The experience of using these indicators in Brazil served as a reference for other organizations CSR in other countries of Latin America to develop their own indicators and, from these experiences, the project comprises the CSR indicators Plarse, with an opportunity that facilitates the alignment of concepts, methodologies and measurement standards among Latin American countries participating in the program.

Plarse (Latin America Program for CSR) aims to use a single standard indicators of CSR in Latin America, based on CSR Indicators,  including the common aspects of the Latin American context, as the realities specific context of each country.

Thus, through Plarse, the tool is being implemented in countries in partnership with local organizations participating in the CSR program, introducing the local share, applicable to contexts of each country. These local adaptations are the responsibility of local CSR organizations, with technical support of the Ethos Institute.

Indicators ADEC – ETHOS
Indicators CERES – ETHOS
Ethos
Ethos – COBORSE (Bolivia)
Ethos – IARSE
Ethos – Perú2021
Ethos – Spanish version

GRI’s Reporting Framework is developed through a consensus-seeking, multi-stakeholder process. Participants are drawn from global business, civil society, labor, academic and professional institutions.

Reporting Framework
The Reporting Framework sets out the principles and Performance Indicators that organizations can use to measure and report their economic, environmental, and social performance.

The cornerstone of the Framework is the Sustainability Reporting Guidelines. The third version of the Guidelines – known as the G3 Guidelines – was published in 2006, and is a free public good.

Other components of the Framework include Sector Supplements (unique Indicators for industry sectors) and National Annexes (unique country-level information). Click here for an overview of the Reporting Framework.

Benefits of GRI Reporting
Sustainability reports based on the GRI Framework can be used to demonstrate organizational commitment to sustainable development, to compare organizational performance over time, and to measure organizational performance with respect to laws, norms, standards and voluntary initiatives.

GRI promotes a standardized approach to reporting to stimulate demand for sustainability information – benefitting both reporting organizations and report users.

More information:

http://www.globalreporting.org/Home

Start Reporting:

http://www.globalreporting.org/ReportingFramework/ReportingFrameworkDownloads/

Read my lips, says Tony Pigott, Global Director of ethosJWT and co-founder of Brandai: If a company wants to demonstrate its commitment to social change, should start respecting the value of its powerless partners’s ideas.

 

If your company is really involved with social and economic change, it should do not be reluctant to promote itself, says Tony Pigott, Global Director of ethosJWT and co-founder of Brandaid.

 
By:
MicAmericas TV at CSRAmericas 2011. Asuncion, Paraguay. May 25th, 2011.
Executive Producer: Diego Fonseca / Producer: Andrea San Juan / Editor: Juan Franco.
FOMIN – BID Youtube Channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/FOMINBID#p/u

The survey In search of sustainability. The road of Corporate Social Responsibility in Latin America and AVINA Foundation’s contribution explains corporate social responsibility in the last three decades, with the focus on its evolution at a regional level and in the early years of the 21st century.

The survey begins with a Timeline that shows the various milestones of CSR in Latin America. It includes the development of organizations and networks, concepts and tools, highlighting those to which AVINA was related.
The survey is divided into three parts: Part I, “The trodden road”; Part II, “AVINA Foundation’s contribution”; and Part III, “In search of sustainability”. In each of these parts, record documents and the testimonies of 76 CSR experts consulted in 17 countries throughout 2010 were used. This job was done by a consulting team led by Mercedes Korin, under AVINA Foundation’s supervision.

Part I, “The trodden road”, starts with CSR’s beginnings in Latin America and the peculiarities of this region, and goes on deeper into the subject through three “pillars of evolution” taken into consideration for this study (Organizations and Networks, Concepts and Tools), looking into the changes in business and social behavior.

