january-february 2009 issue 07

a specialized csr journal

12 cover story
the future of corporate
social responsibility:
cross company csr

14 csr toolkit
our ccc model

18 collaboration in the
health sector
the case of bangladesh
and tuberculosis

24 collaboration and
sustainability
how collaboration can
save the planet - and
your business

28 report
reporting on community
impacts

32 private sector:
liberalizing off the hook

40 beyond accounting:
assessing the impact
of sustainability
reporting on
tomorrow’s business

CROSS
COMPANY
A Publication of Asiatic Public Relations Network (Pvt.) Ltd.
CSR
regulars
9 global briefs
people - planet - profits

14 csr toolkit
our ccc model

Editor-in-Chief
18 social partnership
Zohare Ali Shariff
collaboration in the health sector: the case of bangladesh
and tuberculosis Editorial Director
Khadeeja Balkhi
22 breather
Managing Editor
Rutaba Ahmed
28 report: community impacts
Research, Distribution &
Development
36 what's happening Mehfooz Aleem
Zahra Baray
38 csr reflections on davos Alizeh Shariq

Creatives
42 crossword Kamran Rauf
Umair Anwar
43 on the lighter side Shireen Lotia

Reprint
44 musings In line with our mission, we encourage
any takers? reproduction of material, provided tbl
and content partners are given credit

Publisher
Asiatic Public Relations Network
(Private) Limited

Printed at
Nikmat Printers, Karachi

Disclaimer
The views expressed in tbl are the
Subscription, advertising and feedback at: authors’ and not necessarily shared by
tbl and/or APR
tbl: triple bottom-line
Declaration
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tbl jan-feb 09 1
 editorial
advisory
board

Anwar Rammal
Chairperson

Chairman
Asiatic Public Relations

features Khadeeja Balkhi

4 thoughts for 2009 Executive Member
BS for 2009: building sustainability
Sustainability Consultant

8 09 prospects
hope and 2009 Khawar Masood Butt
Founder Sponsor Member
12 cover story Chairman and MD
the future of corporate social responsibility: cross company csr English Biscuit Manufacturers

24 collaboration and sustainability

Habiba Hamid
how collaboration can save the planet - and your business
Member

32 private sector: liberalizing off the hook Founder, Saracen Consulting

public-private partnership: transition to greater economic freedom
Abrar Hasan
34 csr guidelines Founder Sponsor Member
a way forward - the commonwealth business council guidelines for
corporate citizenship Chief Executive
National Foods
40 triple bottom-line reporting
beyond accounting: assessing the impact of sustainability reporting Ayesha Tammy Haq
on tomorrow's business Member

Corporate Lawyer,
Legal and Media Consultant

Vivian Lines
Member

President and Chief Operating

Officer, Hill & Knowlton’s Asia
Pacific Region

2 www.tbl.com.pk

csr direction finder
T
he good news for CSR in
Pakistan in 2009, is that
it is finally closer to
transforming from corporate
philanthropy into what it
should be - a strategy integrat-
ed into the business of the
company, that seeks to
achieve the triple bottom line
of benefiting the people and
the planet while assuring sustainable growth in prof-
its for the company.
One indicator of this is the increasing number of com-
panies that have started publishing CSR, sustainabili-
ty and environmental reports. This places a certain
responsibility on the company. First of all it must
have sufficient information to convey, which means it
is doing something within the field it is reporting on.
Second, the company knows that it cannot really pub-
lish a report that is little more than glorified self-
praise. Its reporting must be measurable and open to
question. Which effectively means that it needs to get
into more structured and sustainable practices to be
able to report in a credible way. And so reporting in a
way becomes a direction finder for the company.
We at tbl are working to make this publication anoth-
er direction finder. By disseminating knowledge of
CSR, we hope to catalyze thinking, planning and pro-
gramming within the corporate sector, so that each
company is enabled to find its own optimum direc-
tion.
This process cannot be meaningful if tbl is not explor-
ing new ideas and new directions for CSR to grow in
the country, as a business discipline. Hence, in this
first issue of year 2009 we are pleased to present a
new concept for CSR. A concept which we believe has
not been formally presented at any forum in the
world so far and hence, a concept that is our own
inspiration. We have called it Cross-Company CSR
and the basic premise is that the next generation of
CSR will involve companies with potentially overlap-
ping value-chains to collaborate resources, towards
the 'value-chain' of, for example, a common stake-
holder group. The inherent implication of course is
vision and Vision: To steadily facilitate the germination of sustainable visions for organisational growth,
sharing specific triple bottom-line knowledge and tools
mission Mission Statement: To disseminate triple bottom-line knowledge to a diversified group including
corporate, social development and general business groups primarily through a specialised journal,
expanding in accordance with organisational capacity and market readiness
editor’s note
that such cooperation will yield higher benefits for all
actors, including the partner companies themselves.
Our cover story is on this subject. And we've shared
the outline of a working model towards implement-
ing such an enterprise.
Taking our platform forward, tbl will take on itself
the role of a clearing house, so to speak. We are iden-
tifying areas for Cross-Company CSR to be initiated,
becoming a forum for in-depth exploration of its pos-
sibilities and, plan to hopefully play matchmaker for
companies wanting to explore our next-gen model.
Also as the first issue of this year, we decided we
need to hear from corporate leaders, on their forecast
of the future of CSR. We thank all of you who
responded and appreciate your understanding of our
editorial policies as an independent publication. One
of the positive conclusions from the comments we
received is that most corporate leaders in this country
are bullish about CSR - and we can safely assume that
the companies they represent will be expanding their
sustainability practices, in this year and beyond.
These are interesting times, made even more so by the
current global economic meltdown, which really has
come as a reality check and a wake up call for the cor-
porate sector. It's a call for action - to bring about
higher efficiencies, dump excess baggage of all sorts
and get a higher focus on business objectives. This
also means that companies are cutting down on such
expenses as frivolous publicity beyond what is really
needed to push products or services (advertising
budgets have been slashed worldwide) and diverting
the resources to more sustainable practices.
In conclusion we can look forward with hope to a bet-
ter world emanating from the current shakeout!
Sincerely,
Zohare Ali Shariff
Editor-in-Chief
tbl jan-feb 09 3
A little knowledge
that acts is worth
infinitely more
than much
knowledge
that is idle
Khalil Gibran

tbl's mission is to disseminate CSR knowledge to

engender and catalyze triple bottom-line practice

Practice CSR - the tbl way

09 prospects

by wayne visser

L
ast month I was at the
Science Museum in London
attending the 20th
Anniversary alumni celebrations
of the University of Cambridge
Programme for Industry (CPI).

The evening included an intro-

ductory speech by Director, Polly
Courtice. Then we showed a film
(on a BIG Imax screen). The film
included extracts from interviews
I conducted with Joseph Stiglitz,
George Monbiot, Hunter Lovins,
Elizabeth Economy, Mohammad
Yunus and Jeffrey Sachs. These
interviews are the basis of two
books that I am writing, which
will be published in 2009.

Following the film was a panel

discussion comprising John
Elkington (Founder,
SustainAbility and Volans
Ventures), Emma Howard-Boyd
(Director, Juipiter Asset
Management), Doug Parr (Chief
Scientist, Greenpeace UK) and
Jonathon Porritt (Founder, Forum
for the Future). They were asked
to speak about what made them
hopeful about the future.

John was placing his bets on
social entrepreneurs, Emma com-
mented on substantial growth in
SRI in the past year (suggesting
that it may be up to 20 percent of
all investments by 2015 if memory
serves), Doug cited victories
installing a new UK nuclear plant
and airport runway and Jonathon
was putting his faith in a grass-
roots upswell (and his hopes for
Barack Obama).
I would be lying if I said it was an
entirely upbeat discussion. John
sees the next 7 or 8 years of reces-
sion being very bleak and creat-
ing serious (and painful) disconti-
nuities, Doug despairs over multi-
lateral policy processes like
Poznan and Jonathon thinks the
scope for business to make
serious progress in the current
policy climate is extremely
limited.
What all seemed to agree,
however, is that 2009 will be an
(extremely) challenging and
exciting year for all of us working
in CSR and sustainability. Their
unified plea was for us to focus
on the strategic, systemic reforms,
rather than fiddling around the
edges with incremental change.
About the Writer
Wayne Visser is Founder and
CEO of CSR International
(www.csrinternational.org). In
addition, he is Internal
Examiner at the University of
Cambridge Programme for Industry, where he
previously held positions as Research Director
and External Examiner.

