Framework

Pillars, Concepts, Objectives, and Activities

The SEAM Standard is a structured framework to advance social equity in construction and real estate projects. It organizes this guidance into four key Pillars: Social Impact, Social Responsibility, Social Justice, and Social Accountability.

Within these Pillars, the standard defines eight distinct Concepts that focus on specific social themes. Each Concept contains Objectives, which set the specific goals we aim to achieve. Each Objective has Activities or specific actions to reach these goals. Due to the "roadmap" structure of the framework, Activities are the steps you take to achieve the Objectives.

To ensure effectiveness, each Activity lists Requirements or specific rules that must be followed to ensure the Activity is completed successfully. Recognizing that not every Activity applies to all types of projects, the standard includes four active Rating Systems. Each Activity specifies which Rating System it aligns with.

This structured approach provides a comprehensive system for achieving the vital components of social sustainability.

Document Structure

The presentation of Pillars, Concepts, Objectives, and Activities information follows a consistent outline structure. Each Activity page presents:

1. Activity header — Activity number, the Concept and Objective the Activity belongs to, the Activity type (Driver or Impact), and the Rating Systems the Activity applies to.
2. Scope — Describes the specific aspects covered in this Activity, defining its boundaries and focus.
3. Requirements — List of specific requirements that must be satisfied for the Activity, with citations to sources where applicable, separated into Act to Avoid Harm, Benefit Impacted Parties, and Contribute to Solutions sections where applicable.
4. Indicators — The performance indicator used to measure the Activity's output and assign scoring, and any context indicators collected to support measuring impact.
5. Scoring — Outcome threshold, points assignment rubric, and additional-points assignment where applicable.
6. Documentation — Specifies the type of documentation required to demonstrate compliance and support the calculated scores.
7. Referenced Source — The internationally accepted source from which the Activity is based.

Activity Naming Convention

In the SEAM Standard, "Activities" are the basic units used for measurement in SEAM Certification. To refer to an Activity, the format is as follows: each Activity is identified uniquely, starting with the term "Activity." This is followed by an upper-case two-letter abbreviation representing the specific Concept. A lowercase "a" is then used to designate it as an Activity. The next part of the name includes a number indicating the relevant Objective within the Concept. After a decimal point, another number specifies the particular Activity's sequence within that Objective. This systematic approach ensures clarity and precision in referencing Activities within the SEAM Standard.

Example: Activity IAa1.1 — "Activity" + "IA" (Impact Assessment) + "a" (Activity) + "1" (Objective 1 within IA) + ".1" (first Activity within Objective 1).

Rating systems

Not all Activities are universally applicable to every project as their relevance depends on the type of project and the Owner's role. Project types can be construction/renovation projects or operating/managing assets. The Owner role is separated into the role of a Developer and the role of an Occupier. Rating systems are combinations of project type and Owner role. They aim to ensure that Owners have a Rating system that includes only the relevant Activities for application of the SEAM Standard to their project. SEAM v.1 is organized into 5 (4 active + 1 future) Rating Systems which are:

1. Buildings + Interiors: Developer (B+I:D) — Construction projects where a building or interior is undergoing ground-up construction — from raw, undeveloped land, tear-down of an existing structure, from a previously developed site ground, or major renovations of an existing building — as the Developer, where the Owner assumes Developer responsibilities including project ownership, vision establishment, financing procurement, construction supervision, landlord duties, and tenant leasing management.
2. Buildings + Interiors: Occupier (B+I:O) — Construction projects of an existing building or space where the Owner is either a Tenant or Property Owner that has no Landlord duties or control over Tenant leasing.
3. Operations + Maintenance: Developer (O+M:D) — Projects that involve the ongoing operations and maintenance of a building or space that's already constructed, where the Owner is the entity that owns the building or space and oversees its long-term operations, maintenance, and acts as Landlord.
4. Operations + Maintenance: Occupier (O+M:O) — Projects that involve the ongoing operations and maintenance of a building or space that's already constructed, where the Owner is either a Tenant or property owner with no Landlord duties or control over Tenant leasing.
5. Community Development (CD) — This Rating System is TBD.

Sustainability interdependency

The SEAM Standard focuses solely on commercial real estate's direct impacts on people and addresses a system of interdependent social issues that do not necessarily contain goals for environmental impact. While environmental goals are not within the scope of the SEAM Standard, it must be noted that environmental and social goals are often inextricably linked.

Therefore, an overarching theme is that activities to address social issues shall not cause negative environmental impacts to achieve. In turn, any other certifications undertaken in addition to SEAM must also address this interdependency similarly. Activities to address environmental sustainability shall not create nor allow negative social impacts.

This kind of holistic decision-making must become the norm to avoid and eventually reverse damage to our social systems. This creates system value, and the SEAM Standard was developed specifically to help Owners put this concept into practice.

Cross-cutting themes

This document includes a comprehensive glossary, but it is essential to highlight a few key concepts that are central to SEAM Certification. These guiding principles should permeate every aspect of a project's life cycle to achieve meaningful and lasting social impact.

Impacted party engagement. This is the fundamental step of any social impact initiative and improves transparency, builds trust, and strengthens relationships.

Prevent, mitigate, remediate. Drawing from the UNGPs on Business and Human Rights, it's vital to identify potential adverse impacts, take measures to prevent or reduce them and address any harm caused, ensuring overall positive impact.

