Overview
ISO 27500:2016 - The human‑centred organization: Rationale and general principles is a high‑level guidance standard intended for executive board members and policy makers across private, public and non‑profit sectors. It defines the values, beliefs and organizational policies that make an organization human‑centred, explains the business benefits and risks, and sets out high‑level principles to optimize performance, protect people, and enhance customer relationships. ISO 27500 is not a management‑system standard, is not intended for certification, and provides strategic recommendations rather than prescriptive technical requirements.
Key topics and requirements
- Purpose: Provide executives with a concise rationale and general principles for embedding a human‑centred approach across the organization.
- Audience: Executive boards, policy makers and senior leaders responsible for organisational strategy and governance.
- Scope: Emphasizes organizational policy and endorsement of principles to reduce risk and improve well‑being, usability and accessibility.
- Seven core principles (to endorse and apply at high level):
- Capitalize on individual differences as an organizational strength
- Make usability and accessibility strategic business objectives
- Adopt a total system approach
- Ensure health, safety, and well‑being are business priorities
- Value personnel and create meaningful work
- Be open and trustworthy
- Act in socially responsible ways
- Risk guidance: Identifies risks from failing to be human‑centred, and provides guidance on assessing, managing and mitigating those risks.
- Implementation guidance: High‑level recommendations for integrating human‑centred principles across policy, governance, and organizational processes.
Practical applications
- Framing executive policy and governance documents that prioritise usability, accessibility, employee well‑being and stakeholder trust.
- Informing strategic objectives (product/service design oversight, procurement, supplier expectations) where human factors and ergonomics affect performance and reputation.
- Guiding risk assessments and mitigating operational, legal and reputational risks tied to poor design, unsafe practices or inaccessible services.
- Supporting cross‑functional collaboration between senior leadership, HR, design/UX teams, risk/compliance, and sustainability officers to embed human‑centred values.
Who should use it
- Executive board members and CEOs
- Policy makers and governance committees
- Heads of HR, design/UX, product management, risk, compliance and corporate social responsibility
- Organizations seeking to align strategy with human factors, ergonomics, usability and accessibility priorities
Related standards
Using ISO 27500:2016 helps leaders build policies that prioritize human‑centred design, reduce risks, improve customer experience and enhance employee well‑being - aligning strategy with modern expectations for ethical, usable and accessible organizations.