Microsoft!Access.!!

Beyond!relational!databases!One!of!the!downsides!of!relational!databases!is!that!once!your!system!of!tables!is!in!place,!it!is!hard!to!change.!New!columns!of!data!will!require!you!to!redo!user!interfaces!and!defined!queries,!and!

relational!databases!cannot!effectively!address!data!that’s!completely!unstructured!or!unknown!in!advance.!Large!web!companies!have!thus!started!to!store!large!amounts!of!data!in!formats!such!as!document!databases!or!graph!stores.!These!handle!variances!in!data!types,!are!more!easily!stored!

across!multiple!servers,!and!are!usually!accessed!through!APIs.!As!an!upcoming!technology,!few!out_of_the_box!solutions!exist!as!of!yet.!!

Independent!of!the!format!in!which!you!are!storing!your!data,!make!sure!that!you!invest!in!user_friendly!interfaces!that!allow!staff!and!stakeholders!to!access!the!most!important!details!directly!



and,!perhaps,!even!formulate!their!own!queries,!run!dashboards!and!download!subsets!of!the!data.!!!#

Data#standards#As!you!will!need!to!manage!data!from!a!variety!of!sources,!it!pays!to!invest!in!defining!the!rules!by!which!data!are!described!and!recorded!with!data!standards.!In!order!to!share,!exchange!and!

understand!data,!we!must!standardise!the!format!(including!units!of!measurement)!as!well!as!the!meaning.!This!is!of!particular!importance!when!integrating!data!in!a!larger!system!or!exchanging!data!between!systems.!Important!concepts!include:!!

Unique#identifiers.#When!exchanging!data!about!a!specific!entity!(e.g.!a!person!or!a!certified!entity),!

you’ll!need!to!define!a!field!(or!a!combination!of!fields)!that!allows!you!to!match!information!about!this!entity!from!different!sources.!Uniform!Resource!Identifiers!(URIs)!use!a!scheme!similar!to!web!addresses!for!this!purpose.!!

Data#schema.!Every!database!has!a!structure!(“schema”)!that!describes!its!contents,!their!formats!

and!the!relationships!between!items!of!data.!When!multiple!data!sources!use!different!data!formats,!a!schema!can!be!used!to!map!those!formats!and!define!translations!and!conversions!before!their!integration!into!a!bigger!system.!For!example,!if!your!mobile!data!collection!software!records!

dates!in!a!different!format!than!your!main!database,!you!would!standardise!the!data!before!importing!it!into!the!database.!!

Spatial#data.#In!many!ways,!location!has!become!the!glue!that!allows!organisations!to!connect!disparate!systems!and!data!types.!In!many!places,!addresses!can!be!automatically!mapped!to!GPS!coordinates.!However,!to!be!able!to!compare!overlap!of!locations!with,!for!example,!protected!areas,!we!need!to!store!polygon!data!–!a!connected!sequence!of!coordinates!in!which!the!first!and!last!coordinate!are!the!same.!Geographic!information!systems!(GIS)!can!display!and!exchange!this!data.!Examples!include!Google!Earth!or!ESRI.!!

Interoperability#Once!your!data!standards!are!defined!and!optimally!incorporated!into!your!databases,!you!can!

connect!data!from!different!sources.!Let’s!look!at!a!few!models:!!

• Manual#import.!In!this!case,!you!export!a!file!from!one!system!and!import!it!into!the!other.!

This!method!is!practical!if!a)!data!changes!infrequently!or!is!infrequently!used!and!b)!only!the!first!system!can!make!changes!to!the!dataset.!!

• Automatic#access.!In!this!case,!one!system!keeps!a!flat!file!of!the!data!available!(online!or!

through!a!local!network)!in!a!machine_readable!format!such!as!csv!or!xml.!The!other!system!either!reads!it!from!there!whenever!needed!or!imports!it!permanently.!Again,!only!the!first!

system!can!make!changes!to!the!dataset.!!

• Application#Programming#Interfaces#(APIs).!These!enable!the!exchange!of!information!

among!systems!that!use!different!technologies.!If!your!chosen!IT!system!does!not!offer!an!API,!the!integration!of!multiple!data!sources!and!a!possible!change!to!a!different!system!later!can!become!impossible.!Common!technologies!used!in!APIs!include!JSON!and!AJAX.!!

If!you!have!more!than!one!system!operating!on!the!same!data!set,!you!need!clear!rules!and!

protocols!to!manage!the!synchronization!of!data!and!prevent!situations!where!multiple!systems!make!conflicting!changes.!!

!



!

Figure#5.4#Visual#recording#of#focus#group#conversation#on#integrating#data

Recommendations:#Integrating#data#

All!four!expert!panels!repeatedly!came!back!to!the!importance!of!data!integration,!suggesting!that!this!area!will!provide!the!biggest!benefits!for!standards!systems!investing!in!technology!innovation.!!

If!we!are!serious!about!managing!the!impact!and!operations!of!sustainability!standards,!we!need!to!

combine!multiple!sources!of!information!–!our!own!(from!applications,!audits,!stakeholders)!and!external!sources!(market!data,!protected!areas!etc.)!which!can!provide!wider!context!and!serve!as!counterfactuals.!While!a!lot!of!work!can!be!done!within!each!organisation!to!better!integrate!its!own!

data,!even!more!benefits!are!seen!in!integrating!the!data!flow!across!standard!systems!and!then!strategically!(and!selectively)!making!this!data!available!to!producers,!supply!chain!partners,!funders,!and!other!standards!systems.!

When!we!asked!the!focus!group!expert!panel!how!to!connect!and!manage!existing!data!sources!in!

new!ways!to!gain!new!insights,!they!responded:!!

1. Discover#what#exists.#We!need!to!understand!the!data!we!are!already!gathering!(and!where!and!how!it!is!managed)!before!we!can!integrate!it!better.!In!a!second!step,!we!can!look!for!external!sources!of!information!(“public!use!files”,!e.g.!satellite!data)!to!incorporate.!!

“What!are!the!ways!you!can!take!the!data!that’s!in!spreadsheets,!existing!

systems!and!all!the!different!technologies?!Can!you!have!a!common!way!of!



sharing!that!and!communicating!that!through!either!flat!files!or!application!

programming!interfaces?”!–!Focus!group!participant!

2. Define#a#data#standard.!For!data!that!is!shared!between!(and!within)!organisations,!we!need!to!define!exchange!formats!(“schemas”)!or!machine_accessible!interfaces!(“APIs”)!to!ensure!that!data!can!be!imported!and!exported!correctly.!In!some!cases,!this!might!require!data!

mapping!or!translation.!!

“For!me,!a!successful!example!

is!the!stock!exchange!or!

international!payments.!What!

they!did!is!standardise!the!

data!exchange.”!


“Helping!people!understand!

data!is!very!much!about!

having!people!have!a!similar!

vocabulary!to!talk!about!what!

they!are!trying!to!express.”!

!–!Focus!group!participant!

“Instead!of!getting!into!the!

different!organisation's!data!

systems,!the!role!that!ISEAL!

should!take!is!to!define!an!

exchange!format.”!


3. Map#certified#enterprises.!Location!data!(“polygons”)!is!essential!for!many!applications!like!

detecting!double!certification,!calculating!impact!by!country,!overlaying!satellite!data.!Location!data!will!also!form!the!foundation!for!a!unique!producer!ID!that!allows!for!easy!exchange.!!

“The!need!for!polygons!to!map!the!producers!is!absolutely!essential.!Once!you!

have!these!polygons!mapped,!then!you!can!use!tools!like!Global!Forest!Watch,!

and!their!annual!data!synthesis!to!monitor!your!farm's!progress.”!–!Focus!

group!participant!

“One!of!the!first!steps!to!this!is!an!ISEAL!requirement!to!have!polygons!for!

production!area.”!–!Focus!group!participant!

!



!#Figure#5.5#Emerging#technology#roadmap#on#integrating#data#

!This!roadmap!pyramid!shows#important#foundations!for!data!integration!in!standards!systems.!!!Future#directions!encompass!slightly!more!advanced!technologies!that!we!consider!particularly!promising.!!!Technologies!at!the!very!top!are!optional!for!now:!they!are!more!complex!or!risky,!and!would!fill!very!specific!needs.!!

!

Examples#and#inspirations:#Integrating#data#

OpenCorporates#Integrates!data!from!different!public!sources!to!increase!transparency!in!the!corporate!world.!!

Global#Forest#Watch#API#Global!Forest!Watch!offers!a!public!Application!Programming!interface!to!access!and!download!data.!!

Open#Contracting#Data#Standard#An!example!for!a!simple,!machine_readable!and!easy_to_understand!open!data!standard!to!enhance!and!promote!disclosure!and!participation!in!public!contracting.!

5.4!Focus!group!conversations:!Analysing!data!


