Can better data on corporate human rights abuses change investor behavior?

Abstract Information: If investors had better, more timely data about companies’ human rights performance, what would they do differently? Could their actions and influence ultimately reduce the incidence of human rights abuse? Increasingly, investors are concerned about the human rights records of companies in their portfolios, but they typically lack the in-depth information needed to inform their decisions to invest, influence or divest. NGOs and researchers produce this data, but it is rarely in a format that is easily integrated into investors’ decision-making processes. In 2022, with support from Humanity United, a human rights NGO began to develop an application programming interface (API) that would deliver their data to investors in a more systematic, automated, and timely manner. In parallel, the NGO designed an evaluation and learning framework to accompany and guide the technology’s implementation. This session will chronicle the design and evolution of that learning framework over the course of the first nine months of the API’s development. We will share the design research that uncovered investors’ needs, behaviors and aspirations, the theory of change that describes the technology’s potential impact pathways, and the plans and instruments for outcome measurement. We will also share challenges, lessons and reflections on this work for others engaged with corporate sustainability, ESG investing, technology, and human rights.