The pillar of Organizations and Networks refers to the players from different fields that promote CSR. This includes from institutions aiming at CSR as their very purpose (mostly business association) to those including this subject matter with other objectives in mind (such as academic institutions). It also includes collaborations among players institutionalized through subject-related networks, territorial ones, those in a particular field or multisector networks. The pillar of Concepts refers to well-established definitions, from philanthropy to sustainability, and dissemination mechanisms (events, publications, specialized media), which have been spreading and increasing drawing power. Lastly, the pillar of Tools refers to CSR evaluation and management tools, both integrated and specific models (finance, environment, among others).

Part I ends with the research on behavior changes. Regarding the private sector, the main motivations for change are attempted to be determined, and data and statistics reflecting the increase in companies adopting international sustainability principles, standards and report models, even when not translated into improved responsible competitiveness indicators in the region as of yet, are provided. Regarding the changes in other players of society, the wide spectrum of views on CSR is shown, from joining multi-player spaces in the subject and civil society approaching this concept (monitoring corporate practices, outside supervision of sustainability reports, alliances for sustainable development) to the gap between consumers and this subject who, if interested, often show such interest through a purchase decision.

Part II, “AVINA Foundation’s contribution”, begins with Stephan Schmidheiny’s view on the transformation potential shown by the development and coordination of social and business leaderships and, in line with this concept, AVINA’s creation and, then, the VIVA Trust (trust set up by AVINA and GrupoNueva).

The second section of Part II describes AVINA’s intervention strategies for the development of CSR, approached from its central focuses (social capital and financing), plus the main services of the organization in terms of the promotion of the subject and AVINA’s characteristics, with sets it apart. Furhter on, CSR- promoting initiatives are classified on the basis of the contribution to each pillar of evolution. In the pillar of Organizations and Networks, initiatives seeking the setting-up, strengthening, coordination and strategies for the start-up, launch, structuring, financing, evolution and territorial expansion of organizations. Within the pillar of Concepts, CSR promotion strategies in events, publications, evaluations and dissemination of best IN SEARCH OF SUSTAINABILITY. The road of CSR in Latin America and AVINA Foundation’s contribution practices are included as well as the fostering of dialogue and participation, the support of research, awards and competitions, the dissemination in the media, and training. In the pillar of Tools, AVINA’s intervention methodologies, which contributed to the development of self-regulatory tools, certifications, indicators, guidelines and indexes as well as implementation models, including the generation of innovative cases, were analyzed. After going over AVINA’s strategies, the impact of the organization on CSR development in Latin America is shown, based on the rating of the people interviewed for this survey, with a quantitative and qualitative systematization that rates it as “High” and some suggestions made to AVINA regarding goals and strategies for CSR and its sustainability.

Part III, “In search of sustainability”, is divided into two sections: “How far we have reached today” and “How far we can reach tomorrow”. In the first part, CSR’s present scenario in Latin America is detailed, taking into consideration the region’s own characteristics; the subject is analyzed on the basis of CSR- promotion field, showing then stance of companies, CSR organizations, academic institutions, civil society organizations, the media, the government and society. AVINA’s present approach towards the role of companies in sustainable development agendas, including some of its initiatives in this regard, is also described.

The second section of Part III includes a reflection on the need for a new model, considering that there is a favorable platform for a change of paradigm although it is still necessary to stimulate those who have not adopted a responsible management culture. Signs and opportunities of a likely way to achieve this change through the consolidation of the region are shown as well as the development of innovative and effective solutions, the implementation of objective reward mechanisms for responsible behavior and punishment for irresponsible behavior, society’s empowerment, the establishment and consolidation of global alliances, and the change from a reactive to a proactive attitude by companies.

The sections completing this survey are: Methodology; “A point of view”, which wraps the survey and includes comments on the process of this research; record documents, and a list of acronyms and abbreviations of the organizations herein mentioned. The annexes show a list of the experts interviewed and their significance in their own countries, fields of work and links to AVINA; data on the methodology of interviews and polls; a detail of the Timeline that goes through the 2000s; and AVINA’s contribution shown in some publications.

