What is the Guide to Hriam? Developed for companies committed to assessing and managing the human rights risks and impacts of their business activities, the Guide to Human Rights Impact Assessment and Management (HRIAM) provides guidance on how to: • Identify potential and/or existing human rights risks • Assess potential and/or existing human rights impacts • Integrate findings from the assessment into the company’s management system. The Guide to HRIAM is divided into seven stages. The seven stage framework offers a comprehensive and systematic methodology for companies to follow and adapt to their needs when: • Developing their own human rights impact assessment, or • Integrating human rights into other kinds of risk and/or impact assessments (see section Stand alone HRIA vs. Integration: a dilemma for companies?) By following and adapting the Guide to HRIAM’s seven stage process, and completing a human rights impact assessment, a company will be in a better position to address any potential and/or existing human rights risks and impacts.Why Use the Guide to Hriam? Information gathered during a human rights impact assessment process will generate useful business intelligence on: • Potential and/ or existing human rights risks and impacts • The company’s capacity to assess and manage its human rights risks and impacts • Stakeholders’ perceptions of the companyIt may also identify: • Gaps in the company’s approach to assessing and managing human rights issues • Opportunities for developing a systematic management process that incorporates human rights risks and impacts Who Should Use the Guide to Hriam? From a company perspective the Guide to HRIAM offers general guidance to companies of any size, industry sector, country of origin and/or type of activity.