Neela Bettridge sets out some procurement guidelines for the successful purchase and implementation of a CSR programme.
Finding a supplier to take a corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme all the way from the planning stage to communication of its benefits to staff is a complicated business. To improve the chances of success, it is important to follow some simple rules.
1. Get it right internally
-
Before starting a CSR initiative, ensure that it has board-level commitment, as well as a champion for it within the organisation. That person - who will represent the interests of the group - should be formally nominated by staff.
-
There must be a clear understanding of how CSR will fit into your organisation’s long-term business aims - define short, medium and long-term objectives and ensure that accountability is clear. Champions and stakeholders from relevant areas of the business should be brought together to discuss the brief and set clear priorities.
-
Consider an external stakeholder panel consisting of opinion-formers as well as, if necessary, members from the community, the media and non-governmental organisations. This will help determine the risks from a social, ethical, environmental and economic prospective. Once these risks have been identified, they should be overlaid with the company's strategy and objectives to identify priority areas.
2. Identify responsible purchasing opportunities
-
Purchasing opportunities need to be identified through the defined stakeholders, allowing them to take responsibility for their actions.
-
The champion should start by chairing an initial briefing meeting attended by all stakeholders. That meeting should outline the CSR priorities for the business. It is important to set clear measures of success for the consultancy at an early stage. New measures and timescales need to be agreed by both sides.
-
It is likely that while addressing CSR you will come across issues that are badly handled in your business. It is therefore imperative that you are comfortable with the professionalism, networks and friendship of the people you employ as consultants. The ideal outsourced consultancy will offer classic business strategy, CSR knowledge and innovation as well as culture change and facilitation.
-
Any outsourced CSR consultancy will need facilitation skills. Any plans should be produced by the internal teams themselves - and be bought into by the employees involved - if they are to achieve action.
-
CSR frequently involves culture change as well as new ways of working. Both the champion and the nominated CSR consultancy need to work closely with the HR department. Aim to simplify the decision-making process
3. Keeping the system running
-
The success of any CSR purchasing initiative hinges on achieving buy-in from all those affected. Staff must take responsibility for their actions and everyone involved should be kept informed of progress. Short, medium and long-term measures of success need to be fed back to the group and the respective heads of department. It is also important to recognise innovation and to record the success of any new initiatives.
-
Review meetings should take place each month, with quarterly in-depth reviews for everyone involved. Communication between the consultancy and internal audiences should be reviewed regularly to ensure that the momentum is maintained.
-
There must be clear accountabilities.
Neela Bettridge is director at Article 13 (www.article13.com), a specialist in corporate responsibility and governance.
Originally published in People Management (19th September 2003) and reproduced with permission
|