Download it: In Search of Sustainability

In May, 2011 people of 16 countries of Latin America, Asia and the Middle East visit USA to join the course about Acountability and Social Responsibility in Business.

Countries: Afghanistan – Bangladesh – Bolivia – Costa Rica – Ghana – Israel – Malaysia – Mexico – Morroco – Oman – Philippines – Tunisia – Turkey – Ukraine – Vietnam – West Bank

Below you could review the links of the best practices and organizations visited in the United States as part of the IVLP Program:

Washington D.C.

Global Corporate Citizaneship Program and Corporate Relations Business Civic Leadership Center ( BCLC) – U.S. Chamber of Commerce

http://bclc.uschamber.com/programs/global

Strategies and methods for improving organizational integrity
Ms. Anita Baker

http://www.business-ethics.org/iberpubback.asp

Utilizing latest communication  methods in today’s corporate world
Ms. Jennifer Gilman

http://impact.webershandwick.com/

Calvert Group
www.calvert.com
Sustainable & Responsible Investing

http://www.calvert.com/sri.html

Special Reports
http://www.calvert.com/literature-special-reports.html

Minneapolis – St. Paul,  Minnesota

Finnegan’s Brewery
Ms. Jacquie Berglund: Jacquie@finnegans.org/@finnegans
www.finnegans.org
https://www.facebook.com/FINNEGANSIrishAmber

http://www.youtube.com/FinnegansIrishAmber

Caux Roundtrable’s (CRT)
Mr. Robert Mac Gregor
www.couxroundtable.org

http://www.cauxroundtable.org/index.cfm?&menuid=125&parentid=8

Common Cause Minnesota
Mr. Mike Dean: mdean@commoncause.org
www.commoncause.org
Government Accountability

http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=4773595

Ethics in Gobernment

http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=4773593

Medtronic Inc.
www.medtronic.com/community

Haberman & Associates
www.modernstorytellers.com

https://www.facebook.com/modernstorytellers

Program Add or Delete
http://www.modernstorytellers.com/case-study

https://www.facebook.com/addordelete

Best Buy Corporation  Inc.
www.bestbuy.com

Community Relations
http://www.bestbuy-communityrelations.com/
Sustainability

http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=244152&p=irol-newsSustainability

Seattle, WA

Network for Business Innovation and Sutainability
Mr. Karl Ostrom/Mary Rose
www.nbis.org

Boeing Company
www.boeing.com

Microsoft Corporation
www.microsoft.com
www.microsoft.com/environment

Puget Sound Business Journal
www.seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle

With a vision to create a society of CSR committed and compliant corporate citizens and individuals, the Foundation is to be the lead advocate for CSR and CSR related activities in the country.

The Foundation has Dr. Joyce Aryee, a distinguished communication professional, leader of business and industry and an advocate of Corporate Social Responsibility as the Chairperson of the Council of Patrons.

The Council, the apex body with advisory responsibility, has a membership of distinguished personalities including Mr. George Blankson (the Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority), Mr. Samuel Afari Dartey (Chief Executive Officer of Forestry Commission) and Mr. Benjamin Aryee (Chief Executive Officer of Minerals Commission).

The Board of Trustees and the governing body, is constituted by Mr. Joseph Emmanuel Allotey-Pappoe (a renowned public relations and communications management consultant) and Mr. Willing Vanderpuije (a retired banker and Africa representative for mondial private bank, Turkish Northern Cyprus) as the Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively.

Other Trustees are Mr. Kweku Rockson, a lecturer in communication and CSR specialist, Mr. Boahene Asamoah, (a Media Practitioner), Mrs. Vicky Wireko-Andoh (a former corporate affairs director of Unilever Ghana and a public relations consultant) and Professor Robert Hinson, head of Marketing department University of Ghana Business School as members.

Mr. Byron Taylor (a business professional) is the Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation.

By: http://allafrica.com