5.4 Analysing#data#

Important#concepts:#Analysing#data#Organisations!worldwide!struggle!with!the!challenge!of!making!sense!of!growing!datasets,!and!are!looking!for!techniques!and!tools!to!transform!raw!data!into!meaningful!and!useful!information.!While!there!is!always!more!to!be!learned!from!data,!it!is!important!to!see!this!not!as!an!academic!

exercise,!but!as!a!tool!to!enable!data_driven!decision!making!across!the!organisation.!!

Figure#5.6#Emerging#fields#of#data#analysis#and#their#relationships#

!

Data!discovery!

Data!discovery!makes!it!easier!for!end_users!to!interact!with!data!and!to!run!their!own!analysis.!This!

might!include!interactive!reports,!data!visualisation!and!dashboards!and!the!ability!to!explore!and!export!data!from!multiple!sources.!The!objective!here!is!to!provide!a!quick!and!user_friendly!overview!of!the!data!available,!and!allow!the!user!to!explore!further!either!by!downloading!data!to!

their!local!machine!or!by!directly!drilling!down!into!more!details.!!

Data!science!

Despite!the!buzzwords,!a!large!part!of!data!science!consists!of!the!classical!tools!of!statistical!analysis!applied!to!more!complex!data!and!larger!samples.!In!some!cases,!machine!learning!(a!branch!of!artificial!intelligence)!can!help!to!detect!patterns!in!larger!or!less!structured!data!

collections,!e.g.!for!fraud!detection,!predictive!analysis!and!data!mining.!!

Big!data!

In!this!context,!most!standards!systems!are!still!working!on!building!their!“small!data”!processes!with!sufficient!data!quality!and!capacity!for!analysis.!For!now,!there!is!no!need!to!worry!about!“big!data”!–!data!sets!so!large!and!complex!that!traditional!data!processing!applications!are!inadequate.!!

Metadata!(or!‘data!about!data’,!sometimes!also!called!‘invisible!data’)!might!contain!information!

about!how!long!a!document!is,!when!it!was!posted!or!where!the!data!comes!from.!A!pattern!analysis!might!yield!useful!information!–!for!example,!how!long!it!takes!certificate!holders!to!respond!to!a!corrective!action!request.!!

Recommendations:#Analysing#data#



The!business!world!is!ripe!with!buzzwords!around!data!analysis!–!from!big!data!and!machine!learning!to!predictive!analytics!and!business!intelligence.!Before!standards!systems!can!fully!take!

advantage!of!these!developments!to!answer!some!of!the!juicy!questions!around!certification!and!impact!in!the!long!run,!we!first!need!to!figure!out!the!basics!of!data!integration!and!analysis.!!

Standards!systems!are!managing!data!for!many!purposes,!and!they!need!to!get!better!at!using!their!data!to!inform!their!decisions.!Data!science!is!an!exciting!and!emerging!field!that!can!help!us!make!

sense!of!the!complexity!that!we!are!managing.!Our!panel!of!experts!recommended:!!!

1. Make#it#visual.#Spreadsheets!are!terrible!at!representing!complex!data!–!and!humans!are!terrible!at!understanding!spreadsheets.!Identify!the!most!important!business!indicators!(“KPIs”)!and!create!visual!reports!showing!change!over!time.!You!can!use!this!technique!to!

report!on!a!specific!producer,!for!example,!or!even!to!discover!patterns!across!the!entirety!of!your!data.!!

“There!is!a!lot!of!desire!to!boil!down!the!information!that!comes!out!into!a!

more!simplistic!report!like!a!dashboard!that!says!you!need!to!check!out!

what’s!going!on!with!this!certification!body.”!–!Focus!group!participant!

2. Learn#to#love#database#queries.#It’s!impossible!to!identify!all!questions!in!advance,!but!it!is!possible!to!learn!to!speak!the!language!of!your!database!and!create!custom!queries!and!

reports!as!you!go!along.!It!pays!off!to!invest!in!some!data!management!and!analysis!skills!on!staff.!!

Figure#5.7#Visual#recording#of#focus#group#conversation#on#analysing#data



“I!think!you!have!to!combine!the!technology!with!subject!matter!expertise.”!–

!Focus!group!participant!

“If!people!have!just!been!used!to!analysing!things!in!Excel,!then!having!an!

online!tool!is!maybe!something!they!need!to!get!used!to!operating.”!–!Focus!

group!participant!

3. Start#small#and#stay#agile.#If!you!break!down!the!process!step!by!step,!you!are!much!more!likely!to!succeed.!Focus!on!specific!problems,!questions!and!sets!of!data,!and!make!sure!to!

deliver!value!from!the!beginning.!As!long!as!your!solutions!stay!compatible!to!one!another,!you’ll!be!fine.!!

“Sometimes!you’ll!come!with!an!idea!about!having!something!specific!you!

want!to!go!and!research:!How!do!instances!of!this!particular!nonX

conformance!relate!to!the!type!of!farming!activities!that!are!going!on?!And!

sometimes!you!just!want!to!try!and!discover!patterns!from!the!overall!set!of!

data.”!–!Focus!group!participant!

Figure#5.8#Emerging#technology#roadmap#on#analysing#data#

!This!roadmap!pyramid#shows#important#foundations!for!data!analysis!in!standards!systems.!!!Future#directions!are!slightly!more!advanced!technologies!that!we!consider!particularly!promising.!!!Technologies!at!the!very!top!are!optional!for!now:!they!are!more!complex!or!risky,!and!would!fill!very!specific!needs.!!

!!

Examples#and#inspirations:#Analysing#data#

Protected#Planet.org#Interface!for!the!global!database!of!protected!areas;!allows!for!browsing,!download!and!analysis!of!data.!

Wolfram#Data#Drop#Webservice!that!helps!analyse!data!from!sensors,!devices!or!other!sources.!!

D3#Small!and!very!flexible!open_source!JavaScript!library!for!manipulating!and!visualising!documents!based!on!data.!

!

5.5!Focus!group!conversations:!Sharing!data!


5.5 Sharing#data#

Important#concepts:#Sharing#data#

PeerXtoXpeer!trust!networks!

When!designing!solutions!for!traceability,!we!need!to!verify!transactions!to!protect!against!attempts!

to!manipulate!the!system!and!ensure!one!view!of!the!current!distribution!of!certified!products.!A!centralised!system!could!be!one!solution,!however!such!a!system!concentrates!risk!and!potential!failure.!Peer_to_peer!protocols!allow!several!participants!to!distribute!this!task!between!them.!This!

approach,!for!example,!is!used!in!file!sharing!platforms!(such!as!Napster!or!BitTorrent):!any!given!participant!might!only!store!parts!of!the!desired!file!on!their!computer.!By!downloading!from!multiple!others!in!parallel,!a!user!can!easily!obtain!the!full!file!requested.!!

A!similar!approach!is!behind!the!digital!currency!Bitcoin:!All!transactions!are!recorded!in!an!

anonymous!public!ledger!called!the!blockchain.!Changes!to!the!ledger!are!broadcast!to!all!participants!in!the!network!who!can!then!independently!verify!whether!a!given!coin!has!been!spent.!Preliminary!initiatives!to!apply!blockchain!technology!to!supply!chain!transactions!and!other!

contracts!have!been!developed.!&

Open!data!

Data!is!considered!to!be!“open”!if!anyone!can!freely!use,!re_use!and!redistribute!it,!for!any!purpose,!without!restrictions.!Many!organisations!publish!data!only!to!be!read!as!stand_alone!documents,!not!re_used!for!other!purposes.!To!be!considered!“open,”!the!data!must!be!re_usable,!meaning!it!can!be!

downloaded!in!open!formats!and!read!by!software,!and!users!have!a!legal!right!to!re_use!it.!!

Open!data!enables!individuals!and!organisations!to!innovate!and!collaborate!in!new!ways.!Providing!raw!data!in!machine_readable!and!re_usable!formats!increases!transparency!and!accountability!and!allows!others!to!build!on!it!with!new!connections,!knowledge,!and!services.!It!also!aids!organisations!

involved!in!standards!systems!to!access!information!and!collaborate!on!data!quality.!Open!data!is!increasingly!becoming!a!requirement!for!grant_funded!projects!and!cooperative!development!work.!!

Tim!Berners_Lee6!suggested!a!5_star!roadmap!towards!linked!open!data:!!

★! Available!on!the!web!(whatever!format)!with!an!open!license.#★★! Available!as!machine_readable!structured!data!(e.g.!Excel!instead!of!image!scan!

of!a!table)!★★★! All!of!the!above!plus:!non_proprietary!format!(e.g.!csv!instead!of!Excel)!★★★★! All!the!above!plus:!use!of!open!standards!to!identify!data,!to!allow!for!others!

to!link!to!your!resources!!★★★★★! All!the!above,!plus:!ability!to!link!your!data!to!other!people’s!data!to!provide!

context!!

