What is key for successful implementation of CSR programmes? Why do CSR projects often fail to achieve their objective? What are the criteria that can be used to select the best CSR projects? Projects tend to expand their scope. Therefore, it is important to set the limitations from the very beginning, to define what can be included in the project and what has to be left beyond its scope. Selection is key for deciding which projects can be developed and instrumental for overcoming the typical contradiction between the project scope and the time for its execution. The CSR criteria can help us to choose wisely, they have to be as precise as possible, adjusted to the needs of every organisation.
Frequently, we develop projects within an organization: the company or business directors plan their programs annually and fill them with projects to be executed with the objective of putting such projects into action, converting them into reality. But usually there are initiatives that do not fit into this framework, isolated initiatives, results of improvisation, or processes that are repeated one after the other. Company directors undertake 3 fundamental types of initiatives in their day to day, according to Jaume Ribera, Professor of the Department of Production, Technology and Operations Direction at IESE: 1. Improvisation: without responding to any plan, they are difficult to follow, to learn from and, therefore, to teach at a later stage. In order to improvise well, with a guarantee of success, you must be a great expert on the subject. In the current cycle of accelerated disruptive innovation and the appearance of highly innovative companies, the space for innovation and no preparation has once again opened up, although in a different and, to some extent, planned manner. As the once Prime Minister of Britain Winston Churchill said: “I am just preparing my impromptu remarks.” This is planned improvisation. 2. Processes: these are repetitive sequences of actions which we often carry out, as a response to something continuous and specific. Professional routines in each area or sector fall into this category. The processes are essential in order to carry out 80% of work in many organizations, but within them lies the seed of a failure or difficulty to innovate. It is important to discover which tasks are being processed needlessly, and the other way round. 3. Projects: these are drawn up or developed periodically, in a single sequence. What is important is how we do not prepare for them. Projects, as well as processes and unlike improvisations, can be analyzed, followed, learnt and taught, we can form an opinion from them and undertake a continuous improvement. Projects represent a coordinated effort within the entire organization which extends over a determined period of time, they start and they finish, to achieve an objective under certain specifications, involving a complex series of elements and resources of a differing nature. Which Project Management codes should be applied in the direction of Corporate Social Responsibility programs? Why and where do projects which do not end well fail so often? Which possible criteria or indicators are the most appropriate for selecting the best CSR projects to be carried out? Strategy Documents I05/2011 How to manage CSR programs efficiently and convert them into feasible projects Public Affairs Insights
Transcript
Frequently, we develop projects within an organization: the company or business directors plan their programs annually and fi ll them with projects to be executed with the objective of putting such projects into action, converting them into reality. But usually there are initiatives that do not fi t into this framework, isolated initiatives, results of improvisation, or processes that are repeated one after the other.
Company directors undertake 3 fundamental types of initiatives in their day to day, according to Jaume Ribera, Professor of the Department of Production, Technology and Operations Direction at IESE:
1. Improvisation: without responding to any plan, they are diffi cult to follow, to learn from and, therefore, to teach at a later stage. In order to improvise well, with a guarantee of success, you must be a great expert on the subject. In the current cycle of accelerated disruptive innovation and the appearance of highly innovative companies, the space for innovation and no preparation has once again opened up, although in a different and, to some extent, planned manner. As the once Prime Minister
of Britain Winston Churchill said: “I am just preparing my impromptu remarks.” This is planned improvisation.
2. Processes: these are repetitive sequences of actions which we often carry out, as a response to something continuous and specifi c. Professional routines in each area or sector fall into this category. The processes are essential in order to carry out 80% of work in many organizations, but within them lies the seed of a failure or diffi culty to innovate. It is important to discover which tasks are being processed needlessly, and the other way round.
3. Projects: these are drawn up or developed periodically, in a single sequence. What is important is how we do not prepare for them. Projects, as well as processes and unlike improvisations, can be analyzed, followed, learnt and taught, we can form an opinion from them and undertake a continuous improvement. Projects represent a coordinated effort within the entire organization which extends over a determined period of time, they start and they fi nish, to achieve an objective under certain specifi cations, involving a complex series of elements and resources of a differing nature.
Which Project Management codes should be applied in the direction of Corporate Social Responsibility programs? Why and where do projects which do not end well fail so often? Which possible criteria or indicators are the most appropriate for selecting the best CSR projects to be carried out?
Strategy DocumentsI05/2011
How to manage CSR programs effi ciently and convert them into feasible projects
Public Affairs
Insights
Insights 2
In fact, to create a process we initially create a project, that is to say, companies that propose drawing up their first Corporate Responsibility report initially prepare a project, the first Sustainability report, which thereafter must become an annual process, repeated every year, not necessarily a routine but a permanent collection, analysis, selection and publication of data.
Obviously the projects show a greater interest, they are more interesting than the processes, as there is an intention of achieving something more specific and they form part of a complete program, in this case the global CSR program of a company.
What dimensions do projects have?Ultimately, we can describe 3 key aspects which every project must include and which must be managed correctly:
1. Cost: what is the economic cost for drawing up the first report, following on from the last example, or for updating of the workspace and converting it into a healthy and sustainable area?
2. Time: how many weeks, months or even years are needed to implement, develop and finish the project, what time span are we talking about and is it acceptable by the organization, as in the case for cost?
