The model, which can be used by legal departments or other entities around the world, can help to benchmark the maturity of their DEI efforts across a wide range of functional areas that have been proven relevant for the optimisation of DEI impact and results. This first iteration of the DEI MM outlines clear descriptions for three levels of maturity – early, intermediate, and advanced – for each of the thirteen DEI functions. This simple approach provides leaders with the ability to take a critical snapshot of where their department compares against the maturity continuum and offers a roadmap of how to achieve next-level goals.
Recently, the ACCF partnered with Ethisphere, the global leader in advancing ethical business practices, to integrate the DEI MM into Ethisphere’s assessment platform. The solution will offer an efficient way for legal teams to understand where they currently stand with DEI, benchmark against peers, and leverage resources and guidance to map improvements.
Access to the ACCF DEI maturity assessment tool will be free to anyone, but ACC members and members of the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA) — an Ethisphere membership organisation —will receive additional benchmarking analyses that include target scores, “red-flag” scores, and links to an advice library that includes additional observations, recommendations, and resources based on the respondents’ maturity score.
This is a major development for organisations and corporate legal departments seeking to effectively measure the results of their DEI programs — offering straightforward results of how respondents compare to their peers and outlining key steps to make additional progress.
The new ACCF assessment is scheduled to go live in the coming months. For additional information regarding the DEI MM, click here.