Networked#data#analysis#Our!internal!capacity!to!learn!from!data!will!always!be!limited,!and!we!can!benefit!from!allowing!

other!organisations,!scientists,!governments!and!volunteers!to!more!actively!use!our!data.!Once!you!have!data!available,!you!can!create!specific!opportunities!to!harness!it!to!generate!tangible!values!or!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6!Is!your!linked!open!data!5!star?!Tim!Berners_Lee,!2010.!Available!online.!#



results:!citizen!science,!for!example,!is!a!way!to!involve!amateurs!in!scientific!research.!A!hackathon!is!an!event!in!which!computer!programmers!and!other!interested!individuals!collaborate!intensively!

on!software!projects,!often!for!specific!causes.!Open!data!challenges!award!prize!money!to!the!best!open!data!innovation!as!a!solution!to!social!issues.!

Recommendations:#Sharing#data#To!be!of!value!for!a!community!of!users,!standards!systems!have!an!interest!in!sharing!credible!data!in!a!prompt!and!transparent!manner!with!producers,!supply!chain!participants,!and!other!

stakeholders.!The!expert!panel!recommended:!!

1. Link#up#with#others.!There!is!a!rich!world!of!existing!open!data!initiatives!in!the!agriculture!and!development!world!(and!beyond).!We!can!build!on!existing!data!standard!vocabulary!and!definitions,!and!take!advantage!of!data!sources!and!discovery!platforms!to!increase!data!

visibility.!Collaboration!with!others!interested!in!similar!data!is!bound!to!yield!deeper!insights!and!impact.!!

!“You!end!up!with!a!network!of!people!disseminating!information!and!data!

products!faster!than!I!think!lots!of!organisations!could!do!this!themselves.”!


2. Provide#value.#Our!data!does!not!exist!in!a!vacuum.!We!have!a!responsibility!to!provide!

“feedback!with!benefits”!to!producers!and!identify!immediate!wins!to!show!them!the!value!of!their!contribution.!!

“A!good!system!that!has!credible!realXtime!data!needs!feedback!loops,!it!

needs!incentives!for!people!to!share!that!data!so!that!it’s!not!a!kind!of!

another!big!stick.!You!must!share!your!data!so!that!people!see!the!benefits!

and!users!are!heavily!engaged!in!that!process!of!creating!the!standard,!

shaping!what!they!look!like!and!using!data.”!–!Focus!group!participant!

“This!is!the!real!world!and!business!is!tough,!and!if!we're!going!to!compete!

and!really!add!value,!we!need!to!be!realistic!about!what's!going!on!out!there.!

The!theories!of!change,!it!all!goes!back!to!you!really!need!to!understand!the!

behavioural!drivers.”!–!Focus!group!participant!



#Figure#5.9#Visual#recording#of#focus#group#conversation#on#sharing#data

3. Open#data.#Whenever!we!provide!data!to!be!used!publicly,!we!can!also!make!machine_

readable!sources!available!under!an!open!license!(e.g.!creative!commons).!This!allows!stakeholders!to!do!their!own!analysis!and!contribute!insights!that!we!may!not!have!found!ourselves.!!

“We!have!to!open!a!larger!community!because!the!more!we!open,!the!more!

we!will!get!in!return.!People!will!realise!that!data!is!at!the!heart!of!

everything.”!–!Focus!group!participant!

“Where!are!there!more!roles!for!more!people!to!help!with!that!validation!and!

verification?!We!can!create!the!tools!or!toolkits!for!them,!educate!people!on!

what!they!are!looking!for!and!provide!them!a!place!to!share!their!results.”!–

!Focus!group!participant!

Balancing!confidentiality!and!transparency!

Moving!to!a!connected!data!ecosystem!means!addressing!questions!of!security,!confidentiality!and!transparency.!A!few!pointers!from!the!focus!group!conversations:!!

• In!general,!users!should!have!ownership!of!their!own!data!and!determine!how,!and!by!

whom,!their!data!can!be!used.!!



• Scheme!owners!need!to!include!data!use!provisions!in!the!contracts!they!have!with!

certificate!holders!and!specify!what!data!needs!to!be!provided!and!how!it!will!be!used!afterwards.!!

• The!data!managing!organisation!needs!to!ensure!privacy!of!personal!information,!

confidentiality!of!commercial!data!and!data!security.!!

• Over!time,!organisations!should!strive!to!move!their!policies!towards!more!shared!and!open!data!to!remain!relevant.!!

As!discussed!in!section!5.1!Data!governance!and!quality,!all!data!falls!into!one!of!three!categories:!a)!

closed!data!can!only!be!accessed!by!the!data!owners!or!people!within!an!organisation,!for!reasons!like!privacy,!commercial!sensitivity!and!security;!b)!shared!data!is!shared!with!specific!people!and!organisations!for!a!specific!purpose:!to!provide!services,!connect!information!and!contribute!to!

research;!and!c)!open!data!is!data!anyone!can!access,!use!and!share.!Certain!data!points!(such!as!price!or!volume)!might!only!ever!be!published!and!shared!in!aggregate!and/or!anonymised!form.!!

#Figure#5.10#Emerging#technology#roadmap#on#sharing#data#

!This!roadmap!pyramid!shows#important#foundations!for!data!sharing!in!standards!systems.!!!Future#directions!are!slightly!more!advanced!technologies!that!we!consider!particularly!promising.!!!Technologies!at!the!very!top!are!optional!for!now:!they!are!more!complex!or!risky,!and!would!fill!very!specific!needs.!!

!

Examples#and#inspirations:#Sharing#data#

Open#Data#Tools#Visual!directory!of!useful!tools!for!dealing!with!open!data.!!

World#Bank#Open#Data#Catalog#More!than!200!World!Bank!curated!data!sources.!!

Ethereum#Decentralised!software!platform!that!powers!smart!contracts!using!blockchain!technology.!!

!

!

6"A"roadmap"for"standards"systems:"Building"a"technology"ecosystem"

ISEAL"Smart"Data"Report" " 30""

6. A$roadmap$for$standards$systems:$Building$a$technology$ecosystem$How"can"new"approaches"help"standards"systems"operate"at"scale,"adapt"and"integrate"new"

technologies,"and"create"new"value?"This"chapter"explores"possible"futures"of"sustainability"

standards"using"technology"innovation."We"do"so"in"three"steps:""

1. An$emerging$vision"describes"a"possible"future"for"sustainability"standards"systems"taking"

advantage"of"technology"innovations;""

2. Smart$data$for$your$standards$system"describes"a"roadmap"for"individual"organisations;"and"$3. Collective$action$on$technology$expands"on"options"for"collaboration,"both"in"the"ISEAL"

Alliance"and"beyond."$

6.1 An$emerging$vision$

“Technology+redefines+the+sustainability+standard.+It+becomes+the+sustainability+standard+community,+which+will+be+composed+of+totally+

different+organisations.”+–+ISEAL+Member+

What$could$it$look$like$if$sustainability$standards$systems$moved$beyond$their$current$technology$challenges,$and$were$now$on$the$leading$edge$of$using$smart$data$to$support$their$mission?$$

The"following"chapter"describes"a"possible"future"in"which"sustainability"standards"take"full"

advantage"of"technology"innovation."Sustainability"standards"systems"continue"to"serve"as"credible$sources$of$information"about"the"sustainability"of"products"and"services."This"information"is"relevant"

for"all"citizens"interested"in"our"planet’s"finite"resources."Consumers,"brands"and"certified"

enterprises"access"this"information."Some"of"them"connect"in"an"network"of"supporting"

organisations,"from"cooperative"development"and"trade"associations"to"auditors,"trainers"and"other"

stakeholders.""

The$Standard$While"current"sustainability"standards"provide"a"consensus"view"on"what"sustainability"looks"like"in"a"

certain"sector,"future"standards"systems"broaden"to"allow"multiple"views"and"priorities."What"if"

certificates"become"interactive"online"scorecards,"and"consumers"and"buyers"rank"which"criteria"

they"consider"most"important?"Common"sets"of"potential"questions,"indicators,"and"data"formats"

replace"the"current"system"of"discrepant"reporting."Of"course,"some"questions"will"always"remain"

sector"or"standard"specific.""

Even"more,"future"standard"setters"design"the"data"collection"and"analysis"process"directly"when"

writing"the"standard."Because"the"data"is"more"easily"available,"stakeholders"engaged"in"revising"

standards"use"their"analytical"tools"to"model"the"impact"of"their"decisions."For"example,"what"would"

happen"if"we"set"the"threshold"to"X?"What"difference"do"geographically"specific"criteria"make?""

Verification$Increasingly,"certified"enterprises"are"responsible"for"their"own"reporting"towards"the"standard’s"

indicators."In"some"cases,"they"directly"connect"their"own"sensor"data"to"the"system;"in"others,"they"

periodically"submit"information,"documents"and"georeferenced"images"online"or"through"a"mobile"

app."Where"internet"access"or"literacy"is"difficult,"local"support"organisations"gather"and"submit"the"



data."Certificate"holders"immediately"see"their"ranking"compared"to"other"certified"enterprises"–"and"

can"get"tips"to"improve"their"performance."

Certification"bodies"become"primarily"responsible"for"ensuring"the"integrity"of"the"data"submitted."

