DNV is working to improve its dialogue with stakeholders and to be more transparent on issues related to corporate social responsibility. As part of its efforts, DNV is continously broadening its reporting in line with the Global Reporting Initiative.
DNV acknowledges that employees may face ethical dilemmas in connection with their work, and the solutions to these may not always be obvious in codes and instructions. To help employees in these cases, and to give them a trusted route to voice ethical concerns, DNV has an Ombudsman who is independent of DNV’s line management. All cases are treated confidentially, and no employees should feel any threat of reprisals from the organisation. Special efforts have been made this year to make the scheme better known in the organisation, and the Ombudsman has met with DNV employees in China, Libya, Angola and Nigeria to discuss dilemmas related to their work situations.
In 2006, there has been a significant focus on challenges related to growth in regions where there is political instability and weak governance structures, and without democratic traditions or sound legislation. In December 2002, DNV opened a permanently manned office in Angola. The market opportunities were huge and DNV’s growth rate was stunning. DNV’s rapid growth in Angola, however, demonstrated how difficult it can be to combine strong growth with transparent and responsible business practices. Financial problems surfaced, and the local management was replaced due to breaches of DNV’s own values and standards. The importance of good control systems, experienced expatriates and local knowledge became evident. In 2006, the operations in Angola had to be downsized and restructured in order to ensure sustainable business practices in line with DNV’s policies and standards. DNV learned the hard way in Angola, and several corrective actions had to be taken. In this process, openness and transparency have been vital, and the main lessons learned in Angola have been communicated to the DNV organisation.
In DNV Maritime, dilemma workshops focusing on, amongst other things, integrity and anti-corruption, have been held in several regions during 2005/06. Employee awareness of these issues was subsequently checked in a personnel survey among 1 335 employees (88 per cent response rate) working with Maritime Class Production. The survey, which covered a range of topics, showed that attempts at bribery do occur but that employees are familiar with DNV’s codes and instructions and know how to handle such incidents. The success of DNV Maritime’s dilemma workshops has led to the development of an internal dilemma training programme which will be carried out worldwide in 2007.
As an independent foundation, DNV actively takes the opportunity to provide a neutral arena to discuss complex issues and share experiences related to international business with other companies and stakeholders. This year, DNV facilitated a meeting between senior executives of Norwegian companies and Norwegian government ministers to discuss anti-corruption measures in international business. DNV is also a member of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and contributes to work and dialogues on sustainable development and the role of business in society. DNV is an organisational stakeholder in the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and contributes to various GRI working groups, including co-chairing the UNEP FI/GRI Working Group for Environmental Indicators. Further, DNV is an expert delegate in the development of the ISO 26000 guiding standard on social responsibility.