3. Specifications: what scope does the project have, what areas are involved, is all the organization included or not, and quality as well, what level of quality, excellence and precision? Do we want, for example, to develop a good stakeholder map, including a detailed categorization and prioritization depending on different variables?
One of the key skills needed to achieve success in the development of projects, especially in intangible areas such as Corporate Social Responsibility, is flexibility and the capacity to adapt to circumstances or events which are necessarily changing. It is important to prioritize, in this case, depending on acquired commitments by the Managing or Executive Board and other authorities in the company: CSR committee and department, other departments involved, etc.
With regard to the dimensions of a CSR project, according to Professor Ribera we can describe 5 different ones:
1. Efficiency: meet deadlines, honor the schedule set initially.
2. Impact: to third parties, be they consumers, employees or other stakeholders.
3. Team: impact on its members, especially on their commitment with the project and possible desertions.
4. Results: return on investment, increase in the value of the brand, capacity to attract better resources, etc.
5. Preparation: for the future, new technologies and tools to apply, new capacities and talent to incorporate.
The cycle and processes of Project ManagementThere are four technical phases through which all projects should pass, bearing in mind, as we have defined, that it should always have a beginning and an end:
1. Beginning: analyze the viability, document the case with examples of the same CSR practices in other companies, preferably of the same sector, and choose the team (internal or multidisciplinary).
2. Planning: draw the roadmap outlining the plan for the project (Human Resources, Finance, Quality, Communications and Relationship with Stakeholders).
3. Execution: create the deliverables and control the scope, costs, quality, associated risks (reputation itself) and key issues that may arise, damaging issues that may ruin the project.
4. End: reduce the project by gradually releasing people from the team, managing the deliverables at the discretion of the company and later making a complete review of the entire project.
At times, projects have a different nature and we must know what we want to accomplish and how we want to do it:
1. Traditional: we know the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ (Number Painter Syndrome).
2. Adaptive: we know the ‘what’ but not the ‘how’ (Search Syndrome).
3. Emerging: we don not know the ‘what’ but we do the ‘how’ (Hammer Syndrome).
4. Extremes: we do not know the ‘what’ nor the ‘how’ (Lost in Fog Syndrome).
Projects also go through different psychological phases, depending on the mood of the team and its progress:
• Enthusiasm: especially at the beginning.
• Disillusionment: with the first problems.
• Panic: with the serious problems and the first desertions.
How to manage CSR programs efficiently and convert them into feasible projects
Source: MPMM, 2011.
Project life cycle
MPMM Project Life Cycle
Project definition
Detailed Planning
Monitoring and control
Post Implementation
Review
Initiation
Execution
PlanningClosure
‘One of the key skills needed to
achieve success in
the develop-ment of
projects, especially in
intangible areas, is
flexibility and the
capacity to adapt.’
Insights 3
• Search for a guilty person: with the negative turn of events.
• Blame the most innocent person: with the failure of the project.
What makes a diffi cult project fail?There are 5 factors which can lead to a project experiencing different types of complications and even go into a spin:
1. Novelties: an issue derived from another that was not initially considered, a break with what was established at the beginning.
2. Technology: depending on the low, medium, high or very high level of technology which we are using.
3. Complexity: a need to assemble different aspects and create interaction systems.
4. Master copy: the most complicated issue to manage.5. Rhythm: three types possible, normal,
competitive, critical in time.
Projects fail for different reasons:
• The team has been badly chosen.
• The project has been badly chosen (it is only an unrealizable dream).
• Incorrect prioritization.
• The objective is not well defi ned.
• Disregard that there is more than one ongoing project.
• Not all affected stakeholders are taken into account.
• There is a lack of commitment in the team.
• There is no common objective.
• No serious and responsible team at one’s disposal.
• Not knowing what represents success in the project.
Depending on the phases, the problems tend to be:
1. Beginning:• The plan has been imposed.• There is an excess of optimism.
2. Planning:• There has been no negotiation of deadlines.• Important actions have been ignored.• There is no real team.• It is a linear plan, when it should be
iterative (various actions occurring at the same time, not one after the other).
3. Execution:• Bad management.• There is no monitoring.• Bad communication.• There is competition to obtain resources.• There are no rapid results.
4. End:• The project is not closed down
in time if it is not successful.• There is no learning from mistakes made.
Indicators for the selection of CSR projectsWe can establish certain criteria which are useful for the classifi cation of projects in the company which have a natural link to Corporate Social Responsibility. In any case, we must fi rst establish 2 categories:
1. Requirements: they are qualifying criteria which must be present, so that the projects are initially taken into account, pass the fi rst screen.
2. Facilitators: they are winning criteria that decide which projects fi nally win and become ongoing.
Possible CSR criteria:
• Social impact.
• Alignment with mission, vision and values.
• Alignment with business strategy.
• Link with people and employees.
• Transparency.
• Measurable impact.
• Support from CEO.
• Innovating character.
Conclusions: some advice not to be forgottenProjects tend to grow by nature and it is therefore important to limit them from the start, to know what goes in to the project and what remains outside it. Selection is key to know which projects to develop and overcome the usual dichotomy project volume/time to execute it. CSR criteria should help us to choose correctly and must be as precise as possible, also adapted to each organization.
How to manage CSR programs effi ciently and convert them into feasible projects
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