They"conduct"random"spot"checks"or"use"powerful"analytical"tools"to"identify"supply"chain"risks"and"

run"additional"assessments.""

Because"there"is"a"benefit"of"comparing"data"beyond"a"single"standards"system"and"location,"

accreditation"bodies"are"transforming"themselves"into"data"guardians"for"sustainability"standards."

They"ensure"security,"confidentiality"and"proper"use"of"data"associated"with"a"subset"of"standards."

Scheme"owners,"certification"bodies"and"certificate"holders"can"access"reports"either"directly"

through"a"web"interface"or"automatically"using"an"API."In"addition,"accreditation"bodies"make"

anonymised"statistics"and"impact"data"available"as"public"use"files"for"stakeholders,"researchers"and"

the"public."Multiple"accreditation"bodies"utilise"agreed"data"exchange"formats"and"interfaces,"

allowing"data"users"to"analyse"data"across"sources.""

Traceability$

All"certified"products"entering"the"supply"chain"are"automatically"identified"with,"for"example,"

barcodes"or"RFID"chips."This"allows"a"direct"link"between"the"producer"and"the"supply"chain"–"since"

the"area"of"production"of"a"farm"or"certificate"holder"is"available"via"polygons,"anomalies"in"the"

amount"of"production"originating"from"these"geoWreferenced"areas"is"easily"identified."Every"

transaction"is"automatically"logged"in"a"secure,"distributed"blockchain"database,"eliminating"double"

accounting.""

Impacts$$

Even"more"than"today,"scheme"owners"are"becoming"the"guardians"of"sustainability"in"a"given"sector."

They"are"responsible"for"assuring"that"production"and"consumption"patterns"actually"improve."To"do"

so,"they"have"invested"in"data"analysis"and"visualisation"capacities,"and"they"trace"impacts"using"

both"the"data"generated"in"their"own"standards"system"and"external"sources."They"work"with"supply"

chain"partners,"producers"and"support"organisations"to"design"interventions"and"adjust"the"indicator"

set."They"increase"consumer"confidence"and"demand"in"the"standard,"as"well"as"the"number"of"

companies"using"the"standard"to"reduce"their"sustainability"footprint.""

A$data$ecosystem$Over"time,"companies"and"organisations"interested"in"sustainability"have"come"to"an"agreement"on"

data"exchange"standards"and"confidentiality"needs."Increasingly,"transparency"is"seen"as"serving"the"

entire"sector."Developers"and"stakeholders"have"built"external"applications"that"can"show"

sustainability"ratings"for"individual"products,"regions"or"companies."This"data"is"freely"available,"

enabling"stakeholders,"scientists"and"citizens"to"explore"and"draw"conclusions,"informing"individual"

conscience"and"political"action."Withholding"data"is"seen"as"suspicious"and"can"lead"to"a"loss"of"

business.""

Using"smart"data"is"about"more"than"technology"–"it"has"the"potential"to"enable"a"new"generation"of"

sustainability"standards.""

"



6.2 Smart$data$for$your$standards$system$Now"that"we’ve"envisioned"the"future"of"sustainability"standards,"how"do"you"fit"it?"What"would"it"

take"for"your"standards"system"to"transform"itself"into"a"participant"in"such"a"connected"data"

ecosystem?"We"believe"that"each"organisation"has"its"own"technology"innovation"mountain"to"climb"

–"and"our"conversations"with"the"experts"left"us"with"two"very"clear"messages:""

1. Before"attempting"to"implement"the"latest"technology"fads,"you"need"to"build"the"

foundations.""

2. No"technology"stands"alone:"every"system"is"only"as"good"as"its"ability"to"interact"with"other"

systems.""

While"every"organisation’s"data"management"approach"will"look"differently"in"the"end,"you"will"want"

to"increase"both"a)"the"overall"ability"of"your"IT"systems"to"support$all$aspects$of"your"scheme"and"b)"

the"overall"ability"of"your"IT"systems"to"adapt$to$the$changing$needs"of"your"scheme."To"become"a"

truly"dataWdriven"organisation,"consider"how"you"might"need"to"adapt"standard"criteria,"workflows"

and"decisionWmaking"processes"to"take"advantage"of"and"align"with"technology"innovation.""

Manage$data$strategically$

Data"is"emerging"as"the"strategic"asset"for"sustainability"standards"systems."The"process"of"

developing"a"smart"approach"to"data"in"your"organisation"includes"the"following"steps:""

• Start"with"a"data"inventory."What"data"are"you"currently"collecting?"What"data"are"you"

receiving"from"clients"and"external"sources?"How"are"you"using"it?"How"can"you"improve"the"

flow"and"quality"of"data?""

• To"build"collaboration"with"other"participants"in"your"standards"scheme,"share"your"

indicators"and"reporting"in"machineWreadable"formats."You"can"also"share"the"data"formats"

you"used"–"that"way,"others"don’t"have"to"reinvent"the"wheel.""

• Consider"the"use"and"sharing"of"data"whenever"you"are"collaborate"with"others,"e.g."in"

contracts,"projects"and"memoranda.""

• Don’t"be"afraid"to"be"boring:"Sometimes,"the"biggest"impact"comes"not"from"fancy"

technology"trends"but"from"investments"in"improved"processes"and"data"quality.""

Focus$on$priority$directions$Four"technology"innovations"initiatives"stood"out"as"providing"particularly"high"benefits"for"

standards"systems:""

1. Mobile$data$collection."The"earlier"and"more"consistently"you"can"get"your"data"into"your"

data"management"system,"the"better.""

2. Data$standards."Defined"data"exchange"formats"and"protocols"will"help"you"integrate"

multiple"applications"and"improve"data"quality.""

3. Accessible$reporting."When"possible,"allow"staff"and"others"to"access"key"metrics"and"their"

development"on"demand.""

4. Open$data."Transparency"is"a"core"ingredient"to"building"credibility."Providing"data"to"stakeholders"in"reWusable"formats"prevents"double"work"and"eases"the"flow"of"data.""

The"roadmap"pyramids"below"can"help"you"define"your"own"first"steps:"Focus"on"building"the"

foundations"of"your"data"management"process"first,"starting"at"the"data"gathering"process."Integrate"



data"flows"internally,"strengthen"internal"learning"and"analysis"from"that"data"–"and"then"ensure"that"

stakeholders"can"benefit.""

Figure$6.1$Summary$of$roadmaps$for$smart$data$management$

"

Depending"on"your"priorities"and"technological"maturity,"you"can"then"consider"exploring"some"of"

the"future"directions"listed"in"each"pyramid"–"or"even"start"early"prototypes"with"the"more"

experimental,"optional"technologies"at"the"top.""

Remember:"Technology"innovation"is"not"all"or"nothing."It’s"a"journey"of"continuous"improvement"

and"learning."Just"take"it"one"step"at"a"time."

6.3 Technology$selection$process$Whenever"you"are"investing"in"technology"innovation"the"following"best"practice"has"proved"useful"

for"successful"projects:""

• Get"advice"from"other"ISEAL"members"who"have"attempted"similar"projects;""

• Use"the"Technology$Selection$Matrix$below"to"evaluate"competing"factors"and"their"tradeW

offs"when"deciding"between"multiple"possible"solutions;""

• Ensure"interoperability"and"free"use"of"your"own"data;""

• Budget"for"future"maintenance"and"improvements;"and""

• Share"what"you’ve"learned"with"other"ISEAL"members.""

Depending"on"the"project,"you"will"need"to"evaluate"a"different"set"of"functionalities,"and"the"relative"

weighting"of"criteria"will"vary"(e.g."data"security"for"your"financial"system"may"be"more"important"

than"for"a"simple"web"information"system)."When"reviewing"costs,"take"training"and"project"

management"into"account,"and"consider"building"inWhouse"capacity"as"an"alternative"to"hiring"

external"consultants.""

"

" "



Technology$selection$matrix$Add"comments"or"ratings"to"each"of"the"column"and"use"the"resulting"lists"to"inform"your"

decisionWmaking"process.""

Impo

rtan

ce$$

Rating$for$

option

$$#1$

Rating$for$

option

$#2$

Ownership/Portability$Does"the"system"design"belong"to"you,"as"the"customer"and"can"it"be"transferred"to"another"

platform,"or"does"the"design"tie"you"to"one"company’s"product"and"support"staff?"

