Strategic Report Index Accolades

In this ultimate session corporate reporting research and advisory services firm FutureValue will confer the Strategic Report Index Accolades to UK listed companies for the quality of specific strategy-related content in their 2013/14 strategic reports.

2014 is the seventh year that FutureValue’s research of annual reports will have played the key role in recognising narrative of strategic value that is most likely “to provide shareholders with relevant information that is useful for making resource allocation decisions and assessing the directors’ stewardship.”

How a listed company puts into words to report its strategic thinking, action and strategy-driven performance provides insight into its future potential and its worth. It is an indicator of effective strategic leadership. Effective and strategy-sensitive corporate reporting may well have a positive influence on stock market performance and at least mitigate stock market volatility. The strategic report now provides the perfect context for this essential narrative reporting

About the Strategic Report Index
FutureValue conducts in-depth annual examinations of the strategic reports of companies against a recognised strategic framework of seven content and interface factors. Evaluation gives a score of each of these seven underlying factors, leading to an average overall company score.

The 2014 Strategic Report Index Accolades
The 2014 honours are awarded in respect of annual reports for years ending between 1 January 2013 and 31 March 2014. Please note that the only qualification for inclusion and candidacy for these accolades is the publication of a strategic report with a year-end in this period. There are six accolades for companies conforming to the highest standards:

1. Strategic leadership
This accolade acknowledges the company or group that shows the greatest clarity and rigour in its published strategic thinking with a well-articulated, integrated strategic framework to illustrate clearly where it has been; where it is now; where it is going; and, how it will get there. This is the supreme accolade of the year.

2. Best business model
This accolade recognises the most effective exposition of a company or group's business model. The business model is the foundation of the strategic framework, defining the logic of the business and the basis of sustainable profitability across the value system of its enterprise. A well-defined business model leads to clear and consistent corporate goals, objectives and strategy.

3. Best key performance indicators
This accolade recognises the company that declares the most effective set of KPIs. Effective strategy is about the past and the present as well as the future. Of crucial importance in this are the metrics that measure operational performance to provide Executives and Board with an effective means to monitor performance against strategy.

4. Best strategic risk
This accolade acknowledges the company that is most effective in revealing its sensitivity to its future through the presentation of risks and uncertainties that may influence achievement of its declared goals and objectives. Good strategic risk reporting also explains risk appetite, risk governance and risk management processes as well as specific factors.

6. Best shared strategic value
This sixth accolade is for the company that has been best able to show in its annual report how it integrates its approach to social and environmental matters into its overall strategy for the business to share value with all. Shared strategic value is about the fundamental sustainability of a business to the advantage and benefit of all its stakeholders.

How the winners are selected
The rankings for each of the seven underlying factors of the  FutureValue strategic framework and the resultant index of overall  company scores are the bases of the 'long lists' for each accolade.  The  FutureValue research team then re-assesses the 'long lists' to arrive  at the 'shortlists' of three companies for each accolade. A judging  panel then reviews these to ascertain the winner in each category.

The shortlisted companies
FutureValue and Communicate will declare the short listed  companies for the six awards in the third week of September.