8 www.tbl.com.pk
 global briefs
A Poll on MNC's CSR
Performance
people
Multinationals are leading players
in the global economy. In recent
years, most multinationals have
released annual corporate social
responsibility reports. Ipsos, a
leading global market research
institution, collaborated with the
Chinese business magazine
Global Entrepreneur for an online
poll about multinationals’ CSR
performance. This poll was
conducted in November 2007,
covering 1,000 respondents of
ages 20 - 50 from 10 cities, such as
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou,
Dalian and Wuhan.
According to the survey, 60
percent of the netizens said that
investment and the fulfillment of
CSR is in line with the operating
philosophy of these companies
and is a benefit to Chinese
society. But nearly 40 percent of
the surveyed stated that multi-
nationals' fulfillment of CSR is
just a mandatory action they take
in order to save face.
CEO Attitudes towards
Sustainability Issues
New Ashridge research was
launched recently at the UN HQ
in New York at a global forum on
the future of management educa-
tion convened and addressed by
UN Secretary General Ban Ki
Moon. Key findings from the
research are: 76 percent of CEOs
and senior executives believe that
it is important that senior exe-
cutives have the necessary know-
ledge and skills to respond to
trends like the low carbon
economy, resource scarcity and
doing business in emerging
markets marked by poverty,
corruption and human rights
violations. But fewer than 8
percent believe that these know-
ledge and skills are currently
being developed very effectively,
either by their own organisations
or by business schools.
According to Matthew Gitsham,
the Ashridge author of the report:
“The research demonstrates a
clear demand from CEOs and
senior executives for more and
better executive education around
the business implications of
sustainable development - for
both current and future leaders.”
Handbook on Good
Governance Practices for
Family Businesses
Paying tribute to the fact that
family businesses constitute the
world's most dominant form of
business organizations, playing a
key role in economic growth and
employment generation in many
developing countries, the
International Finance Organi-
sation (IFC) has released a hand-
book that recommends ways to
help family businesses improve
their sustainability by establishing
good governance practices. Most
family businesses have a short life
span and about 95 percent do not
survive the third generation of
ownership.
Authors of the handbook argue
that this is often the consequence
of a lack of preparation of the
subsequent generations to handle
the demands of a growing busi-
ness and a much larger family.
According to the authors, family
businesses can improve their odds
of survival by setting the right
governance structures in place
and by starting the educational
process of the subsequent gene-
rations in this area as soon as
possible. The handbook is
being translated into Chinese,
Arabic and Russian.
Shared by CSR Asia, a social enterprise that promotes
sustainable business practices
World's First Post-Petroleum
City
The world's first modern
ecolo-gical city - Masdar City -
occu-pying an area of about 6.5
square kilometer is being built in
Abu Dhabi. It will be an entirely
car-free city, and multi-story
parking lots will be built outside
its walls. Masdar will be bisected
by a light rail line, and a personal
rapid transit system (or PRT -
kind of a cross between an electric
car and a mini-light rail) will take
passengers to within 100 meters
of any destination in the city.
Construction workers are already
hard at work erecting "stage one"
of the project, which includes a
10MW solar power farm, the
foundations of Masdar's corporate
offices, and Masdar Institute - an
academic institution, developed
in cooperation with MIT, that will
focus on sustainable energy
research.
Sandwiched between an expand-
ing airport, a new neighbourhood
of luxury villas, a golf club and
various other real estate projects,
Masdar City will be a self-
contained island of sustainability -
a city within a city. Just under a
million people live in Abu Dhabi;
Masdar will house only some
40,000. Another 50,000 commuters
will work inside its walls.
Shared by TreeHugger, an online media outlet dedicated
to driving sustainability mainstream
tbl jan-feb 09 9
Satellite to Track Greenhouse
Gases
The world's first satellite dedi-
cated to monitoring greenhouse
gas emissions, launched recently
in Japan, aims to aid the fight
against global warming while
boosting its own space industry.
The mission will help scientists
measure the density of carbon
dioxide and methane from almost
the entire surface of the Earth,
according to the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency (JAXA).
A Japanese-made H-2A rocket
carrying the Greenhouse Gases
Observing Satellite (GOSAT)
blasted off from Tanegashima, a
small island in southern Japan,
after a two-day delay due to bad
weather. The satellite, also called
Ibuki, or "breath of fresh air", will
collect data from 56,000 locations
around the world, a dramatic
increase from the 282 observation
points available as of last October,
JAXA said.
It is hoped that the launch will
boost Japan's space industry's
efforts to win satellite launch
orders for its H-2A rocket in the
face of tough competition from
US and European companies.
Shared by Grist, an online environmental news
magazine
High-End, Completely
Sustainable Jewellery
Most of us agree that killing
sometimes endangered animals
strictly to use their parts for
fashion accessories or high end
garments is deplorable. But what
if the animal is already dead?
Amy Nugent, a jeweller and artist
in Vancouver, uses roadkill as the
main ingredient in creating
jewellery.
10 www.tbl.com.pk
planet
According to a recent story in the
Canadian Press, the roadkill artist
feels that her work is entirely sus-
tainable: "This is all about
honouring the animals and
recycling," she said. She uses a
wide range of animals in her
lines, and her wares seem marke-
ted towards upscale fashionistas.
So is this ethical and sustainable?
Aside from the unseemly act of
peeling dead creatures off the
road, there seems to be no further
offense to animal life or the law.
Could it actually be best to put
the animal parts to reuse, instead
of having them rot on the road's
shoulder?
Shared by TreeHugger, an online media outlet dedicated
to driving sustainability mainstream
Global Warming Could Unleash
Ocean 'Dead Zones'
Global warming may create "dead
zones" in the ocean that would be
devoid of fish and seafood and
endure for up to two millennia,
according to a study published in
January 2009.
Its authors say deep cuts in the
world's carbon emissions are
needed to brake a trend capable
of wrecking the marine ecosystem
and depriving future generations
of the harvest of the seas.
In a study published online by the
journal Nature Geoscience, scien-
tists in Denmark built a computer
model to simulate climate change
over the next 100,000 years. At the
heart of their model are two well-
used scenarios which use atmos-
pheric levels of carbon dioxide
(CO2), as an indicator of tempera-
ture rise.
Under the worst scenario, CO2
concentrations would rise to 1,168
parts per million (ppm) by 2100,
or about triple today's level.
Under the more optimistic model,
CO2 would reach 549 ppm by
2100, or roughly 50 percent more
than today.
Lead scientist Gary Shaffer of the
Niels Bohr Institute at the
University of Copenhagen said it
was unclear, in the grim light of
this study, whether future gene-
rations could look to the oceans as
a major reserve of food.
"Reduced fossil-fuel emissions are
needed over the next few genera-
tions to limit ongoing ocean
oxygen depletion and acidifica-
tion and their long-term adverse
effects," he said.
Shared by Grist, an online environmental news
magazine
First Green Food County in
China
For the first time, an entire county
in China has been certified to
produce green food. Ruyuan Yao
Autonomous County in
Guangdong has become China's
first model green food production
centre, with eight green food
types listed including vegetables,
Chinese pea, Brazil nuts, and
whitebait. Currently, the county
has 18 companies involved in
green food processing, with
annual green food production
totaling 30,000 tons (and 200
million RMB). Green food pro-
duction in Ruyuan has driven
cooperation between corpora-
tions, associations and farmers
with the result that many of the
latter have been lifted out of
poverty.
Shared by CSR Asia, a social enterprise that promotes
sustainable business practices
Energy Innovation: Renewable
Energy Research Center
profits were lost in the prefecture
A joint renewable energy research
center is being set up in Spain and
Portugal.
The socialist governments of both
nations have made it a priority to
boost spending on training and
technology to make their
economies more competitive.
Portugal, which is almost entirely
dependent on imported energy,
aims to collect 45 percent of its
total power consumption from
renewable sources like solar and
wind power by 2010. Spain aims
to triple the amount of energy it
derives from renewable sources
by 2020. Spain is already among
the three biggest producers of
wind power in the European
Union along with Germany and
Denmark, according to agence
France-Presse.
The Real Price of Rubber
To feed its booming automobile
and tyre industry, China plans to
increase its natural-rubber
production by 30 percent from
2007 levels by 2010. As a result of
tripling rubber prices over the
past decade rubber plantations
have boomed in Xishuangbanna,
Yunnan, leading to drastic loss of
forests; between 1976 and 2003
alone the total forest cover
decreased to less than 50 percent
and that of primary rainforests
even to 3.6 percent. Scientists at
the Xishuangbanna Tropical
Botanical Garden (XTBG), the
Chinese Academy of Science's
institute for conservation
research, have calculated the
ecological costs of rubber
plantations: a total of 6 million
tonnes of biomass carbon stock
between 1976 and 2003.
Shared by CSR Asia, a social enterprise that promotes
sustainable business practices
Eco-Friendly Car Rentals
Mint Cars on demand is a new
alternative to car ownership, 24
HR Rental Cars, Taxi's and Public
Transportation in New York.
Members get on demand access to
vehicles 24/7 for as little as an
hour or as much as several days.
Mint claims a diverse fleet of fuel
efficient vehicles such as Smart
Cars, as well as some old-school
non-ecomobiles which the
company calls "fun cars for that
special occasion."
Mint helps reduce carbon foot-
print by taking cars off the road
which means, less traffic, less
pollution and a reduced depen-
dency on fossil fuel. Other advan-
tages are that people don't have to
deal with car payments,
insurance, maintenance or (and
this leaves more room for
pedestrians and bikes) parking.
Drivers use the Drive Mint web-
site to pay a one-time application
fee and if approved they receive a
smart card which is swiped on the
vehicle's sensor to gain immediate
entry.
Now, Mint also offers a very
special rate of two dollars per
hour to rent a car Monday
through Thursday.
Shared by TreeHugger, an online media outlet dedicated
to driving sustainability mainstream
Lack of Media Understanding
on Climate Change
In today's world, media accuracy
is crucial. A Chinese climate
change scientist with the Research
Institute of Forest Ecology,
Environment and Protection at
the Chinese Academy of Forestry,
Jiang Youxu, was branded a
villain for proposing an environ-
mental tax to finance reforestation
in order to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. His actual words at the
China Forest and City Forum: "As
urban forests have so many
obvious beneficial functions,
shouldn't we further consider the
idea of an environmental tax? …
[Since] every city-dweller is
putting out carbon, we could give
10 or 20 yuan to a fund [and] this
money could be used for
reforestation, or businesses could
use the money from the taxes to
plant urban forests," were soon
interpreted and distributed by
online media outlets as follows:
"Academic calls for 'breathing
tax', 20 yuan per person per
month to protect the environ-
ment."
If he had suggested such a thing,
then perhaps the abuse he has
received was not undeserved.
However, the question remains:
did the media accurately and
objectively report his actual
speech?
To an extent, the fuss over the
"breathing tax" reflects both
sloppy reporting and a lack of
in-depth knowledge regarding
climate change among Chinese
media workers. But more impor-
tantly, the whole story demon-
strates the chasm that separates
scientists, the news media and the
public, states China Dialogue.
Compiled by Rutaba Ahmed
tbl jan-feb 09 11
cover story

the future of corporate

social responsibility
cross company csr
Imagine a manufacturing
company in the business of
producing and marketing
farm implements. Business by zohare ali shariff
growth for this company, let's for tbl
call it Quality Tools Limited,
depends amongst other
factors, on the level of
education (and hence
comprehension) the poten-
tial buyers - the farmers -
have, in order that they may
better understand both the
usage and the benefits of
the implements the company
markets. It therefore makes
good business sense for
Quality Tools to enact a liter-
acy programme in the target
market areas under its CSR
(corporate social responsibil-
ity) umbrella. This will serve
as capacity building of the
farming community -
enhancing their productivity,
which will pay back into the
company's business. The
idea is evaluated thoroughly
and Quality Tools decides to
undertake the literacy
intervention at two levels -
for the short to medium term
an adult literacy programme
that seeks to make present
day farmers (customers)
more efficient. And looking
at it long-term, a primary
and secondary education
programme to prepare
tomorrow's generation
(future customers) to be
more educated and
empowered agriculturists.

