Assessing WBA’s relationship with Civil Society Organisations

Every three years, the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) is externally evaluated by a third-party. This is done with the aim of taking a first high-level stock of WBA’s effectiveness, coherence and first signs of impacts as part of WBA’s Impact, Learning and Development strategy.

In 2024, Technopolis Group carried out this evaluation. The External Evaluation Report found that WBA provides an important platform for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to participate in global conversations about WBA’s seven systems transformations, build networks, and establish connections with other Allies and corporates. However, despite WBA being a valuable source of information for CSOs’ policy development and communications, the external evaluation report also suggests that this relationship is not being used at its full potential.

WBA’s relationships with civil society are often ad hoc, making engagement more challenging and less effective in inducing corporate change in policies, strategies, and practices. This study explores the reasons behind these ad hoc relationships, and suggests valuable steps that WBA needs to take in order to develop a consistent and centralised CSO engagement strategy, a priority for WBA’s future impact. A clear and cohesive strategy will help maximise WBA’s influence, foster stronger relationships with CSOs, and ensure that WBA’s work is better integrated into broader efforts for corporate accountability, especially in regions where local context and knowledge are critical.