Transparent communication. Transparency and access to information are essential to a rights-based social protection system. To effectively guarantee transparency, information should be available, accessible, and disseminated among the population of applicable impacted parties.

Certification

For detailed information about certification to the SEAM Standard, see the SEAM Certification Guidebook, which can be found on the SEAM website: www.seamcertification.org in the Resources section.

Activity types

Activities are the foundation of the standard. There are two types of Activities in the SEAM Standard.

Driver Activities

The SEAM framework incorporates Driver Activities to lay a strong foundation for Impact Activities. These Driver Activities adhere to best practices and ensure that preparatory steps are done correctly. They serve as critical indicators of future performance and can be actively modified to improve the odds of success. While these activities may not directly measure social impact, they act as essential building blocks leading to it. For instance, Activity IAa1.2 involves completing a value chain map, helping the Owner identify all impacted parties. An accurate impacted party list is crucial for the success of later Impact Activities.

Impact Activities

Impact Activities in the SEAM framework refer to the actions that directly indicate progress toward achieving social equity goals and impact. These activities directly show the project's progress in achieving social equity goals. For example, assessing the living wage gap directly measures the Owner's performance against a societal threshold for paying wages that allow individuals to cover their basic needs.

An indication of Activity type is provided for each Activity in the Standard.

Requirements

Requirements are the qualifications or criteria that must be satisfied to ensure an Activity is completed correctly. They are based on principles from established internationally accepted standards and best practices set by governmental and professional organizations for social equity and social sustainability. Requirements must be satisfied depending on scoring targets for each Activity.

Where applicable, Requirements for each Activity have been separated into Act to Avoid Harm, Benefit Impacted Parties, and Contribute to Solutions sections. Where this subdivision applies, the achievement of Requirements follows a progressive model. The Owner cannot claim credit for fulfilling any Requirements in the "Benefit Impacted Parties" or "Contribute to Solutions" sections until all Requirements under "Act to Avoid Harm" are satisfied. This structure ensures that progress does not allow the possibility of offsetting negative impacts through positive actions.

Where Requirements do not cite specific references, Requirements are sourced from the Referenced Source for the Activity.

When country or location-specific regulations differ from SEAM requirements, projects are expected to achieve whichever is more stringent. If less stringent levels or measures are appropriate given specific project circumstances, a complete and detailed justification for any proposed alternatives is necessary as part of the application documentation. This justification should demonstrate that the choice for any alternative performance level protects human rights.

Indicators

Owners need to measure progress and impact and understand how to prioritize where action is most needed.

Performance indicators

Performance indicators are direct measures of progress toward fulfilling the Requirements of each Activity. They provide the basis for assigning scores in a certification. Where possible, performance indicators are calculated and expressed as percentages.

Performance indicators are comprised of the following types:

1. Scoring-table progress measurement — allows for measuring social challenges, which must be addressed with broad and interconnected solutions across multiple criteria. For example, a project's progress toward providing fair and decent work could be rated as 60% if they fulfill some of the specific criteria requirements used to measure progress but are missing others.
2. Proxy indicator — an indirect measure of the desired outcome which is itself strongly correlated to that outcome. It is commonly used when direct measures of the outcome are unobservable and/or unavailable. The specific proxy measures were selected as the most effective indicators of influencing the desired outcomes or as an existing and commonly accepted proxy. The proxy indicator allows for measuring a leading indicator that is positively correlated to the desired outcome.
3. Binary indicators — Yes/No type indicators track the presence or absence of specific practices, policies, or documentation. They are mostly found in Driver activities and require verification documentation to provide evidence of compliance to the Requirements.

Context indicators

A context indicator is a specific piece of data or information that helps understand the broader circumstances or conditions within which a project, program, or property operates. These indicators include demographic data, economic conditions, cultural aspects, and more. They provide a holistic picture of the environment and help to understand the different factors that may affect the outcomes of an initiative or intervention. They provide the basis for determining impact and do not factor into scoring in a certification.

By adequately utilizing context indicators, impact reports can provide a robust, nuanced, and comprehensive picture of a project's effectiveness. This helps to maintain transparency, inform future strategy, and illustrate the project's social value to impacted parties and the wider community.

Scoring

To assess compliance with the SEAM Standard during a certification implementation, a scoring rubric indicates the score assigned to the performance indicator achieved in each Activity. Scores reflect the progress achieved according to the requirements.

Documentation

Introduction to SEAM Documentation

SEAM Certification requires Owners to provide documentation as evidence that the project meets SEAM Standard requirements. When reporting performance on a SEAM Certification Application, an Owner or Administrator should proactively ensure and communicate that its data and calculations are correct.

To ensure the integrity of SEAM Certification Applications, the evaluation process by SEAM Reviewers involves thoroughly examining the provided information. They look into the authenticity of the reported activities and outcomes, ensuring that all critical details are included and accurately attributed to the project. The assessment also covers the accuracy of data calculations and the clarity in its presentation, ensuring that the information is transparent and understandable.

When a SEAM Certification Application is being reviewed, the reviewing team's objective is to determine whether documentation provides evidence that SEAM Standard requirements were met. The Documentation section within each Activity guides the Owner or Administrator in collecting the required information.

In select activities under the SEAM Standard, verification is focused on ensuring adherence to prescribed guidelines and process steps rather than evaluating the factual accuracy of document data. These occur primarily during Driver activities; a notation will indicate where this type of verification occurs.