12 www.tbl.com.pk
All very well, but the company then discovers that
the optimum level intervention required for this ini-
tiative is going to cost well beyond what it can make
available from its CSR portfolio. What is to be done?
Mull Over That. Fresh Thought Process:
Now imagine another company, Farm Fresh Foods
Limited, a food processing company that purchases
the produce of the same farming community. Let us
say the farmers are growing orchard crops that the
food processing company purchases to produce its
range of popular jams. Over a period Farm Fresh
Foods has been experiencing a loss of consistency in
both quality and in quantity of the produce - caus-
ing supply shortages not infrequently and a high
rejection rate owing to quality at times being below
minimum acceptable standards.
This is a serious issue for both the farmers and the
company. Farm Fresh Foods considers how the situ-
ation can be improved and reaches the conclusion
that for long-term sustainable growth, the farmers
really need to be educated at least to a level where
they can read and understand a step by step set of
instructions. This, will produce better and more con-
sistent quality of produce and a higher quantity too.
So the company consults suitable education service
providers who come up with a programme that is at
two levels - a primary and secondary education
level to prepare tomorrow's generation to be more
educated and empowered agriculturists, and an
adult literacy level that seeks to make present day
farmers (raw material suppliers) more efficient.
Again, all very well. But when the details are
worked out, the cost of the programme turns out to
be prohibitive. Farm Fresh Foods can start off some-
thing at a lower level to match its available budget.
But then this is not expected to make enough of a
difference to justify starting the programme at all. So
what is to be done?
Synergizing for Optimal and Wider Benefits
Ironically enough, while the 2 companies are indi-
vidually trying to figure out a solution, not knowing
that both of them are facing the same issue, it is their
common stakeholder, the farming community that
comes up with one. Separately executives of Quality
Tools and Farm Fresh Foods have spoken to the
community elders of the need to do capacity build-
ing of the people and the elders had bought into the
idea.
This, the elders remember. When both companies
eventually show reluctance in matching their prom-
ises with deeds because of financial constraints, the
community leaders have a clear message for them.
Join hands, they tell Quality Tools and Farm Fresh
Foods. Pool in all resources - funds, management's
time and project management expertise and go for
the establishment of the educational facilities
together.
The idea is simple, yet exciting. The farming com-
munity is part of the value chain of both companies,
divergent as their businesses may be. It serves both
of them to strengthen it. And perhaps because their
businesses are so different, there is no apparent
competition or negative fall-out of a joint CSR initia-
tive.
Soon enough a primary school is built which edu-
cates the community's children in the daytime. This
then serves as an adult literacy centre in the evening,
when the children's elder siblings and parents end
their day's work in the fields and are able to take
classes. Even the physical space is thus optimized. A
little after the project takes off, the ground-breaking
for the secondary school is performed.
Revolutionizing CSR
What happened here? Well, we have just advocated
a hypothetical, yet very possible in the real world,
concept which can be developed as a new dimension
for the future of CSR. We will call it simply by what
it is - Cross Company CSR. The coming together of
two or more companies for executing CSR initiatives
which are of benefit to all and which can best be bet-
ter executed by combining resources.
Of late the general trend has been for more and
more companies to get on the CSR bandwagon.
Some have done it for the photo opportunity and
have not progressed much beyond corporate philan-
thropy.
Others have advanced to more elaborate initiatives,
while a few have even gone the whole 9 yards and
built CSR seamlessly into their business operations.
They have strategically pursued the triple bottom-
line and have demonstrated that their CSR models
are indeed sustainable. But even the top CSR cham-
pions have done it more or less alone. Examples of
joint CSR programmes will be hard to find, at least
in terms of these being strategically planned sustain-
able initiatives. More likely they would have come
about, almost accidentally, to suit the expediency of
a particular situation. This by itself hints at the ini-
tiative being non-sustainable, with one reason possi-
bly being that it benefits one partner over the others
much more, after the initial phase.
continued on p.16
tbl jan-feb 09 13
csr toolkit

14 www.tbl.com.pk
About the Writer

Khadeeja Balkhi is a Sustainability Consultant who

finds great joy in her work, whether it's strategizing,
hands-on implementation, field-based stakeholder
engagement or documentation and monitoring.

tbl jan-feb 09 15
In the related world of corporate philanthropy how-
ever, one finds that two or several companies joining
hands to support a cause is a common enough phe-
nomena. Fundraisers are perhaps the best example,
where several companies will take high priced tables
at a soiree, which cannot take place to start with
unless a minimum number of tables are taken up.
Then there are numerous other examples from the
world of sports, arts and culture, education and still
others, where companies have pooled in mainly one
resource - cash - to achieve a goal that cannot be
achieved singly. It is another matter that such phil-
anthropic bonding may do something for the image
of the companies involved, but it will do very little if
anything at all for the companies' triple bottom-
lines.
Benefits of Cross Company CSR
the sustainability of the now-collective initiative is
stronger.
The Way Forward?
We at tbl propose the commencement of an immedi-
ate dialogue between companies that are serious to
explore Cross-Company CSR as a workable strategy
for the future. Such dialogue can be initiated by any
company, or by an independent body that takes on
the task of research to identify possible areas of
Cross-Company CSR cooperation, and then goes on
to approach likely corporate partners with a view to
setting up partnerships between like-minded com-
panies. We believe that even if two companies make
a start and launch a pilot project successfully, others
will observe and draw learning. A momentum will
be unleashed.

It is therefore now time for CSR to dynamically

evolve to another level. Cross-Company CSR has
obvious benefits. The benefits increase exponentially
over time. Synergy, personified. Greater economies
of scale can be achieved. Optimization of resources
can be targeted. The spread in terms of the number
of people benefiting will be far larger. And not least,
About the Writer
Zohare Ali Shariff is CEO of Asiatic Public Relations
Network Ltd. & Editor-in-Chief of tbl. A graduate of the
London School of Economics, he is a published author
and winner of National Book Foundation Awards.

invitation
The C3 Roundtable

Admit it. The wheels in your mind were spinning manically with all the opportunities
running through it while you were gulping the Cross Company CSR concept.

Well, we think the idea is full of possibilities too.

If you believe you have ways to continue to flesh out the concept, we'd like to invite you to
be part of a pioneering group that will take this forward and break new ground.

Serious implementers and thinkers, aficionados and visionaries, individuals and

companies are invited to express their interest in participating in a Roundtable on
Cross Company CSR. tbl is organizing the C3 Roundtable in March, before Spring is over!

Cross Company CSR can be a global 'first' and you can be a part of firming the
concept's foundations.

All you need to do to accept our invitation, is write us at director@tbl.com.pk,

confirming your interest to debate towards development.

16 www.tbl.com.pk
social partnership

collaboration in the health sector:

the case of bangladesh and
tuberculosis
by miriam katz
for tbl

Collaboration takes many

different forms. In the
case of Bangladesh,
there has been a long
history of government
collaborating with non-
governmental
organizations (NGOs),
particularly on issues
related to poverty and
health. In 1972, the
Bangladesh Rural
Advancement Committee
(BRAC) was founded
and has since developed
different programmes
including micro-credit.
BRAC has also expand-
ed to other countries
including Pakistan,
Afghanistan and Sri
Lanka. One of the main
areas for which it has
received recognition is its
tuberculosis
programme. This article
will look at how BRAC
has collaborated with the
Bangladeshi government
with regard to tubercu-
losis. The first section will
look at the problem of
tuberculosis in
Bangladesh, the second
will examine BRAC's
approach to tuberculosis
and the third will analyze
how government and
BRAC worked success-
fully together.