" " "

Functionality$How"well"does"the"software"meet"all"of"the"functionality"requirements"(weigh"the"most"

important"features)."Define"mustWhaves"features,"e.g."offline"capability.$

" " "

Integration$with$existing$systems$How"well"does"the"software"integrate"with"your""existing"systems?$

" " "

User$Interface$How"user"friendly"is"the"user"interface"and"how"much"user"training"will"be"needed?$

" " "

Scalability$Will"the"system"run"into"performance"limitations"in"years"to"come,"when"the"data"and"

number"of"users"is"10"or"100"times"what"it"is"today?$

" " "

Reliability$How"likely"are"bugs"and"crashes,"how"mature"is"the"software,"is"it"tried"and"tested?$

" " "

Disaster$recovery$What"are"the"options"to"ensure"business"continuity"when"an"unexpected""disaster""

occurs?""How"expensive"and"time"consuming"will"it"be"to"create"and"test"recovery"plan"

options?$

" " "

Security$How"confident"can"we"be"that"all"security"threats"have"been"considered"in"the"design"of"the"

software"solution?"Has"the"security"been"independently"audited?$

" " "

Is$the$system$certified?$Some"industries"may"require"additional"certification"for"some"fields,"e.g"German"accounting"

software"certification.$

" " "

Risk$of$not$meeting$expectations$What"other"risks"are"there,"what"else"can"go"wrong?"e.g."What"if"the"project"developer"gets"

ill?""What"if"the"project"scope"and"specifications"where"inaccurate"to"start"with?$

" " "

Flexibility$to$customise$Can"the"solution"be"easily"and"relatively"cheaply"customised"after"delivery,"to"compensate"

for"everWchanging"requirements?"Are"there"multiple"options"for"who"can"customise?$

" " "

Multilingual$Capabilities$Does"the"system"support"all"of"the"languages"that"the"project"requires"or"may"require"in"the"

future,"also"for"customisations?$

" " "

"



6.4 Collective$action$on$technology$

“You+need+to+position+yourself+quite+rapidly:+the+clock+is+ticking.+Things+are+going+very,+very+fast.+Certification+needs+to+reinvent+the+way+it+works+and+

provide+value.”+–+Focus+group+participant+

If"sustainability"standards"systems"are"to"rise"to"the"challenge"and"build"an"effective"technology"

ecosystem"for"sustainability,"cooperation"is"key."Three"lines"of"action"stand"out:""

Data$standards$

Data"exchange"protocols"are"a"preWcondition"for"an"interoperable"ecosystem"of"sustainability"

standards"organisations."In"its"work"on"monitoring"and"evaluation,"the"ISEAL"Alliance"has"made"initial"

inroads"towards"shared"indicators7;"these"could"be"developed"further"into"a"data"standard"for"

reporting."Other"data"standards"that"would"be"beneficial"are"data"sets"on"certificates"and"audit"

reports,"amongst"others."""

“In+essence,+we+need+an+information+management+code+of+good+practice,+just+like+we+have+a+standardsJsetting+code+and+an+assurance+code.”+–+ISEAL+

Member+

The"ISEAL"Impacts"Code"already"contains"a"range"of"requirements"for"ISEAL"members’"data"

management"systems."In"addition,"we"suggest"that"ISEAL"adds"minimum"requirements"for"data"sets"

(including"location"data/polygons"for"certificates)"and"data"transparency"as"part"of"its"membership"

criteria.""

Traceability$Managing"the"traceability"of"certified"products"through"the"chain"of"custody"is"a"major"challenge"for"

many"sustainability"standards."Currently,"members"use"a"range"of"custom"and"commercial"IT"

systems"to"track"products"and"volumes,"but"many"struggle"with"a"lack"of"actual"involvement"in"the"

supply"chain"and"difficulties"in"maintaining"the"system.""

“A+central+online+system+for+realJtime+transaction+verification+along+supply+

chains+is+needed.”+–+ISEAL+Member+

While"a"single"centralised"traceability"system"might"be"hard"to"achieve,"this"project"highlights"the"

potential"advantages"of"distributed"traceability"systems"using"blockchain"technology"or"other"

cryptographic"contracts.""

Modelling$open$data$Many"of"the"benefits"of"recent"technology"innovation"are"the"products"of"openly"available"data."

Using"this"channel"to"further"strategically"foster"sustainability,"the"ISEAL"Secretariat"could"lead"by"

example"and:""

1. Publish"its"data"as"open"data"and"in"reusable"formats"whenever"possible;""

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

7"See"ISEAL"(2013):"Working"together"to"demonstrate"and"improve"poverty"impacts"



2. Encourage"use"of"data"through"accessible"analytical"tools"and"collaborative"data"challenges,"

e.g."hackathons;"and""

3. Develop"exemplary"data"use"policies.""

In"addition,"collective"action"projects"are"bound"to"emerge"from"an"active"community"of"members"

that"explores"current"trends"in"technology,"shares"successes"and"failures"and"identifies"challenges"

and"needs."Some"of"these"projects"may"involve"all"members"of"the"ISEAL"Alliance,"others,"informal"or"

formal"alliances"of"a"subset"of"organisations.""

“I+truly+hope+that+jointly+shared+IT+(and+possibly+also+other+services)+will+bring+

the+ISEAL+members+even+closer+together.”+–+ISEAL+Member+

The"research"in"this"project"has"shown:"technology"innovation"is"a"central"element"for"the"future"of"

sustainability"standards."The"ISEAL"Alliance"is"right"to"prioritize"this"topic"at"this"time"and"to"step"up"

the"pace."Technology"moves"fast"–"instead"of"taking"shortcuts,"sustainability"standards"can"meet"this"

challenge"by"moving"deliberately"towards"creating"a"connected"data"ecosystem"for"sustainability.""

7"Annexes"


7. Annexes$

7.1 Glossary$Agile$development$ An"approach"to"project"management"in"which"solutions"evolve"

through"collaboration"between"selfWorganising,"crossWfunctional"

teams."It"promotes"adaptive"planning,"evolutionary"development,"

early"delivery"and"continuous"improvement,"and"encourages"rapid"

and"flexible"response"to"change."

API$ An"application"programming"interface"(API)"provides"a"set"of"rules"

for"how"an"application"interacts"with"other"applications."They"allow"

developers"to"access"relevant"aspects"of"a"system’s"internal"

functions"in"order"to"send"or"receive"data"between"applications."

For"a"list"of"public"APIs,"see"ProgrammableWeb.""

Artificial$intelligence$ A"field"of"computer"science"which"studies"how"to"create"computers"

and"computer"software"that"are"capable"of"intelligent"behaviour."

Relevant"subWfields"include"machine"learning,"neural"networks"and"

natural"language"processing."$Barcode$ MachineWreadable"symbols"used"to"encode"information"such"as"

product"numbers,"serial"numbers"and"batch"numbers."Barcodes"

can"be"scanned"optically"using"laser"or"cameraWbased"systems."The"

most"common"types"are"oneWdimensional"EAN/UPC"codes"and"twoW

dimensional"QR"codes.""

Big$data$ A"broad"term"applied"to"any"process"involving"data"sets"that"are"of"

a"size"requiring"special"resources"to"manage"or"analyse."While"

there"is"no"specific"size"threshold"to"qualify"“big”"data,"the"term"is"

typically"applied"to"the"practise"and"gathering"and"mining"large"

quantities"of"data"for"patterns,"trends,"risks"and"insights"that"might"

be"applied"to"decisionWmaking"within"a"business"or"organisation.$Bitcoin$ A"digital"currency"issued"by"a"decentralised,"nonWgovernmental"

authority,"which"relies"on"vast"computing"power"and"advanced"

encryption."Bitcoin"is"considered"experimental,"but"has"wide"

interest"as"it"promises"a"new"method"of"value"exchange"and"lower"

transactional"values"than"traditional"currencies."

Blockchain$ A"model"of"transactional"recordkeeping"that"was"developed"as"a"

public"ledger"of"Bitcoin"transactions."Transactions"are"grouped"in"

standard"“blocks”"which"resemble"a"traditional"bank"statement."

These"are"then"linked"into"a"chronological"“chain”"with"all"previous"

blocks,"and"stored"in"a"central"database."This,"in"theory,"provides"a"

permanent"record"of"the"values"exchanged."While"blockchain"

originated"with"Bitcoin,"this"model"has"attracted"interest"from"

other"sectors."

Cloud$computing$ Storing"and"accessing"data"and"programmes"over"the"internet"

instead"of"a"local"computer"or"server."In"most"cases,"a"thirdWparty"

provider"delivers"computing"services"(such"as"data"storage,"data"

manipulation"or"user"interfaces)"through"the"internet."See"also:"

Software"as"a"Service"(SaaS)."$Customer$Relationship$Management$(CRM)$

A"group"of"software"used"to"manage"an"organisation’s"interactions"

with"clients"and"other"stakeholders.""

Data$mapping$ A"process"by"which"different"data"models"are"linked"using"a"

7"Annexes"


defined"set"of"methods"to"characterise"the"data"in"a"specific"

definition."This"data"linking"follows"a"set"of"standards,"which"

depends"on"the"domain"value"of"the"data"model"used.""

Data$warehouse$ A"central"repository"of"an"organisation’s"data"that"combines"data"

from"one"or"more"disparate"sources."A"data"warehouse"is"designed"

for"query"and"analysis"rather"than"for"transaction"processing.$$Distributed$system$ A"system"in"which"computing"power"is"provided"by"a"series"of"

networked"but"physically"separate"computers"or"servers"in"

constant"communication"with"one"another."This"combined"

processing"power"of"all"the"units"is"applied"to"a"given"task."

