Human Rights Impact Assessments
GoodCorporation’s expert-led human rights impact assessments (HRIAs) enable companies to identify, understand and assess any adverse effects of their business activities, operations and those of their business partners in the value chain.
How GoodCorporation conducts human rights impact assessments
GoodCorporation provides independent HRIAs across global operations and supply chains. We work closely with businesses to identify potential and actual human rights impacts, validate findings with stakeholders and recommend practical solutions to strengthen governance and address supply chain risks.
Our approach includes:
Targetted research to understand the nature of the business activities and the relevant context
Mapping the supply chain to include all affected rightsholders and supply chain intermediaries
On the ground visits, prioritised towards high-risk sites, including interviews with stakeholders and reviews of local documentation
Additional data gathering and analysis to identify root causes and prioritise salient human rights risks
Comprehensive impact assessment report and analysis of root causes and context mitigation
Development of a stakeholder-informed action plan, including recommendations to strengthen controls, oversight and grievance mechanisms where needed
Why businesses conduct HRIAs
HRIAs help organisations address complex and often systemic human rights concerns, including labour rights and community impacts. By tackling both actual and potential adverse impacts, an HRIA provides forward-looking insight, enabling organisations to strengthen risk management, prevent harm and develop long-term solutions that support resilient supply chains and sustainable business practices.
Conducting HRIAs in high-risk jurisdictions and operations strengthens both governance and accountability, while also building stakeholder trust and protecting reputation.
Key benefits of HRIAs include:
- Prevention of harm to people and risk mitigation
- Improved oversight of operations and supply chains
- Greater confidence for investors, regulators employees and customers
- Evidence-based insights to support ESG reporting
Why choose GoodCorporation
Established HRIA methodology based on 25 years of global, cross-sector experience in human rights and corporate responsibility
Extensive experience of stakeholder engagement
In-depth understanding of human rights risks and best practices
Access to a global network of local consultants
Development of confidential, practical action plans to embed best practice and support ESG and sustainability goals
Experienced human rights and business ethics advisors
Aligning human rights impact assessments with international standards
HRIAs form a critical part of effective risk management, helping organisations identify their salient human rights risks and prioritise action where impacts on people are most severe. GoodCorporation’s HRIA methodology has been developed to align with globally recognised frameworks, including:
- UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs)
- International Labour Organisation Core Conventions
- International Finance Corporation’s Performance Standards
- OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
- Danish Institute of Human Rights
- UN Guidelines for Human Rights Due Diligence in Conflict Affected Contexts
Alignment with these internationally recognised human rights standards ensures that human rights risks and impacts are assessed consistently and robustly across global operations.
When to conduct a human rights impact assessment
HRIAs should be conducted by organisations with high-risk value chains, either due to the nature of the business, the sectors in which the business or it suppliers operate or the established practices in the areas where it operates.
Typical triggers include:
Entry into a new country with known human rights risks
An internal red-flag identification process
Operational changes involving high-impact or high-risk projects
Whistleblower or grievance alert
Major investments, mergers or acquisitions involving high-risk jurisdictions or operations
Changes to suppliers, contractors or other business partners
HRIAs should also be considered in rapidly changing contexts, such as conflict-affected regions, where human rights risks can escalate quickly.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a Human Rights Impact Assessment?
A human rights impact assessment is the most advanced form of on-the-ground human rights due diligence. It enables organisations to identify, assess and understand adverse impacts on people resulting from their business activities, operations and business relationships.
An HRIA should be used in higher-risk operations to identify not just actual, current harms, but all the potential adverse human rights impacts a business might cause.
HRIAs are based on direct engagement with rightsholders such as workers, community members and other relevant stakeholders. This engagement helps build a complete understanding of how rights may be affected, their root causes and where concerns need to be addressed.
Why are HRIAs important for businesses?
HRIAs are a key part of responsible business conduct and corporate responsibility, and form an essential component of human rights due diligence. They help organisations understand the effects of their activities and those of their business partners across their operations and supply chain on workers, communities and other rights-holders, and provide the evidence needed to manage, mitigate and remediate adverse impacts.
How does an HRIA differ from due diligence?
An HRIA is a more targeted, in-depth assessment that complements ongoing enterprise-wide human rights due diligence. While human rights due diligence monitors risks continuously, an HRIA focuses on higher-risk operations or projects to ensure potential and actual impacts are properly identified, mitigated and, where necessary, remediated. They help organisations identify the root causes of human rights issues and create stakeholder informed action plans, often leading to collective action involving peers and business partners.
When should a business commission an HRIA?
HRIAs are typically commissioned when entering new markets, expanding operations or supply chains, or responding to complaints or identified risks.
How do HRIA findings support ESG reporting?
Findings are integrated into ESG disclosures, including annual sustainability or human rights reports, risk management frameworks, and continuous improvement programmes.
Who should a business include in its HRIA stakeholder engagement process?
GoodCorporation carries out meaningful stakeholder engagement to obtain the feedback of rights-holders or potentially affected stakeholders. This will include workers, local communities, unions, other relevant rights-holders, including vulnerable groups.
We also engage with civil society organisations (CSOs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to build a better understanding of the local context and challenges and to inform the development of mitigation and remediation measures. Our HRIAs typically involve engagement with over 300 stakeholders over a two-week period.
Contact Us
Whether you have a question, need more information about our services, or would like to explore how we can help your business, please get in touch.