18 www.tbl.com.pk
The Problem of Tuberculosis in
Bangladesh
The World Health Organization
compiled a list of 22 countries
where tuberculosis affects a high
proportion of the population. On
this list, Bangladesh ranks sixth,
which means that the incidence of
tuberculosis is quite high, accord-
ing to the BRAC Annual Report
'Breaking New Grounds in Public
Health'. In 2006, there were
101,988 new cases of tuberculosis
(TB), according to the World
Health Organization (WHO);
however, this does not show the
full scope of the problem because
many people go to the private
sector for medical care and the
records from these visits are not
included in the national count.
Most estimates show that there
are 300,000 new cases every year
and 70,000 deaths, states the
Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
One of the reasons why TB
spreads easily throughout
Bangladesh is that the country is
very small and crowded. TB is
very contagious, thus if someone
starts coughing and does not seek
treatment right away, there is a
high likelihood that others will
catch it. In addition, the medica-
tion for tuberculosis must be
taken over a period of six months;
however, many people start to
feel better after two months and
decide to end the treatment, states
Snegupta in NY Times. Lastly,
there is a large stigma attached to
TB. People do not wish to develop
it and often hide it if they do
develop it because the community
may view them in a bad light. For
these reasons, BRAC decided to
utilize the power of women in the
community in order to halt the
spread of TB. It was hoped that
women would be able to break
the stigma of TB and also per-
suade people to continue the
course of their medication.
BRAC's Approach to
Tuberculosis
The BRAC TB programme began
as a pilot project in the district of
Manikgonj in 1984 to complement
the government's and the WHO's
strategy known as DOTS, which
stands for Direct Observed
Treatment Short course. In 1992,
the programme was extended to
ten other areas and in 1994, the
government signed a memoran-
dum of understanding (MOU)
with many different NGOs
including BRAC in order to
collaborate on TB, according to
the BRAC Annual Report. By
1998, all districts of Bangladesh
were covered by the DOTS
programme. There are two very
important innovative components
of the BRAC programme, which
are user fees and the use of
community health volunteers
known as shasthya shebikas (SS).
User Fees
It is much easier for NGOs such
as BRAC to impose user fees
because the government is not
widely trusted in Bangladesh.
This is one of the main reasons
why the government collaborated
with BRAC; NGOs are seen as
closer to the people and are very
active in Bangladesh. In
Bangladesh, there are over 6000
registered NGOs and they cover
at least one quarter of the popu-
lation. With regards to BRAC and
TB, user fees were seen as a way
for people to comply with their
treatment. Each patient has to pay
200 Taka ($3.50) and signs a bond
in front of two witnesses, who
ensure that the patient continues
with their medication. If the
patient is unable to pay, the
community attempts to raise
money; however, if they are not
successful, the patient is exempt
from the payment. After the
patient finishes six months of
treatment, the money is refunded.
This has led to a 93 percent treat-
ment success rate, which is very
high, according to BRAC. In 1991,
WHO set a goal of detecting 70
percent of new cases and curing
85 percent of those, reveals
Kumaresan in a Review of
National Tuberculosis
Programmes. In 2005, only 68
percent of cases were detected;
however, this rose to 80 percent in
2006 after an infusion of money
from the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, TB and Malaria, according
to BRAC.
Shasthya Shebikas (SS)
The SS programme began in the
1970s when BRAC was still
focused primarily on micro-
finance issues. BRAC had many
different village organizations
that were charged with decrea-
sing poverty and one idea that
came from this was to nominate
women to become community
health volunteers. The criteria for
becoming an SS is being a woman
who is socially acceptable in the
community; 25 to 35 years of age
and having no children under the
age of five, according to Faruque
Ahmed speaking at the Regional
Conference on "Revitalizing
Primary Health Care" held in
Indonesia in 2008. Each SS is
given training in health problems
such as diarrhea, the common
cold, stomach problems and
many other health issues. A
special subset of SS's is also given
training in TB. One of the main
reasons why the treatment
success rate in Bangladesh is so
high is because each SS works in
her own neighbourhood and
people in the neighbourhood
come to respect and trust her.
Although SS's are volunteers, they
are able to earn money through
two means: selling medical
supplies and successful treatment
of TB patients. BRAC gives the
SS's supplies such as birth control
pills and cough medication and
the SS's can sell it at a small
markup. In addition, for each TB
patient that the SS successfully
treats, they are given $2.25.
Although this is a small amount
of money, it gives the SS a bit of
economic power since they are
usually housewives. There are
now over 70,000 SS's in
Bangladesh and the programme
has also been replicated in many
tbl jan-feb 09 19
other countries including
Afghanistan, Tanzania and
Sudan. The SS programme is one
of the main reasons why the
government decided to colla-
borate with BRAC, as the SS's
give the government a link to the
community.
Collaboration between
BRAC and the
Government of
Bangladesh
History and Benefits to
Government
There is a long history with
regard to the Bangladeshi govern-
ment collaborating with NGOs. In
1961, the government passed the
voluntary social welfare agencies
ordinance, which required all
NGOs to register with the govern-
ment, according to Zafar Ullah in
a report published in Oxford
Journals. In 1996, the government
created an NGO consultative
council to have direct communi-
cation with NGOs. Lastly, in the
1997-2002 Five Year Plan, the
government explicitly stated that
"collaboration of private organiza-
tions/institutes and NGOs will be
fostered," states Zafar Ullah. The
government derives many bene-
fits from working with NGOs
because many people in
Bangladesh do not trust the gov-
ernment due to years of corrup-
tion. In addition, because NGOs
such as BRAC cover such a wide
area of Bangladesh, many people
have contact with them in their
everyday lives. BRAC can reach
at least 110 million people in Asia
and Africa, thus the government
can benefit a lot from this, states
Jahfery in the Pakistan Observer.
Benefits to BRAC
NGOs such as BRAC benefit a lot
from collaborating with the
government, despite the fact that
they may be viewed badly for
working with government. NGOs
are able to use government
facilities such as laboratories and
they can also use the purchasing
power of the government for TB
20 www.tbl.com.pk
medication. In addition, BRAC
has the ability to cover many local
areas while the government can References
see the larger picture and can
draw up policy for the entire BRAC "Breaking New
country. BRAC also has the ability Grounds in Public Health:
to influence the government and, Annual Report 2006"
because they use government <http://www.brac.net/down-
resources for TB, the organization loads_files/BRAC_Health_Re
can use the extra funds for other port_2006.pdf>
issues that require attention.
World Health Organization
The Future of Collaboration for "National Tuberculosis
Control Programme
TB in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Report of the
As mentioned above, the number
Fourth Joint Review"
of TB cases in Bangladesh is not
known for certain due to many
AN Zafar Ullah et al
people using the private sector. In
"Government?NGO
Bangladesh, 54 percent of people
Collaboration: The Case of
use the private sector for health
Tuberculosis Control in
care, according to WHO. This is
Bangladesh"
quite high considering that
<http://heapol.oxfordjour-
approximately 63 million people
nals.org/cgi/reprint/21/2/143>
live in "severe deprivation,"
according to the World Bank.
Faruque Ahmed "Community
Thus, in the future, the govern-
empowerment through
ment must collaborate with the
micro?credit scheme to
private sector in order to accom-
improve community
plish two things: better monitor-
health"<http://www.searo.wh
ing of TB and a higher treatment
o.int/LinkFiles/Conference_P
rate.
anel-D1.pdf>
In conclusion, TB is still a serious SHR Jahfery "PPAF Extends
problem in Bangladesh and in Facility of Rs 220 million to
many other countries around the BRAC"
world; however, Bangladesh has <http://pakobserver.net/2008
shown that collaboration can 05/01/news/business10.asp>
increase treatment rates. BRAC's
innovative SS programme is a
model for the world, but they
could not have achieved every-
thing they have without the
“
government and the government Confidence
benefits a lot from collaborating
with NGOs. In the future, the grows as
government must work with the
private sector in order to increase slowly as a
treatment rates even further.
Thus, collaboration is often the coconut tree,
key to success.
and falls as fast
as a coconut.
”
About the Writer
Miriam Katz is a freelance writer based in
London. She currently writes for the - Montek Singh
Environmental Peace Review. Her areas of
interest include environmental issues, renewable Ahluwalia,
energy, biofules and climate change. She holds a
Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Indian Economist
Environmental Studies from the University of
Toronto. She can be reached at World Economic Forum,
m.il.katz@gmail.com
Davos
 Call for Pre-Registration:
The CSR Clinic
tbl's vision is to disseminate triple bottom-line understanding to
catalyze sustainable practices. In our second year of publishing tbl,
we are taking our vision forward and engaging in the
360o nature of our platform.

Organized by the tbl team, the CSR Clinic will be an enriching exercise
for middle to senior level corporate executives.

The goal? To be better equipped with processes and tools to create and
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The CSR Clinic will give participants a unique opportunity to interact with
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including: your name, designation, organization, and complete contact
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Latest by February 28, 2009!

Visit www.tbl.com.pk to keep yourself posted.

