Stakeholder group

Engagement activities included:

Members and employers

• monthly phone surveys with our members
• structured feedback and analysis from our member and employer seminars, workshops and personal interviews
• specific research and engagement in annual member newsletter to get more people to sign up to 'MembersOnline', find out more about members' needs and ascertain the relevance of the report's messages
• telephone and face-to-face interviews about our 2007 sustainability report.

Employees and their families

• employee focus groups, facilitated by Hewitt, following the organisation's first formal employee engagement survey
• employee activities including active involvement and participation in VicSuper's 'Biggest Carbon Loser' competition, World Environment Day competition and other events
• face-to-face interviews and discussions about our 2007 sustainability report.

Fund managers, asset consultants and investment advisers

• regular business meetings with representatives from the superannuation and investment industries
• active participation in industry collaborative initiatives
• telephone and face-to-face interviews about our 2007 sustainability report.

Investee companies and issuers of debt securities

• engagement with the companies in which we invest on specific sustainability issues, through the research and engagement companies, Regnan and Hermes Equity Ownership Service and through our participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project and membership of the Investor Group on Climate Change Australia/New Zealand
• engagement on the  VicSuper Carbon Count (2MB) with the companies in which we invest publication.

Industrial representatives

• attending union forums and meetings.

Governments

• making submissions on relevant issues to governments
• meeting with government representatives
• holding a business briefing on the key aspects of VicSuper's future farming landscapes initiative telephone and face-to-face interviews about our 2007 sustainability report.

Suppliers and professional associates

• starting a structured program to engage our suppliers and partners through a Supplier Engagement and Purchasing program
• inviting our partners - suppliers and professional associates - to a business breakfast to find out more about the VicSuper Carbon Count publication
• holding an inaugural relationship building event for our major suppliers in recognition of their importance in VicSuper's service delivery chain.

The broader community

• discussions with non-government organisations about VicSuper's intention to develop a carbon management strategy
• sharing our knowledge on sustainability initiatives by undertaking a number of public presentations throughout the year.

Recommendation

Action

Consider the inclusion of the sustainability policy (or link to) in the report.

Links to VicSuper's sustainability policy have been included in the 2008 report.

Provide more information on the risk management processes, management; systems and internal audit and assurance.

This information is found in Strategy 4: Maintain Sound Governance and Accountability. In this year's report, we have included information on the Board self assessment that took place during 2007/08. In addition, for 2008/09 we have also committed to establishing an executive Risk Management Steering Committee and to document risks and internal controls at a business unit level.

Place greater emphasis on stakeholder engagement.

This year we have included further information outlining stakeholder feedback that was received on the 2007 report. In addition, for 2008/09 we have committed to developing an organisational approach to stakeholder engagement and will include further information about this in subsequent reports.