The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) is set to release the draft of its integrated reporting (IR) framework for consultation in Spring 2013.

It expects to grant approval to version one of the framework together with a consultative draft of long-term governance arrangements by Q4 of 2013.

And by the autumn of 2013, it hopes to have implemented all its long-term governance arrangements, shortly followed by a full transition to the new structure in January 2014.

On September 18, the IIRC's Pilot Programme is holding a conference in Amsterdam for its business and investor networks to discuss and share their experiences to date and future plans for its successful delivery.

The council's pilot programme, already includes over 75 organisations such as Microsoft and Unilver together with 25 investors from around the globe, is designed to robustly challenge the principles, content, and practical application of IR and develop the IR framework.

The IIRC's initial analysis identified four key elements that needed further exploration to fully develop the framework. These include basic concepts underlying the definition of integrated reporting, target audience and timing of the rollout.

Over 200 responses from over 30 countries were received to the discussion paper.

A recent ACCA report found that companies which adopted an IR approach disclose more social, environmental and ethical information in their corporate reports and take greater account of stakeholders' needs.

The institute's discussion paper Reporting pre-and post-King III: what's the difference?, summarises the findings of an academic report on the impact of IR in South Africa, where it has been mandatory since 2010/11.

ACCA has drawn up a list of recommendations for further developing IR such as making information more concise to avoid repetition and incorporating more feedback from consultation with stakeholders, as well as involving academics more closely in discussions over the future of IR.