tbl jan-feb 09 21
22 www.tbl.com.pk
collaboration and sustainability
how collaboration can save the
planet - and your business
by ramla akhtar
for tbl
What's our Problem?
By the time this article is being
written, it is clear: those who
warned against the unsustainabil-
ity of greed (getting more than
one deserves) and fear (contribut-
ing less than one's potential) are
vindicated. No matter what the
consultants advocate, the truth is
that the old way of working is
over. Now that we have damaged
the planet sufficiently, and as a
result hurt the population that
rests upon it - is it any surprise
that neither the planet nor the
people can afford the ways profit
is made?
The lesson is clear: No Planet, No
People. No People, No Profit.
This is a mantra that needs no
other proof than the current state
of affairs. No matter the details of
the collapse, there is a single con-
cept that sums the situation and
its possible remedy:
'Sustainability'.
Sustainability: a Simple
Definition
Everything on this planet is part
of a cycle of birth-death-regenera-
tion. There is a water cycle, a car-
bon cycle, a consumption cycle.
Money, too, revolves. It is spent-
earned-spent. Each cycle has a
starting point and that point is
'contribution'. It starts when
Entity A chooses to contribute to
the 'Whole'/System (Entity B).
Then Entity B pays it forward,
until the contribution returns to
Entity A in a new form. Entity B
can be one person, or it can be
many. For example, if I work as a
guard in a TV channel, I con-
tribute by letting in the right per-
son (who has the potential to
24 www.tbl.com.pk
become a talented actor) through
the door and keeping the gate-
crashers out. Overtime the actor
clears audition and performs in a
play. The play is aired and earns
the channel its income. I get my
salary. This is a cycle - this is
'Wholeness'. It is true for all sys-
tems of the entire world; the only
difference is the level of complexi-
ty.
Given that the start of a cycle is at
contribution; the life cycle starts at
birth, the water cycle at rain, the
money cycle initiates at spending,
and the cycle of business starts at
enterprising talent.
But there can be no continued
contribution unless there is grace-
ful reception on the other side. So
in totality we can see a cycle as
'an act of cooperation, a continued
collaboration'. The giver is also a
receiver - always. We receive with
realization and give with choice.
Simply defined: Sustainability is
"the act of elements revolving in
an effortless cycle."
A cycle is a complete loop. The
very definition of unsustainability
is an incomplete loop - a cycle
broken by excess (accumulation)
or by withholding (depletion).
The Giant Collapse of 2008
If material stuff is produced, but
not recycled back into the system,
we will end up with pollution:
blocked drains, toxic landfills, and
smoke-filled air. If there is money
earned such as through big busi-
ness, but not spent back such as
through fair wage, we will end up
with vast populations unable to
afford business any longer - and
at a tipping point, the whole sys-
tem will suddenly collapse. That
tipping point was reached in 2008
- when all unsustainable cycles
from the natural to the economic
collapsed together.
The Solution: Enable
Sustainability Through
Collaboration
When bad times hit, do what the
poor do: help one another. Create
sustaining relationships, keeping
in mind the definition above: sus-
tainability is a cycle when it is in
smooth motion. This also means
that when it is time for a certain
cycle to end, such as in the case of
an end to an entire industry,
everyone in the cycle can sense
the closure at once and get pre-
pared to move on. It is more diffi-
cult to move on to bigger and bet-
ter things when one is either too
empowered or too weakened by a
dysfunctional cycle. The first one
has a vested interest in keeping
things as they are, and the second
one has no willpower.
It is tragicomic that in spite of the
2008 catastrophic wipeouts, most
organizations are still pursuing
the aim of meeting their old pro-
jected profits and other objectives
using the same methods that
often directly brought about this
breakdown.
It is clear by now that the game
and the rules have changed. But
how do we move on? The real
issue at this time may be a sense
of insecurity and high uncertainty
- the end of greed and the begin-
ning of fear.
In my view, this is exactly the cur-
rent challenge. We are no longer
oblivious of the fact that the plan-
et is in peril, and people are
severely endangered from our
own actions and the backlash of
nature. It is also apparent by now
that we have at once the responsi-
bility, and (some say perhaps) the
power to do something.
Interestingly, at this point in
human history, we happen to
have a technology for every need.
We have also tested almost every
social, political, and economic sys-
tem great human minds could
envision. In other words, the
"hard" and the "soft" elements are
present. What, then, do we need?
Answer: Collaboration
Wikipedia defines collaboration
as: "A recursive process where
two or more [entities] work
together towards an intersection
of common goals. For example, an
intellectual endeavour that is cre-
ative in nature - by sharing
knowledge, learning and building
consensus."
Precisely because we have all the
requisite technology and ideology
at our disposal, our next task is to
put things together in a way that
benefits the wholeness of our sys-
tems. The systems are already
whole (cyclic) by their nature and
definition. Our real task is to
develop a method that facilitates
the motion of cycles. And that
method is a value: working
together. Collaboration.
Collaboration is a means to an
end: the end is sustainability -
enabling the cycle of life.
The Principle of Collaboration
There are several processes,
behaviours and conversations that
relate to collaboration. They are
too many to remember intellectu-
ally. Another approach is to
understand the fundamental prin-
ciple, and then apply it to individ-
ual situations. The basic principle
is: Collaboration is to facilitate the
motion of a cycle. The two aspects
of the cycling principle are:
1. Increase/facilitate flow.
2. Reduce blocks.
The first aspect is about being cre-
ative. The second aspect is about
removing obstacles to creativity.
Essentially both achieve the same
result, but are needed together. In
my view, it is the second aspect
that is the real need of the time.
Easy Guidelines For Situational
Collaboration
It has been assumed for a while
now, especially in the business
and political world, that relation-
ships can be 'created'. There exist
fundamental principles of relation
between the large and small, giver
and taker, weak and powerful,
etc. The task of collaborative prac-
tices, then, is to honour that
which exists and to orchestrate
that to use - not to attempt to
forge something beyond the sys-
tem.
Based on this understanding, situ-
ational collaboration can be devel-
oped.
1. Work With What Is
Resource utilization is a critical
contemporary issue. Though often
we are concerned with "over-uti-
lization," the sustainability princi-
ple suggests that in each instance
something is over-utilized, there
is another thing that is being
under-utilized - because it is
ignored or sacrificed.
The solution is to 'work with what
is' - evaluate one's assets, and con-
tribute. Rather than want more
resources than are already given,
work with what is already given.
It is far better to adjust one's
ambitions and ideas than to
stretch or waste one's resources.
2. Work With Who Is
One of the anomalies of the work-
place is the poor utilization of
people's talent - though humans
are the fundamental orchestrator
of all creativity! Author Etsko
Schuitema suggests in his "Care &
Growth Model of Leadership"
that we only have the license to
help someone grow if we care for
him or her.
If the utilization of a person's
energy under our supervision is
to help them grow, what precedes
this is taking care to get to know
the innate potential of that per-
son.
There is an inborn quality in each
person. That quality shapes their
contribution. It is the task of the
system as a whole and a leader in
specific to see that quality and co-
create work around it. Schuitema
suggests that work is a means to
engage the individuals in a rela-
tionship. This brings delight back
into relationships, even in the
work arena.
An implied application is to use
experiential experts' help. Receive
the knowledge that others have to
offer. Often we refuse to work
with talent that is available, in
order to pursue imaginative goals.
In Pakistan's context as well as of
other developing nations, this
non-acceptance of our unique
abilities and offerings is leading
to the belief that there is a dearth
of talent. If that were the case,
none of the developing nations
would be able to destroy as much
as they do, for destruction
suggests the presence of energy
not utilized.
3. Increase Collaboration, Reduce
Competition - Deliberately?
Competition has long been a
virtue, and it had its rightful place
in the evolution of human
endeavour as we strove to push
the boundaries of our potential
and existence. I think there is less
blame to be assigned to competi-
tion itself - rather the need is to
tbl jan-feb 09 25
realize that the time to compete
has simply passed.
In this age, we must intentionally
lower ‘competitive think’, and
replace it with ‘collaborative
think’. In my work with a beauty
products client, for instance, we
have chosen to see household
based women entrepreneurs as
friends and partners rather than
as threats to our business. There is
an acceptance that there will
increasingly be small entrepre-
neurs who will test their own
mettle. Traditionally the Big
Business attempts to drown them
out. My client took the approach
of changing their business model
to a modular one that suits the
variable nature of workers in the
fragmented marketplace for
today. The immediate benefit is
that energy is now reserved to co-
create joyful solutions, and to do
the real task of carrying the prod-
uct to consumers to enhance their
life - rather than being consumed
by the anxiety of overcoming
beyond control "competition."
4. Minimize Legislation,
Maximize Relation
Legislation is oft-invisible but
often the most powerful of blocks
in the way of human endeavour
and relationship. The problem is
very simple: we have come to
believe that legislation exhausts
the list of all possibilities.
Therefore, there must be a law for
every DON'T and a description of
every DO. This is a fallacy. Law is
a limitation, and its only function
is to mark boundaries and off-
limit areas in a relationship. The
off limits are those where, by defi-
nition, the relationship ends if one
or all partners venture there.
Legislation is not the fullness of a
relationship. It is the boundary of
a relationship. The best constitu-
tions of the world, therefore, are
short or non-existent. A constitu-
tion as exacting as that of
Pakistan, for instance, anticipates
being violated as relationships
26 www.tbl.com.pk
and their needs evolve and as
boundaries - which are not fixed -
are re-marked.
Part of this practice in business is
to create projects based on mutu-
ally 'engaging' rather than 'accept-
able' terms. When we engage
another on the basis of their ful-
fillment and joy they would co-
create happily with us, while we
can also create a beneficial ethic
amongst ourselves, which helps
the whole system.
The Technology
There are two broad types of tech-
nology: one is soft (conceptual),
the other hard (quasi-
physical/physical). The best kind
the first technology is described
already: it is relationships -
amongst people, and then people
and every living and non-living
thing.
The best of the second type of
technology is the Internet, identi-
fied as "the supreme communica-
tion network" and the "enabler of
people" [the first and the vastly
more important element in collab-
oration] in this Intent and
Attention Era.
Outcome: Benefits of
Collaboration
One would like to round off a
solid case for collaboration by list-
ing a set of definite outcomes.
This, however, is not a great idea
because 'definite' also means 'lim-
ited' - and limitation is resisted by
human nature. Indeed it is a block
in the cycle of growth. The truth
is that the outcome of collabora-
tion depends upon the clarity of
understanding what it truly
means to work together, to con-
tribute, and the sincerity and
intelligence with which this way
is made a practice.
Despite this, the very technology
of collaboration - such as shared
workspaces - immediately yield
certain benefits, such as:
1. Reduced Activity Footprint:
Using fewer things means lesser
material is being churned out on
the planet and there is less pres-
sure on the already exhausted
systems. Carbon is a fundamental
measure for "activity."
Eliminating the non-essential and
sharing resources implies reduced
activity and therefore reduced
carbon footprint.
2. Reduced Cost: Competition is
cost. Primarily because it takes
attention away from creative
opportunities and the right appli-
cation of one's talent. Often an
entity competes with one that is
different from it. I have seen
media enterprises in Pakistan
who ditched their niche to chase
the rival's territory (such as enter-
tainment) - and hence led to the
decline of both. Competition is a
cultural phenomenon that has led
to megalomania-driven growth,
and decline. Henceforth, our
growth should be based on serv-
ice to the whole system, not com-
peting with elements.
3. Healthy Interdependence: A
state where all elements in a cycle
support and rely on each other,
and are clearly aware that mutual
benefit is the real benefit. This is
most practical at a local level
where community members work
with each other and support oth-
ers' enterprises.
It is my belief that the issue that
we face is not of meltdowns and
painfully wrenched bailouts. It is
the issue of bringing values back
to the way we work. The values,
in turn, are employed so we can
experience the joy of being alive.
That joy, I believe, is the real aim
and must become a part of the
world of business - and the busi-
ness of the world. Collaboration,
when practiced faithfully, is that
joy in itself.
About the Writer
Ramla runs a consultancy,
"NEXT>", which is geared to
design fresh solutions for con-
temporary opportunities and
challenges. She can be reached
at ramla@nextbyramla.com
report: community impacts
reporting on
community impacts
report by the GRI, the University of Hong Kong and CSR Asia
O
ver recent decades there
has been a growing
awareness by business,
government and other agencies
regarding the impact that busi-
ness can have on society.
Increasingly, companies are stat-
ing their commitments to being
an agency for positive change for
society and for the environment.
At the same time there exists a
growing emphasis on under-
standing the impact of business
on the environment and on socie-
ty.
More and more companies are
frequently facing the question of
'what are your impacts on com-
munities where you operate?' Yet
this is also a question which is
difficult for most companies to
answer. In response to this, the
GRI initiated a research project to
better understand current practice
in reporting in terms of approach,
type of information, patterns (in
sectors and geographical loca-
tions) as well as how this relates
to the GRI guidelines. The
28 www.tbl.com.pk
research was carried out by the
University of Hong Kong and
CSR Asia, together with GRI staff.
Sample of Report Considered
Seventy-two sustainability reports
were randomly selected for this
analysis, 58 of which follow the
most recent GRI Reporting
Framework, the 'G3' and have
declared the G3 Application level.
The selected reports reflect a
diversity of sectors as well as an
inclination towards those seen to
have a relatively substantial com-
munity impact.
The regional distribution of the
companies is as follows:
1. Europe - 36
2. North America - 14
3. Asia - 13
4. Latin America - 3
5. Oceania - 3
6. Africa - 3
Companies from eight sectors
account for over 60 percent of the
reports.
Eight major sectors analyzed
How do companies approach
reporting on community
performance?
Overall, companies take a diverse
approach to reporting on commu-
nity performance and show a
good degree of individuality in
the way they present their com-
munity performance and impacts.
What information is available
within the context of reporting?
Companies usually focus on
reporting their own performance
in relation to community initia-
tives as opposed to what changes
or benefits occur for people and
the environment as a result of
 Information on the topic
Community Engagement and

