Use of the Analysis

We have used this analysis to identify issues to cover in our print and full Web reports, and as an input to our sustainability strategy development. We focused the print report on the issues that are most material to Ford and its stakeholders. This Web report covers additional issues of moderate concern to Ford and its stakeholders.

This analysis, and the methods for conducting materiality analyses generally, are works in progress. We improved this analysis compared to the analysis for our 2004/5 report in several ways. First, we expanded the number of issues rated from 34 to 505, primarily by analyzing them at a more granular level. We added source documents – and in some cases, consultations – to better represent the views of our full range of stakeholders, including suppliers, dealers and communities, who were not well represented in our prior analysis. We also significantly strengthened the internal and external review of the draft matrix to subject it to more rigorous "reality testing."

But shortcomings remain. Sustainability issues are not discrete. Rather, they overlap and interconnect in a complex system that is difficult to capture in a list of issues. Analyzing issues by stakeholder group adds depth to our understanding of who is concerned about which issues and why, but in the process of placing them on a two-dimensional matrix, some of that nuance is lost. Finally, an element of subjectivity is inevitable.

We have participated with other companies and organizations in documenting current methods for materiality analysis with the
expectation that this will help advance the practice.