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Dear VVB Community,
As the new year begins, we would like to thank you for your continued work on assuring the integrity of Gold Standard for the Global Goals, and bring your attention to a few relevant and important developments.
In 2022, we introduced some major standard updates, including the Programme of Activity requirements, the Stakeholder Consultation Requirements, and the SDG tool. We also started the major expansion of methodologies to new sectors and technologies, launching several new ones (carbonation of concrete, pulp and paper, metered cooking devices, transport), and starting work on 45 more! And we have more than doubled our team, ensuring dedicated stakeholder liaison positions to provide better and faster support to you and to Project Developers. There are many more achievements and updates that you can read about in the recent general newsletter.
In 2023, we would like to focus on learning more about, and improving the efficacy of, our assurance system. We plan to do this through standardising assurance processes and templates, expanding our pool of VVBs, digitisation, and improving the training we offer.
In this edition of the new quarterly VVB newsletter, we are sharing details on the first steps we are taking in this regard. Here are the key highlights you can read about below:
As a key part of the Gold Standard network, and our eyes and ears on the ground, we would appreciate and value your collaboration and input. We are always open to receive your feedback and suggestions via email at vvb@goldstandard.org.
Best Regards,
Martha Djourdjin,
Senior Assurance Manager
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REQUEST
New VVB Annual Report
The best way for us to learn about the state of the GS4GG assurance system is by listening to you – our community of VVBs. Therefore, we have developed a new annual report to hear from you on key topics. Having a standardised report form and comparable data from all VVBs will help us improve our communication, the training we offer, the approval process, and ensure there is enough capacity to assess the Gold Standard portfolio.
The new report will also assist VVB management in assessing the capacity of their organisations in line with Gold Standard VVB Requirements (e.g. 7.5.1.4.), and through the compiled public report, give them a better idea of the market.
We therefore ask all Gold Standard-approved VVBs to submit the annual report with up-to-date information about their Gold Standard-related activities, by February 28 2023.
We would like to highlight the following:
- Completion of the annual report is a mandatory part of the requirements for all Gold Standard approved VVBs.
- The information shared by the VVBs will be used for oversight of our VVB community.
- The results will be anonymised and a selection of them will be compiled into a public report to be shared with all VVBs.
- We value your privacy and will not share any personal or confidential information with third parties.
- With this report we are testing the use of digital forms to collect and process information.
Please do not hesitate to contact us at vvb@goldstandard.org if:
- You have any comments or questions or any feedback other than what is captured in the form.
- You will be unable to share the form within the deadline.
We look forward to your responses so that together we can work towards strengthening the Gold Standard assurance system.
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INFORMATION
Expanding Accreditation Options
Gold Standard’s VVB community has traditionally been composed of Designated Operational Entities, accredited by the UNFCCC. This is now changing. Therefore, and in order to ensure a wider pool of expertise and better regional presence, Gold Standard is looking to expand the number of recognised Accreditation Bodies for the ISO14065 scope. The expansion will take time, while we can gradually sign agreements with more accreditation bodies.
We are very interested in hearing your thoughts on this, including: which Accreditation Bodies you would like us to approach, what your plans are regarding your accreditation, what we should keep in mind. Please use the annual report to let us know, or write to us at vvb@goldstandard.org.
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GS4GG Study Guide
Many of you have asked the best way for auditors to prepare for the SustainCERT online exam, and in general for auditing the Gold Standard for the Global Goals.
In response, we have compiled a list of the key documents that an auditor should be well versed in, and that provide a quick reference list during any audit. The list includes a few videos that cover specific topics, such as the GS4GG document structure (GS4GG fundamentals), Stakeholder Consultation Requirements, or the Preliminary Review process. Please share this with your colleagues that are relatively new to Gold Standard.
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CONSULTATION & TRAINING
Gender Equality Requirements –
consultation and training
Gold Standard launched a Gender Equality Framework in 2018, which means that every project under Gold Standard for the Global Goals must follow requirements that certifies them as “gender sensitive.” Project Developers can go further and implement their projects according to the Gender Responsive Guidelines, allowing them to make certified claims about positive impact toward gender equality.
In the coming days, we will publish an updated version of the Gender Equality Requirements and Guidelines for public consultation, on which we will welcome your feedback on our stakeholder consultations page.
We are planning some training for auditors, to be approved to audit the more elaborate Gender Responsive Requirements for validation and verification. Should you be interested in this training, please let us know at vvb@goldstandard.org and we will keep you updated.
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UPDATES
Validation and Verification Standard
Special thanks to everyone who contributed to the stakeholder consultation on the Validation and Verification Standard. We will review and integrate the feedback where possible, and submit the updated document to the Technical Advisory Committees for a final approval. You can expect the final publication of the VV Standard in the coming months.
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Standardised Report Templates and Checklists
We are in the process of making standardised, Gold Standard-specific Validation and Verification Report templates and checklists. These will not only provide auditors and VVBs with reporting guidance but will also act as an auditing tool for which each VVB will be able to comprehensively assess each project consistently every time. The protocols shall be ready for VVB consultation by mid-March. The templates will be mandatory for use during each submission of design review, performance review and design change.
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JOB OPPORTUNITIES
CAREER AND COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES
Similar to VVBs, Gold Standard is experiencing accelerated growth, which is enabling us to hire more staff. We have several exciting positions open for people with assurance experience, among others. We also have a consultancy opportunity open right now. We would appreciate it if you would spread the word in your networks.
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