“ The underlying question of sustainability

reporting is how an organization contributes, or aims
to contribute in the future, to the improvement or
Dialogue, is often reported in
another section dedicated to
stakeholder dialogue. It is noted
that there are 32 companies
reporting on this topic, but less
deterioration of economic, environmental, and social than half of them (23 percent)
conditions, developments, and trends at the local, used quantitative measures to
report their performance and
regional, or global level.

”
GRI G3 Guidelines in terms of sustainability context.
impact in relation to this issue.

How do these approaches and

information relate to the GRI
Guidelines?
It appears that a majority of
reporters claim they are reporting
their activities. Thus, it is often
in accordance with the GRI G3
difficult to paint a picture of com-
Guidelines and Indicator
munity impact based on the infor-
Protocols on community.
mation in the reports as fewer
quantitative indicators are used
However, on closer inspection it
for reporting on the impact of
appears that this is not the case.
community initiatives as opposed
While 37 out of 53 G3 Reports (64
to performance indicators.
percent) claim that they report on
performance related to the society
The majority of companies
indicator SO1, only 11 percent of
emphasize their positive contribu-
the 37 reports reported fully
tions without mentioning any
Proportion of reports with dedicated according to the associated indica-
negative impacts. Those who do
section for community impacts (N=72) tor protocol.
report their negative impacts
mostly focus on environment-
Most reports are relatively weak
related problems.
Total Community in fulfilling the requirements as
Expenditure stated in the GRI management
Patterns identified in
community reporting Philanthropy and Charitable approach for community issues.
69 percent of the companies Giving
Re-settlement What is clear is that companies
choose to group community relat-
ed topics under a dedicated com- Infrastructure for Local find it difficult to report on their
munity section in the report. Out Community impacts and there is a need for
of the 50 reports with a dedicated
section, almost half of them (24)
list these as major headings in the
Table of Contents.

For those dedicated sections

which are not major headings,
they are usually located under the
'social' section of the reports.

In community reporting, the fol-

lowing topics are mostly reported
under the community sections:
Social Inclusion and Aid to
Disadvantaged or Minority
Groups
Community Services and
Employee Volunteering
Culture and Leisure
Topics reported under a dedicated section (in percentages)
Education and Training

tbl jan-feb 09 29
them to measure, in a more sys-
tematic manner, the differences
they make as a result of their cor-
porate community investment
strategies. There is a need to use
tools and techniques that are able
to track (monitor) impacts over
time.
Five most frequently addressed topics
Top 5 Reported Community
Impacts
The most frequent topics
addressed are Education and
Training and Philanthropy and
Charitable Giving in 63 percent of
the reports, followed by
Community Services and
Employee Volunteering, Total
Community Expenditure and
Community Engagement and
Dialogue.
Information on environmental
topics such as Community
Environmental Impact due to
Operation and Community
Environmental Campaign/
Problem Solving only appeared in
35 and 32 percent of the reports
respectively.
Indicators used for reporting
performance and impact
Companies often report on indica-
tors which are easier to measure
(performance indicators) but not
necessarily on indicators which
are most meaningful in terms of
understanding community impact
in terms of changes in external
conditions.
Although indicators for Education
and Training fare better by con-
sidering the number of people
who benefit and are reached, it
also weighs heavy with indicators
30 www.tbl.com.pk
The top 3 performance indicators for each of the top 5 topics
such as the amount of money
invested in and donated to educa-
tional activities.
At the level of impact, indicators
such as changes in performance
as well as the possibility of place-
ment post intervention are used
by only a few companies. As one
would expect, indicators for
Philanthropy and Charitable
Giving focus on the inputs as
opposed to the outputs or out-
comes.
Among companies having report-
ed on this topic, only 11 percent
have attempted to show the
impact of such activities by
reporting their activities at the
community level and the impact
achieved through this initiative.
Similarly, for Employee
Volunteering, the focus appears to
be on counting the number of
organizations served, and the par-
ticipation of employees as
opposed to measuring the effect
of this involvement for communi-
ties.
It could be argued that many
companies look at their employee
volunteering programmes in
terms of the benefits they have for
their employees given the strong
ties between employee perception
of a companies impact on the
community and employee reten-
tion.
Reports usually appear to concen-
trate on reporting what the com-
pany has done in relation to com-
munity initiatives (that is, per-
formance), rather than what
changes, benefits or damage the
community initiatives brought to
the community (that is, impact).
Information Reported: Positive
and negative impact
Among 72 reports, the majority of
companies only emphasize their
positive contributions without
mentioning any negative implica-
tions or negative impact.
For those who report on negative
impact, most of them focus on
environment-related problems,
which relate to GRI environmen-
tal indicators. However, out of the
23 reports that have reported on
community environmental
impact, only 4 of them relate envi-
ronmental impacts to the commu-
nity, while the rest (19) report on
site-specific environmental impact
but not necessarily relate these to
the community.
Differences in reporting on vari-
ous topics among regions
North American and Asian com-
panies tend to report on
Education and Training,
Philanthropy and Charitable
Giving and Community Services
and Employee Volunteering much
more often than European compa-
nies. The difference is especially
obvious for Community Services
and Employee Volunteering.

Reporting on Partnerships with

Local Organizations is particular-
ly popular among North
American companies in compari-
son to other regions.

The occurrence of reporting on

Community Engagement and
Dialogue and Community
Environmental Impact due to
Operations is especially low
amongst Asian reporters. This is
in contrast with their North
American counterparts. The per-
centage of reports which address
Direct Economic Impacts on com-
munities is relatively higher for
European companies.
Key Findings
The majority of the companies
do not apply the same sort of
measurement rigour to the
management of work related to
their relationships with com-
munity as they would to other
aspects of their business. While
there are exceptions to the rule,
community impacts appear to
be something not many compa-
nies are able to clearly define or
report on. It is clear that com-
panies approach their commu-
nity reporting in different
ways.
Information contained within
the reports focused much more
on what companies were doing
(performance) rather than what
changes, damages or benefits
impacted communities. The
only reference to companies'
potential negative impact was
in relation to environmental
issues.
Within the topics most fre-
quently found in community-
Percentage of reports in different regions reporting on various topics
related sections of reports, there tematic approach to assessing
is only a limited attempt to the impacts of their community
look at impact with the majori- investments through tools
ty of information dressing the aimed at measuring the
companies own performance differences that occur (positive
and inputs. 50 percent of com- and negative) over time.
panies reporting on the top five
topics do not indicate
approaches, policies, aims or
reasons behind activities. Is it Note
that companies do not see
This report has been tailored for tbl with
reporting on changes at the permission from the Global Reporting
Initiative.
community level as an impor-
tant part of their sustainability
report or is it a matter of build-
ing the capacity in order to do
this effectively? Is the relation-
In times of
“
ship between business and the
community simply just about recession
the ‘feel good factor’? This
there are massive
research appears to suggest
this. opportunities and
What is clear is that measuring fortunes to be
a company's impact on commu- made, so for new
nities is not an easy task.
Companies tend to report on up and coming
what might be 'easier' to report
on but not necessarily what
entrepreneurs, this
matters. is the time to go
and start a
Companies find it very difficult
to measure their impacts. It is
relatively easy to report on
inputs and performance but
much more difficult to assess
the difference that community
business.
- Richard Branson,
Founder of
The Virgin Group
World Economic Forum,
”
investments make. Companies
would benefit from a more sys- Davos