Distributed"systems"are"frequently"required"for"large"scale"(big"

data)"processing."Not"to"be"confused"with"cloud"computing."

ERP$system$ Enterprise"Resource"Planning"(ERP)"systems"are"typically"used"to"

integrate"multiple"systems"and"facilitate"process"management"

across"the"organisation."

Geolocation$ The"identification"of"the"global"location"of"a"place"or"object."Global"

Positioning"Systems"(GPS)"or"Geographic"Information"Systems"(GIS)"

may"play"a"role"in"geolocation,"the"first"by"providing"precise"

coordinates"via"satellite,"and"the"second"by"storing,"analysing"and"

crossWreferencing"a"location"with"databases"containing"maps"or"

other"relevant"information."

Hackathon$ An"event"in"which"computer"programmers"and"others"involved"in"

software"development"and"hardware"development"collaborate"

intensively"on"software"projects"on"a"specific"topic"or"data"set.""

Internet$of$Things$ A"catchWall"term"for"the"wide"range"of"sensors,"tools"and"household"

items"now"connected"to"networks"that"allow"them"to"send"and"

receive"data."These"sensors"provide"information"on"how"we"use"

spaces"and"objects"in"our"daily"lives."

Machine$learning$ A"subWfield"of"computer"science"that"examines"algorithms"that"can"

learn"from"and"make"predictions"based"on"data."Machine"learning"

is"a"form"of"advanced"pattern"matching"and"has"been"used"to"

improve"predictive"analysis,"search"engines,"speech"analysis"and"

text"mining"systems."

MachineYreadable$ A"format"that"can"be"read"automatically"by"a"web"browser"or"

computer"system."Traditional"word"processing"documents,"web"

pages"and"PDF"files"are"easily"read"by"humans"but"typically"are"

difficult"for"machines"to"interpret."XML,"JSON"and"spreadsheets"

with"header"columns"that"can"be"exported"as"comma"separated"

values"(CSV)"are"examples"of"machineWreadable"formats."

Traditional"word"processing"documents"and"other"formats"can"be"

made"machineWreadable,"but"the"documents"must"include"

enhanced"structural"elements."

Metadata$ Frequently"described"as"“data"about"data”."Metadata"is"usually"

applied"to"descriptive"information"about"a"resource,"such"as"the"

bibliographic"information"a"library"catalogue"might"contain"about"a"

book."Metadata"and"metadata"standards"can"facilitate"search"and"

access,"and"make"it"easier"to"share"or"publish"information."

Open$data$ Data"that"is"free"to"be"accessed,"used"and"distributed"by"anyone"

with,"at"most,"attribution"of"the"original"source"as"a"requirement.""

Polygons$ A"data"object"representing"the"boundaries"of"a"geographic"area,"

7"Annexes"


such"as"a"national"park"or"fishery."

Predictive$modelling$ A"branch"of"data"mining"that"uses"statistical"analysis"to"create"

probabilistic"models"of"future"behaviour,"risks"and"trends."

RFID$chip$ RadioWfrequency"identification"(RFID)"refers"to"small"electronic"

devices"that"consist"of"a"small"chip"and"an"antenna."Like"barcodes,"

RFID"chips"store"basic"information"about"the"object"they"are"

attached"to."However,"they"are"read"through"electromagnetic"

scanners"and"do"not"need"to"be"in"the"line"of"sight"of"the"reader.""

SaaS$ Software"as"a"service"(SaaS)"is"a"software"licensing"and"delivery"

model"in"which"software"is"licensed"on"a"subscription"basis"and"is"

centrally"hosted."It"is"sometimes"referred"to"as""onWdemand"

software"."SaaS"is"typically"accessed"by"users"via"a"web"browser."

Schema$ Any"organised"pattern"of"thought"that"describes"categories"and"the"

relationships"between"them"and"the"objects"or"values"they"

contain."This"term"can"be"applied"both"to"systems"of"standards"and"

to"the"rules"that"establish"the"organisational"structure"of"a"

database."

SemiYstructured$data$ Data"that"contains"some"internal"subdivisions"that"might"provide"

insight"into"the"content"without"considering"the"content"as"a"

whole."For"example,"subject"headings"within"a"long"paper,"which"

are"linked"to"a"table"of"contents."

Structured$data$ Data"with"a"high"degree"of"internal"organisation"in"which"contents"

are"discoverable"through"simple"search"algorithms,"such"as"a"wellW

structured"relational"database."

Unstructured$data$ Data"that"is"not"contained"in"a"data"structure"or"organised"

according"to"a"defined"model."For"example,"a"body"of"content"

where"the"text"is"stored"as"a"single"block."

Visualization$ Presentation"of"data"in"a"visual"format"such"as"a"graph,"map"or"

chart"to"facilitate"exploration"or"explanation."Infographics,"for"

example,"usually"combine"visual"representations"of"data"and"

explanatory"text."

Wearables$ Any"networkWenabled"digital"device"that"can"be"worn"on"the"body,"

including"tracking"devices,"wearable"cameras,"smart"watches,"

eyeglasses"with"embedded"screens"and"virtualWreality"headsets"and"

gloves."

7"Annexes"


7.2 Methodology$As"part"of"its"work"to"radically"reimagine"the"potential"of"sustainability"standards"systems,"ISEAL"is"

exploring"new"approaches"towards"integrating"innovative"technologies,"tools"and"solutions"into"

existing"systems."As"an"initial"research"contribution,"this"project"aimed"to"provide"ISEAL"members"

with"a"solid"understanding"of"recent"innovations"and"trends"in"technologyWbased"solutions"that"can"

impact"and"influence"sustainability"standards.""

The"research"was"conducted"between"July"and"September"2015"by"ON:SUBJECT"in"collaboration"with"

Accreditation"Services"International.""

Approach$

The"research"process"was"structured"in"two"parts:""

1. A$survey$of$all$ISEAL$members"to"document"their"current"experience"and"practices;"and""

2. A$set$of$four$focus$group$conversations$with"IT"experts"and"technology"thinkers"to"review"technology"trends"and"examples"from"other"stakeholders"and"sectors.""

In"doing"so,"we"worked"from"the"following"assumptions:""

• The"technology"innovations"most"relevant"for"standards"systems"are"not"new"as"such;"they"

are"already"widespread"and"proven"in"other"sectors."The"research"thus"focussed"on"

identifying"the"most"promising"solutions"and"core"directions,"instead"of"providing"a"

comprehensive"database"with"hundreds"of"possible"approaches"and"systems.""

• Technology"innovation"for"sustainability"standards"is"a"niche"topic"that"is"not"yet"covered"in"

literature"nor"by"many"experts"directly."The"research"thus"focussed"on"capturing"the"ideas"

and"responses"of"diverse"IT"experts"instead"of"providing"detailed"reading"recommendations.""

Survey$of$ISEAL$Members$

An"online"survey"of"ISEAL"members"was"sent"out"on"20"July"2015."By"11"September,"responses"from"

18"organisations"had"been"received."The"survey"followed"the"following"structure:""

1. Contact"Information"

2. Current"Situation"and"Practices"

3. Assessment"and"Ambitions"

4. Further"Comments"

A"copy"of"the"full"questionnaire"can"be"obtained"from"the"author.""

Focus$Groups$Focus"groups"are"a"research"technique"that"collects"data"through"group"interaction"on"a"topic"

determined"by"the"researcher."As"a"dialogueWbased"research"methodology,"focus"groups"allow"for"

the"emergence"of"priorities,"opinions"and"contradictions"through"the"group"conversation."As"part"of"

this"project,"we"organised"a"set"of"four"online"focus"group"conversations"on"best"methods"of"

gathering,"managing"and"analysing"the"information"needed"to"assure"sustainability"across"global"

supply"chains.""

7"Annexes"


From"a"list"of"targeted"IT"experts"and"technology"thinkers,"19"participants"registered"to"join"one"of"

the"following"75Wminute"conversations:""

• Focus$Group$#1:$Integrating$Data$(Friday,$31$July$2015)$

How"can"we"connect"and"manage"existing"data"sources"in"new"ways"to"gain"new"insights?""

• Focus$Group$#2:$Gathering$Data$(Wednesday,$19$August$2015)$

How"can"we"gather"data"to"gauge"compliance"with"and"effectiveness"of"the"standard?""

• Focus$Group$#3:$Analysing$Data$(Tuesday,$2$September$2015)$How"can"we"use"information"technology"to"gain"better"insights"from"the"available"data?""

• Focus$Group$#4:$Sharing$Data$(Tuesday,$25$August$2015)$What"would"a"standards"system"that"allows"for"credible,"transparent"and"realWtime"access"to"

data"actually"look"like?"

The"questionnaire"used"to"lead"the"focus"group"conversations"can"be"obtained"from"the"author.""

