ISS just announced updates to its Governance QuickScore, formerly known as GRid and now called Governance QuickScore 2.0. This updated version will be implemented for the 2014 proxy season.

Until 8 pm, Eastern Time on February 7, 2014, you can review, verify and provide feedback on ISS’s underlying data through its Corporate Services Governance Analytics platform. ISS will release its company ratings on February 18th. Data verification and feedback is not available during the period between the filing of your proxy statement and the publication of ISS’ proxy analysis for your annual meeting.

Much remains unchanged from last year. ISS continues to analyze corporate governance using a four-pillar structure: Audit Committee, Board Structure, Compensation and Shareholder Rights. It also still uses a 1 to 10 scoring methodology, with 1 being the best.

QuickScore 2.0 adds a few more factors to each of the pillars that will impact the ratings of U.S. companies. (There are many more new factors for foreign markets.) It also includes additional factors for informational purposes that it says do not affect the ratings.

Action step…

If you care about such things, it would be prudent to review ISS’s data and provide feedback before the February 7th deadline. ISS has been known to make factual mistakes. This is an opportunity to head off company headaches and shareholder confusion.