tbl jan-feb 09 31
private sector: liberalizing off the hook
public-private partnership:
transition to greater economic freedom
by ali salman
for tbl
A
general premise of eco-
nomic freedom rests on
the minimum role of the
government in service provision-
ing. However there are services,
or economic limitations of some
recipients of these services, which
make it difficult for the govern-
ment to completely roll back from
direct provisioning. This situation
also arises where the private sec-
tor sees little economic incentives
or experiences insurmountable
regulatory restrictions. To counter
these problems, a combination of
public and private sector is used,
commonly known as Public-
Private Partnership (PPP). As
such, an increase in the PPP based
contracts or investments in PPP
based contracts, reflects a greater
level of economic freedom as
these contracts increase the role of
the private sector in traditionally
public sector dominated areas.
32 www.tbl.com.pk
The Government of Pakistan
issued a comprehensive policy
document on PPP titled ‘Private
Participation in Providing More
and Better Public Services
through Improved Infrastructure’
in 2007. It stipulates objectives,
implementation structure, viabili-
ty gap funding, and project life
cycle with respect to PPP con-
tracts. This document states that
"many economically and socially
worth projects lack the ability to
raise the requisite revenues to
ensure adequate returns for the
investor risk."
The policy document further
mentions the need of long gesta-
tion periods to ensure affordable
tariff levels thus exposing the pri-
vate sector to undue risk.
According to the policy, "PPPs
with appropriate arrangements in
the sharing of risks in financing,
operating and maintaining infra-
structure services are a solution."
The national policy document
also mentions following priority
areas for PPP contracts:
1. Transport and logistics.
2. Mass urban public transport.
3. Municipal services (water
supply and sanitation, low-
cost housing and education
and health facilities).
4. Small scale energy projects .
The federal government has
already set up the Infrastructure
Project Development Facility
(IPDF) under the Ministry of
Finance and proposed to make an
Infrastructure Project Financing
Fund. The IPDF has currently 12
projects, which are worth more
than USD 2.8 billion, whereas
additionally 23 projects have been
identified. An official presentation

