Submission Guidelines

The Security and Sustainability Guide

If you would like to submit an Organisation to our database, please take a look at the guidelines below. We welcome all submissions that meet the criteria but to ensure that the process is streamlined, we will review the submissions before they are added to the Guide. 

What kind of Organisations can be added to the Guide?

We look at:

  • Are they in some way connected to the overarching topics of security and sustainability?
    This includes frameworks like Human Security, the Sustainable Development Goals, Existential Risks and Threats, etc. Our Subject Index should give you a good idea.  
  • Do they have a stand-alone website?
    Since we are online-first, this is a requirement to be part of the Guide. Sometimes we cover projects that are part of a larger organization, with its own separate website. Parent and child organizations can be connected in the database to clarify affiliation. 
    Is the organization internationally relevant? 
    We focus on organizations with an international outlook or such organizations that employ a model that could be replicated internationally. This is not a hard criteria, but we just can’t keep track of local organizations, especially those operating only in their local language. 
What should be in mind when adding our Organisation to the Guide?
  • Maintain a certain level of neutrality
  • Avoid marketing speech- so avoid phrasing that sounds promotional, stick to the facts
  • Focus on the big picture
  • Only highlight important activities, publications, and program.
  • Try to limit it to the most relevant issues that the organization is focused on.
    How do I submit an organisation?

    You can submit your organisation for review by filling in this form.

    What do I write in the Organisations Description?
    • Briefly decribe the mission, goals and activities of the organization. Length should vary with the size of the organization. Keep in mind the following questions:
      • What they do?
      • Why do they do it?
      • How do they do it?
    • If a research center/ project is linked to a university or other organization, mention which in the description.
    • Use subheadings and bullet pointed lists to list programs, projects, publications, or events. 
    • Please include links that take the user to the relevant information on the organization website.
    • If you’d like to ‘highlight’ a specific paper/report etc, preface it with ‘Highlight:’ .

     

    What is the 'Organisation Type' that's relevant to my organisation?

    We generally choose the ‘type’ that an organization describes itself with, on their website. You can select more than one type (e.g. non-profit + research center).

    If it’s not clear, ask yourself:

    • What kind of organization are you describing?
    • What is its legal basis and how is the organization operating?
    What is the 'Geographic Focus' that's relevant to my organisation?

    Ask yourself: Which area is your organization is ‘targeting’ for change?

    Global: Only applicable if they are a multilateral org like the UN, or they are truly global – i.e. focusing on change across the world, not only focused on a few countries – in which case, their focus is international. 

    International: Dealing with more than one country.
    If the organization deals with multiple regions- Asia, Africa etc., tag it as International and tag the regions they are active in. 

    National: Focus is on the internal issues of a country. 

    Subnational: The organization specifically says that they are targeting issues within local communities. 

    ‘Geofocus Unspecified/Irrelevant’: If the Geofocus is not mentioned or applicable. This can be when the organization is for example doing research on a topic (e.g. Water security) but not applying it in the field. 

    What is the 'Subject Area' that's relevant to my organisation?

    Ask yourself: What are the key issues the organization is working on?

    • Focus on main aim/ objective/ focus of organization. So, do not pick Climate Change (or another subject), unless the org clearly focuses on it.
    • If the organization doesn’t have a clearly stated main focus, but all of their work links to (for example) sustainability – pick that. There is no need to choose all the program topics (they will change/ and can be too many). Try to identify the overarching topics.
    • If an organization says global issues (and it fits the programs), tag it as security and/or sustainability  (Depending on which type of ‘global issues’ the organization focuses on)
    • If the Organization has multiple programs, add them to the Abstract description under a “Programs” subheading.
    • If there is an organization where you aren’t sure of the topic/ it isn’t present in the subject index yet, tag it as ‘uncertain’ so it can be reviewed, or a new topic can be added.
    How do you count Staff?
    • Without clear numbers and definitions, the estimated count of the staff can be tricky. Staff counts may or may not include administrative staff, associates, part-time or visiting fellows, interns, graduate students, or volunteers. We try to focus on paid staff, and have a separate counter for fellows/members/ volunteers. 
      Staff is a very rough measure of size that can never be precise without getting into huge and distracting detail.  Some estimates are better than none, but above caveats should be kept in mind.