Participants$We"would"like"to"thank"the"following"individuals"for"their"knowledgeable"participation"in"this"

research"project:""

Participants$of$the$focus$groups:$James"Barsimantov," COO"at"SupplyShift;"Maarten"Cleeren,"Strategy"

Director"at"Elsevier;"Pierre"Courtemanche,"CEO,"GeoTraceability;"Tim"Davies,"Researcher"of"

#opendata,"democracy"&"development;"Jesse"Daystar,"Assistant"Director"of"Corporate"Sustainability"

Programs,"Duke"Center"for"Sustainability"&"Commerce"at"Duke"University;"Monica"Fulvio,"Senior"

Taxonomist"at"National"Geographic"Society;"AnneWMarie"Lavie,"Lead"Enterprise"Architect,"Desjardins;"

Tom"Rausch,"CoWFounder"&"Director,"Strategy"+"Innovation,"Good"World"Solutions;"Sasha"Rebmann,"

Creative"Director,"Everysite;"David"Colby"Reed,"Managing"Partner"@"Foossa,"Behavioral"Science"

Aficionado;"Michael"Silberman,"Global"Director"of"the"Digital"Mobilisation"Lab"at"Greenpeace;"Rik"

Van"Bruggen,"Regional"Director"at"Neo"Technology;"Crispen"Wilson,"former"Deputy"Director,"

Evaluation"&"Research,"Rainforest"Alliance.""

Respondents$to$the$survey:$4C"Association:"George"Watene;"Alliance"for"Water"Stewardship:"

Richard"Robertson,"Nicole"Tanner;"ASC:"Bas"Geerts;"ASI:"Matthias"Wilnhammer;"Bonsucro:"Nicolas"

Viart;"Equitable"Origin:"Sarah"Coulter;"FLOCERT:"Frank"Brinkschneider;"FSC:"Rob"Ukkerman;"Golf"

Environment"Organization:"Stephen"Gabauer;"GoodWeave"International:"Biko"Nagara;"IOAS:"David"

Crucefix;"LEAF"Marque"Ltd:"Jeremy"Boxall;"Marine"Stewardship"Council:"Peter"Hair;"Responsible"

Jewellery"Council:"Maria"Mursell,"Catherine"Sproule;"RSPO:"Sanath"Kumaran;"Social"Accountability"

Accreditation"Services:"Nicole"Platt;"Sustainable"Agriculture"Network:"Ana"Garzon;"UTZ"Certified:"

Paul"Schep.""

Other$contributors:$Diana"Briggs,"Taxonomist"and"Metadata"Specialist;"Lara"Emde,"Illustrator"and"

Visual"Facilitator;"Helen"Ireland,"ISEAL's"Manager,"Innovations;"Elizabeth"Kennedy,"Independent"

Consultant,"Conservation"Data"Solutions;"Kristin"Komives,"ISEAL's"Director,"Impacts;"Patrick"Mallet,"

ISEAL’s"Director,"Innovations;"Elyse"Stavely,"Communications"Officer,"Accreditation"Services"

International;"Oliver"White,"IT"manager,"Accreditation"Services"International.""

7"Annexes"


7.3 Resources$and$References$

Further$reading$Books"and"resources"on"technology"innovation,"data"management"and"analysis."

Big$Data$at$Work:$Dispelling$the$Myths,$Uncovering$the$Opportunities."Thomas"Davenport"(2014)"

Big$Data:$A$Revolution$That$Will$Transform$How$We$Live,$Work$and$Think.$Viktor"MayerW

Schönberger"and"Kenneth"Cukier"(2013)"

Data$Science$for$Business:$What$You$Need$to$Know$about$Data$Mining$and$DataYanalytic$Thinking.$

Foster"Provost"and"Tom"Fawcett"(2013)"

Demystifying$Big$Data:$A$Practical$Guide$To$Transforming$The$Business$of$Government.$TechAmerica"Foundation"(2012)."Available"online.""

How$can$we$improve$agriculture,$food$and$nutrition$with$open$data?"Open"Data"Institute"(2015)."Available"online."

Local$Government$Spatial$Information$Management$Toolkit."Australian"Local"Government"

Association"(2007)."Available"online."

Monitoring$and$Evaluation$Guidance$Note:$Data$Protection$and$Information$Privacy:$Legal$Considerations.$ISEAL"Alliance"(2014)."Draft"available"on"request.""

Open$Government$Data$Toolkit.$World"Bank"(2012)."Available"online.""

Principles$of$Data$Quality,$version$1.0.$Arthur"Chapman"for"the"Global"Biodiversity"Information"

Facility,"Copenhagen"(2005)."Available"online.""

Programming$Collective$Intelligence.$Toby"Segaran"(2007)"

The$Lean$Startup:$How$Today's$Entrepreneurs$Use$Continuous$Innovation$to$Create$Radically$Successful$Businesses."Eric"Ries"(2011)"

The$Signal$and$the$Noise:$The$Art$and$Science$of$Prediction."Nate"Silver"(2012)"

Working$Together$to$Demonstrate$&$Improve$Poverty$Impacts.$ISEAL"Alliance"(2013)."Available"online.""

Technology$providers$for$sustainable$supply$chains$

The"list"below"includes"specialised"technology"providers"for"certification"and"supply"chain"

management"that"we"have"come"across"over"the"course"of"this"project."Solutions"may"be"at"different"

stages"of"maturity;"inclusion"in"this"list"does"not"imply"an"endorsement."More"generic"technologies"

(such"as"CRM"software)"that"can"be"customised"to"meet"the"needs"of"sustainability"standards"are"not"

included"here.""

Agreo" A"multiWsector"extranet"solution"deployed"for"farm"operators"to"promote"

information"exchange"with"producers"and"technical"advisors.""

www.smagWgroup.com""

7"Annexes"


AuditAide" An"affordable"ICTWsolution"for"group"certification"of"agricultural"sustainability"

standards."www.thinkdataservices.com/…/internal_inspection_and_audits.html""

Benetech"" Silicon"Valley"based"nonprofit"providing"innovative"IT"solutions"for"social"change."

www.benetech.org""

CASI" Automates"standard"based"certification"or"assurance"schemes"for"online"

deployment"within"weeks."www.everysite.co.uk""

Chainpoint" Secure,"online"software"platform"to"manage"and"share"product,"process"and"

supplier"information,"from"raw"material"to"finished"product."www.chainpoint.com""

Ecert" Manages"audit"management"and"certifications"with"just"one"system"in"an"easy"and"

efficient"manner.""www.intactWsystems.com""

Enablon" Provider"of"Sustainability,"EH&S"and"Operational"Risk"Management"Software"with"

more"than"100"application"modules."www.enablon.com""

Farmforce" Integrated"mobile"platform"to"manage"smallWholder"farming."www.farmforce.com"

GeoTraceability"" IT"solutions"that"facilitate"mapping,"data"collection"and"traceability"tailored"to"a"

smallholder"environment."www.geotraceability.com""

Group$Integrity$ Software"program"that"facilitates"the"certification"of"smallholder"groups"and"

businesses"with"small"producers"under"contract"farming."www.groupWintegrity.com""

Labor$Link" An"endWtoWend"service"that"uses"mobile"phone"surveys"to"collect"information"

directly"from"factory"and"farm"workers"around"the"world."www.mylaborlink.org""

Provenance"" Authenticates"key"product"information"with"blockchain"technology"and"smart"

tagging."www.provenance.org""

Qualityworx" A"free"Management"Information"System"that"covers"data"collection"and"

information"needs"for"smallholder"producer"organisations."www.qms4s.org""

Sourcemap" A"flexible"and"easy"to"use"supply"chain"visualization"solution."www.sourcemap.com""

SupplyShift"" CloudWbased"supply"chain"management"platform"that"integrates"supplier"

performance"information."www.supplyshift.net""

Terras$Tools" Data"gathering"and"analysis"tools"developed"originally"for"farmers"and"processors"

to"manage"the"legality"of"their"supply"chains."terras.agr.br"

7"Annexes"


7.4 Article$in$“ISEAL$Community”$Newsletter,$September$2015$How"can"we"ulitise"modern"technology"to"increase"our"impact?"In"this"article"by"former"ISEAL"staffer"

Wiebke"Herding,"we"report"on"ISEAL"members'"technology"frustrations"and"hone"in"on"experts'"

recommendations"for"standards"systems."

How"can"technology"innovation"increase"the"impact"of"sustainability"standards"systems?"This"

summer,"we"asked"ISEAL"members"and"external"technology"experts"to"contribute"to"a"set"of"

conversations"that"can"point"the"way"for"new"approaches"that"can"help"us"operate"at"scale,"adapt"

and"integrate"new"technologies,"and"create"new"value."

One$key$emerging$insight:$Before$we$explore$fashionable$new$technologies,$we$first$need$to$build$the$foundations$of$smart$data$management$in$our$standards$systems."

By"definition,"sustainability"standards"systems"are"data"management"machines:"they"exist"to"provide"

credible"information"about"products"or"services"to"companies"and"consumers,"and"to"use"this"

information"to"foster"sustainable"production"and"consumption"patterns."We"already"gather,"

integrate,"analyse"and"share"this"data"through"the"audit"process,"through"traceability,"through"

monitoring"and"evaluation"–"it"is"time"for"our"technology"and"systems"to"support"us"in"this"

endeavour."

So"ISEAL"conducted"a"survey"of"current"experiences"and"challenges"with"technology"innovation"

amongst"ISEAL"members."In"addition,"a"set"of"four"expert"panels"with"IT"experts"and"technology"

thinkers"met"to"brainstorm"new"and"practical"approaches"to"apply"technology"innovations"to"current"

challenges"and"future"opportunities"in"sustainability"standards"systems."

ISEAL"members"expressed"the"following"main"frustrations"with"their"information"management"

systems"in"the"survey:"

1.Manual$processing."Many"members"highlighted"the"amount"of"work"required"to"input"data,"

combine"it"from"various"sources"and"analyse"it"to"inform"better"decisions."This"work"oftentimes"

encompasses"a"duplication"of"effort"when"data"needs"to"be"entered"multiple"times"into"different"

systems."

2.Loss$of$data.$ISEAL"members"reported"issues"with"data"integrity"and"quality"due"to"human"error"

during"data"entry"or"due"to"data"imports."The"amount"of"time"required"to"fix"these"issues"often"

results"in"large"amounts"of"data"not"being"transferred"into"suitable"databases"and"thus"never"used"

for"decisionWmaking."

3.Complex$change$management.$Especially"more"established"standards"systems"suffer"from"high"

costs"and"drawnWout"processes"required"in"adapting"their"technology"systems"to"changing"

requirements."

During"the"expert"panel"conversations,"external"technology"experts"also"highlighted"that"“the"clock"

is"ticking”"for"certification."They"report"a"clear"opportunity"for"sustainability"standards"to"reposition"

themselves"as"a"tool"to"support"dataWdriven"decisions"that"will"help"companies"secure"supply"in"the"

longWterm,"protect"their"brand"and"make"wise"investments,"but"they"also"see"technology"moving"fast"

–"and"ISEAL"members"might"be"required"to"position"themselves"soon."

7"Annexes"


Gathering$data$From"wearables,"satellites,"sensor"data,"barcodes"and"other"accessories"in"the"soWcalled"“Internet"of"

Things”,"there"is"no"lack"of"new,"innovative"technology"that"can"help"standards"systems"gather"data."

However,"when"we"asked"experts"where"ISEAL"members"need"to"focus,"they"asked"us"to"focus"on"

the"basics:"

1.Prioritise$mobile$data$collection."Phase"out"paper"or"pdf"reports"and"ensure"that"all"data"is"

immediately"included"in"a"cloudWbased"data"store."Where"you"lack"connectivity,"collect"data"locally"

on"tablets"(or"even"temporarily"on"paper)"and"upload"it"as"soon"as"you"have"access"to"the"internet."

2.Build$a$shared$data$framework."Define"the"questions"and"data"formats"that"you’ll"want"to"collect"

data"on"so"that"you"can"ensure"the"use"of"the"data"throughout"your"data"management"system,"avoid"

duplicate"data"collection"and"slowly"move"towards"sharing"data"between"different"organisations"

involved"in"your"standards"system"and"beyond."

3.Be$open.$Over"time,"you’ll"want"to"experiment"with"adding"data"gathering"techniques"or"

integrating"external"sources"of"data:"Make"sure"that"your"systems"remain"flexible"enough"to"evolve"

over"time."

In"terms"of"gathering"data"in"smart"ways,"we’ll"need"to"consider:"how"can"we"design"incentives"to"

gather"data"correctly?"How"can"we"anonymise"data"appropriately?"How"can"we"restructure"

contractual"arrangements"to"allow"for"smarter"data"flow?"

Integrating$data$

Sustainability"standards"are"not"alone"in"gathering"data"about"sustainable"production"and"supply"

chains,"and"even"our"own"data"sources"are"often"badly"connected."When"we"asked"our"panel"of"

experts"how"can"we"connect"and"manage"existing"data"sources"in"new"ways"to"gain"new"insights,"

they"responded:"

1.Discover$what$exists.$We"need"to"understand"the"data"we"are"already"gathering"(and"where"and"

how"it"is"managed)"before"we"can"integrate"it"better."In"a"second"step,"we"can"look"for"external"

sources"of"information"(“public"use"files”,"e.g."satellite"data)"to"incorporate."

2.Define$a$data$standard."For"data"that"is"shared"between"organisations,"we"need"to"define"exchange"formats"(“schemas”)"or"machineWaccessible"interfaces"(“APIs”)"to"ensure"that"data"can"be"

imported"and"exported"correctly."In"some"cases,"this"might"require"data"mapping"or"translation."

3.Map$certified$enterprises.$Location"data"(“polygons”)"is"essential"for"many"applications"like"

detecting"double"certification,"calculating"impact"by"country,"overlaying"satellite"data."Location"data"

will"also"form"the"foundation"for"a"unique"producer"ID"that"allows"for"easy"exchange."

All"four"expert"panels"kept"coming"back"to"the"importance"of"data"integration,"suggesting"that"this"

will"provide"the"biggest"benefits"for"standards"systems"in"the"area"of"technology"innovation."While"a"

lot"of"work"can"be"done"within"each"organisation"to"better"integrate"its"own"data,"the"real"benefits"

are"in"better"integrating"the"data"flow"across"standard"systems"and"then"strategically"(and"partially)"

making"this"data"available"to"producers,"supply"chain"partners,"funders"and"other"standards"systems."

7"Annexes"


Analysing$data$Standards"systems"are"managing"data"for"many"purposes,"and"they"need"to"get"better"in"using"their"

data"to"inform"their"decisions."Data"science"is"an"exciting"and"emerging"field"that"can"help"us"make"

sense"of"the"complexity"we"are"managing."Our"panel"of"experts"recommended:""

1.Make$it$visual.$Spreadsheets"are"terrible"at"representing"complex"data"–"and"humans"are"terrible"

at"understanding"spreadsheets."Identify"the"most"important"business"indicators"(“KPIs”)"and"report"

visually"on"them"over"time."You"can"use"this"technique"both"for"specific"facts"on,"for"example,"a"

specific"producer"or"to"discover"patterns"across"the"entirety"of"your"data."

2.Learn$to$love$database$queries.$It’s"impossible"to"know"all"questions"in"advance,"but"it"is"possible"

to"learn"to"speak"the"language"of"your"database"and"create"custom"queries"and"reports"as"you"go"

along."It"pays"off"to"invest"in"some"data"management"and"analysis"skills"on"staff."

3.Start$small$and$stay$agile.$If"you"don’t"try"to"do"everything"in"one"go,"you"are"much"more"likely"to"

succeed."Focus"on"specific"problems,"questions"and"sets"of"data,"and"make"sure"to"deliver"value"from"

the"beginning."As"long"as"your"solutions"stay"compatible"to"one"another,"you’ll"be"fine."

The"business"world"is"ripe"with"buzzwords"around"data"analysis"–"from"big"data"and"machine"

learning"to"predictive"analytics"and"business"intelligence."While"standards"systems"generally"will"

want"to"be"able"to"take"advantage"of"these"developments"to"be"able"to"answer"some"of"the"juicy"

questions"around"certification"and"impact,"we"need"to"figure"out"the"basics"of"data"integration"and"

analysis"first."

Sharing$data$To"be"of"value"for"a"community"of"users,"standards"systems"have"an"interest"in"sharing"credible"data"

in"a"prompt"and"transparent"manner"with"producers,"supply"chain"participants"and"other"

stakeholders."The"expert"panel"recommended:"

1.Link$up$with$others."There"is"a"rich"world"of"existing"open"data"initiatives"in"the"agriculture"and"development"world"(and"beyond)."We"can"build"on"a"lot"of"work"in"defining"data"standards"and"

vocabularies"there,"and"take"advantages"of"data"sources"and"discovery"platforms"to"make"our"data"

more"visible."

2.Provide$value.$Our"data"does"not"exist"in"a"vacuum."We"have"a"responsibility"to"provide"“feedback"

with"benefits”"to"producers"and"find"easy"wins"to"show"them"the"value"of"contributing."

3.Open$data.$Whenever"we"provide"data"to"be"used"publicly,"we"can"make"machineWreadable"

sources"available"as"well."This"allows"stakeholders"to"do"their"own"analysis"and"contribute"insights"

that"we"might"not"have"come"up"ourselves."

Of"course,"we"will"need"to"find"smart"ways"to"walk"the"line"between"transparency"and"confidentiality,"

possibly"by"allowing"users"to"define"what"they"consider"private"themselves."Certain"data"points"(such"

as"price"or"volume)"might"only"ever"be"published"in"aggregate"form."

7"Annexes"


The$way$forward$ISEAL"is"starting"to"see"smart"data"management"as"a"core"foundation"for"futureWproof"sustainability"

standards,"and"will"be"presenting"a"report"with"further"details,"resources"and"next"steps"in"October"

in"time"for"discussions"at"Members’"Week.""

iseal smart data technology innovations report oct15

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