As governments turn to
the private sector to pro-
vide services once deliv-
ered by the public sector,
they must learn new
skills. An increasingly
common way is public-
private partnerships units.
Making the right choices
on what roles such units
play, where they are
located, and how conflicts
of interest are managed
is critical in their success,
states the International
Finance Corporation.
notes: "There is a wide diversity
in terms of how these projects
spread across the four provinces."
A sectoral breakdown of this
investment is shown below:
Provincial Distribution of PPP
Investments
A tentative geographical distribu-
tion (based on a telephonic inter-
view with concerned official) of
PPP based investments shows
that out of 12 pipeline projects, 3
are based in Islamabad, 4 in
Sindh, 2 in Punjab, 1 in Frontier
while none are based in
Balochistan. There are two proj-
ects titled 'National Corridor'
which cut across provincial
boundaries and therefore cannot
be attributed to provincial
domain.
Province Fund Size (USD)
Balochistan 205 million
NWFP Not Available
Punjab 200 million
Sindh 220 million
A province-wise breakdown of Devolved Social Services Programme
Devolved Social Services
Programme
At provincial level, the most
prominent examples of PPP
framework are Devolved Social
Services Programmes (DSSPs)
administered by each provincial
government independently with
the donors' support. These pro-
grammes make up for capacity
constraints of the local govern-
ment to deliver efficient services
and they also capitalize upon the
user fee component, thus attract-
ing the private firms.
The overall goal of the DSSP is to
improve people's education and
health, thereby helping to reduce
poverty and gender imbalances.
The broad purpose is to increase
school enrolment, and coverage
with health and clean water and
sanitation services. These objec-
tives are to be primarily achieved
by improving governance and
financing of social services; that
should result in increased access
to basic social services, in particu-
lar for women; and improved
quality, efficiency, affordability
and sustainability of services.
The programme has 5 principal
policy outcomes, namely, to (i)
further administrative devolution
of social services, (ii) improve
social sector financing and flow of
funds, (iii) promote participation,
linkages, and public accountabili-
ty, (iv) rationalize services and set
minimum standards, and (v)
encourage public-private partner-
ship.
Donor Timeline
ADB 2006-09
ADB
ADB, DFID 2005-08
ADB 2003-06
A Demonstration of Public-
Private Partnership
Primarily due to its objectives, the
DSSP in all provinces has attract-
ed social sector players, that is,
NGOs, though the terms of refer-
ence to contract a deal with DSSP
does not bar for-profit firms. The
NGOs have played a positive role
in improving service quality at
numerous schools across the
country but obviously they lack
the scale, which a commercial
enterprise brings with it.
Public-Private Partnership repre-
sents a transition from an
omnipresent government to a
completely free private sector. It
appears that if roles are properly
defined, this may well lead to an
efficient service provisioning
based on the principle of financial
viability, rational price structure
and user-friendliness. The private
sector must jump on these oppor-
tunities and enter this largely
untapped, though admittedly
rough, terrain.
About the Writer
Ali Salman currently works as a senior partner
at Development Pool and teaches Economics. Ali
specializes in economic analysis, entrepreneur-
ship, policy formulation and business models. Ali
did his Masters in Economics from Boston
University as a Fulbright Scholar; MA in
Development Studies as Royal Netherlands
Fellow; and an MBA from Quaid-i-Azam
University, Islamabad.
tbl jan-feb 09 33
csr guidelines
a way forward
the commonwealth
business council
guidelines for
corporate citizenship
by arif zaman
for tbl
B
usiness in the
Commonwealth has become
increasingly aware of its
role in helping to make globalisa-
tion work in a way that combines
economic advance with social
development. Indeed, many
Commonwealth companies are
leading the way by demonstrat-
ing good corporate citizenship in
action, "living out" the business
principles that they have estab-
lished and articulated in different
ways.
The Commonwealth Business
Council (CBC) Business Principles
- developed out of CBC member
companies collaborating to pool
their experience and perspectives
- consist of core values, responsi-
bilities to stakeholders and a set
of principles for how a company
conducts its affairs. All companies
and entities - no matter their size -
are expected to adhere to these
business principles. The princi-
ples apply not just to private sec-
tor entities but are relevant also to
public bodies and in the volun-
tary sector. The CBC Business
Principles are established under
three headings: core values;
responsibilities to stakeholders;
and principles.
34 www.tbl.com.pk
The CBC Guidelines for
Corporate Citizenship provide
guidelines of good corporate citi-
zenship derived from CBC corpo-
rate members in Asia and
beyond. They are a useful tem-
plate for an international
approach to CSR which has rele-
vance and rigour in an Asian con-
text and have emerged out of the
characteristic Commonwealth
consensus approach.
1. Values
The company will be guided by
values and work towards reflect-
ing them in its business opera-
tions:
Core Values - having clear
values and a Code of Ethics
such as honesty, integrity,
fairness and openness, clearly
stated and followed in prac-
tice;
Transparency - being actively
open in structure, process and
disclosure; establishing and
maintaining communication
with key stakeholders;
Tackling Corruption - adopt-
ing agreed codes, being per-
sistent in enforcing them
internally and in external
dealings; and
Human Rights - recognising
the implications for the busi-
ness of a respect for human
rights; having a policy and
acting on it.
2. Corporate Governance
The company will manage its
business with strong and effective
corporate governance implement-
ed by the board according to the
following principles:
Compliance - ensuring that
the corporation complies with
all relevant laws, regulations,
and corporate commitments;
Profitability - ensuring that
the company is profitable and
provides a reasonable return
on the assets it employs;
Leadership - exercising lead-
ership, enterprise, integrity
and judgement in directing
the corporation so as to
achieve continuing prosperity
for the corporation and acting
in a manner based on trans-
parency, accountability and
responsibility;
Accountability and
Responsibility - recognising
and differentiating accounta-
bility linkages (to sharehold-
ers and statutes) and respon-
sibility linkages (to other
stakeholders); establishing
reporting mechanisms to sup-
port these linkages;
Board Qualifications - ensur-
ing that through a managed
and effective process, board
appointments are made that
provide a mix of directors,
each of whom is able to add
value;
Checks and Balances -
ensuring that no one person
or block of persons has unfet-
tered power and that there is
an appropriate balance of
power and authority on the
board which is, inter alia,
usually reflected by separat-
ing the roles of chief execu-
tive officer and chairman, or
by having a balance between
executive and non-executive
directors;
Management - appointing the
chief executive officer and at
least participating in the
appointment of senior man-
agement, ensuring the moti-
vation and protection of intel-
lectual capital intrinsic to the
corporation, ensuring that
there is adequate training in
the corporation for manage-
ment and employees, and a
succession plan for senior
management;
Strategy - determining the
corporation's purpose, values
and strategy, and implement-
ing its values in order to
ensure that it survives and
thrives, and ensuring that
procedures and practices are
in place that protect the cor-
poration's assets and reputa-
tion;
Monitoring - monitoring and
evaluating the implementa-
tion of strategies, policies,
management performance cri-
teria, and business plans;
Evaluation - regularly
reviewing processes and pro-
cedures to ensure the effec-
tiveness of its internal sys-
tems of control, so that its
decision-making capability
and the accuracy of its report-
ing and financial results are
maintained at a high level at
all times; regularly assessing
its performance and effective-
ness as a whole, and that of
the individual directors,
including the chief executive
officer;
Risk Management - identify-
ing key business risk areas
including technology and
performance indicators of the
business enterprise and moni-
toring these factors; and
Disclosure - proving share-
holders and markets with
necessary and timely infor-
mation material to the com-
pany's performance and risks.
3. Relationships
The company will seek to develop
and maintain strong relationships
with its stakeholders and commu-
nicate effectively with them:
Customers - recognising the
primacy of customers to busi-
ness success; ensuring that
product safety, effectiveness
and value are maximised;
Shareholders - recognising
shareholders as the primary
stakeholder with a need for a
good return on investment
and growth in the medium
term; understanding particu-
larly the position of those
with smaller shareholdings;
Employees - respecting
employees; treating them fair-
ly and with cultural sensitivi-
ty; enabling them to develop
their potential through skill
and technology transfer;
recognising employees' con-
tribution to company success;
recognising international
agreements on the right to
freedom of association and
collective bargaining; elimi-
nating all forms of forced
labour; dealing with the prob-
lem of child labour;
Suppliers - conducting rela-
tionships fairly; disseminat-
ing information on corporate
citizenship to them; assisting
them to achieve continued
improvement against agreed
codes of practice in areas
such as health and safety,
human rights in the work-
place; sharing knowledge,
technology and ideas;
Local Communities - engag-
ing in dialogue with relevant
community representative
organisations and seeking to
contribute to long-term devel-
opment;
Government - engaging in
open and constructive dia-
logue to improve the policy
and practice environment for
business and to assist govern-
ment to foster corporate citi-
zenship in the business com-
munity; and
Civil Society - engaging with
civil society organisations on
a basis of respect, and within
a framework in which both
sides are committed to be
open, transparent and
accountable with respect to
their financial and public sup-
port base.
4. Impact
The company will assess and seek
to minimise any potential adverse
impacts on the environment and
local communities:
Environment - practicing and
encouraging environmental
responsibility and minimising
environmental footprint;
Consumer Awareness and
Product Impact - raising
awareness of consumers
regarding contents, safe use,
and disposal of products;
Building Capacity - working
to build capacity in dealings
with host, local, and national
communities; and
Impact on Other Species -
recognising and limiting neg-
ative impacts on other
species.
About the Writer
Arif Zaman is Adviser,
Commonwealth Business
Council (CBC), and also serves
as Principal Consultant at the
Reputation Institute and Visiting
Tutor at the Henley Business School.
tbl jan-feb 09 35
what's happening
Prevention &
Elimination of
bonded labour:
Seminar
T
here are 20 million bonded
labourers in Pakistan out of
which 7.5 million are chil-
dren. The main reasons why
bonded labour exists in Pakistan
include: social exclusion, poverty,
lack of education, existence of feu-
dal or other hierarchically struc-
tured agricultural systems, lack of
political will for effective social
change, ineffective enforcement of
policies, and perhaps most dis-
turbingly, the desire for and liber-
al use of cheap labour, states Mr.
Rana Asif Habib, President,
Initiator Human Development
Foundation.
The 5th National Seminar on
Prevention and Elimination of
bonded labour in Pakistan high-
lighted key issues about bonded
labour in Pakistan:
Stakeholders need to be
aware of the seriousness of
this issue, the relevant laws
and legislations and its
impact on them.
The Vigilance Committees are
not performing well and need
significant improvement.
They must actively perform
their roles and should be
required to make proper
checks and balances on those
practicing potentially bonded
labour.
A representative from the
Directorate of Labour,
36 www.tbl.com.pk
Government of Sindh said
that the Government is taking
this matter seriously, on a pri-
ority basis and has formed a
special ministry in the
province of Sindh on this
issue.
There is a need to address the
matter of rehabilitation of
bonded labourers and
engagement of bonded
labourers in other jobs to pre-
vent them from being consid-
ered unskilled labour and
returning to work similar to
that which they were released
from.
The media must also play an
active role in creating aware-
ness of bonded labour-related
issue including how civil
society can play an active part
in its elimination.
The focus must include street
children as well who are also
a part of the bonded labour
and are in the worst condi-
tions of life.
Held under the EFP/ILO spon-
sored PEBLIP project in
December, 2008, Karachi, the
active audience shared recom-
mendations regarding challenges
and strategies for fair labour prac-
tices. Including the pressing need
to understand and implement the
complete guidance manual that
can be found in Pakistan's Islamic
heritage.
In order to have a direct impact
on the general public, it is impor-
tant to sensitize political leader-
ship, including Ulemas on the
issue of bonded labour to create
awareness, said Mr. Saifullah
Chaudhry, from the International
Labour Organization (ILO).
Now there is a pressing need for
employers and employees to
make joint efforts to address this
issue. This was not possible a few
decades ago. It is mostly due to
the efforts of Pakistan Workers'
Federation that currently there is
very little bonded labour in the
Industrial Sector, claimed
Mr. Mohammad Ahmed,
Chairman of Pakistan Workers'
Federation.
Mr. Fasihul Karim Siddiqui,
Convener of the Bonded Labour
Project, emphasized that in their
HR manuals, HR Managers must
include specific corporate policies
against the use of bonded and
child labour.
Mr. S. Sohail Sajjad, Project
Assistant for Prevention &
Elimination of bonded labour in
Pakistan added that we are living
in this age of so-called
'Enlightened Moderate
Civilization'. If we do not elimi-
nate the regressive phenomenon
of bonded labour, we can consid-
er ourselves living in the 'Dark
Ages'.
National
Industrial
Relations
Conference
L
ocal entrepreneurs and
industrialists can increase
their productivity by 50 per-
cent if they employ the right per-
son for the right job, Dr. Ishrat
Hussain, Former Governor State
Bank of Pakistan & Director IBA
said at the National Industrial
Relations Conference.
Pakistan has great potential and
its businessmen and industrialists
have the ability to do the best by
running their businesses in a truly
professional manner. Human
Resource Management (HRM)
must be strongly developed in all
sectors. And proper employee-job
fit evaluations must be conducted,
as is often the case with multi-
national companies.
The Prime Minister in his first
address to the National Assembly
stated that all labour laws of the
country will be made in conformi-
ty with the International Labour
Conventions, stated Mr. Malik
Asif Hayat, Federal Secretary
Labour and Manpower.
Furthermore, the Government has
developed a strategy for the
revival of the economy, with the
objective to generate economic
activity in the country to help
uplift economic conditions of
workers. A harmonious profes-
sional relationship between the
workers and employers is essen-
tial for promoting productivity,
competition and growth in indus-
try as well as for working
towards fair wages and job securi-
ty.
The International Labour
Organization (ILO) reinforced the
importance of dialogue between
the government, employers and
workers' organizations. This is
instrumental to fostering social
and economic progress in the
country and to promoting social
justice and welfare. Employers'
and workers' representatives can
also play a crucial role in guiding
labour related policies and pro-
grammes, said Mr. Donglin Li,
Country Director, ILO.
In Pakistan, ILO has been imple-
menting its Decent Work Country
Programme in close collaboration
with its tripartite constituents.
Currently, there are 100 staff
members working with ILO
offices. There are 15 ongoing
projects with a combined budget
of $ 33 million.
Organized by Employers'
Federation of Pakistan (EFP) and
ILO on January 14, 2009, Karachi,
the Conference also distributed
Industrial Relations Awards.
Every session will have an
Corporate extended Q&A session that will
allow participants to effectively
Summit on engage with climate change
experts.
Climate Change
For more information about
L
EAD Pakistan is organizing Corporate Summit on Climate
- for the first time in Change, visit:
Pakistan - a Corporate http://www.lead.org.pk/cscc/
Summit on Climate Change on
February 19, 2009 in Karachi,
Pakistan. The Corporate Summit Compiled by Rutaba Ahmed
will be an exclusive event aimed
at increasing the involvement of
corporations in Pakistan on the
crucial issue of climate change
and will provide a unique oppor-
tunity to discuss climate change
concerns by providing a common
platform to share knowledge,
experiences, and best practices.
“ Not long ago the
concerns of ecologists
were as irrelevant to
The Summit will bring together business planners as
corporate leaders who are con-
cerned about climate change and those of ethicists are
its impacts. This includes CEO's today. "Green" has
of corporations, managing direc-
tors and general managers, corpo- gone from being a
rate social responsibility special- disparagement to
ists, climate change specialists etc.
The speakers at the summit becoming a badge
include Dr. Adil Najam (profes- that no smart
sor, Boston University, USA) and
Dr. Harish Jeswani (Manchester
company would risk
University, UK) to name a few. being without. Ethics
The summit programming will
are similarly en route
consist of presentations on climate to becoming a
change and corporations in
Pakistan, case study presentations
by selected corporations to share
their work on climate change,
strategic imperative.
- John Dalla Costa,
Ethical Imperative
”
sessions on Energy, Water,
Disasters, Health, Forestry,
Agriculture and Natural Resource
management, Gala dinner and
lots more.
Attendees will gain valuable
insight on strategies and practices
adopted by corporations around
the world and ways by which
“ The best chapters
in our economic
history are those that
both business and climate change
objectives can be achieved. There
embrace the many,
will be significant networking
opportunity enabling one-to-one
interactions for informal partner-
ships and knowledge sharing.
not the few.
- David Cameron, ”
British Conservative Party Leader
World Economic Forum, Davos
tbl jan-feb 09 37
CSR Reflections
on Davos
Davos Day 1
(January 28, 2009)
It's fair to say that if you're prone
to depression, Davos is not a
good place to be this year. Not
only is the economic outlook
gloomier than ever, but it is also
snowing heavily "thus forcing
everybody to dress in silly boots
and bear-like coats that automati-
cally strip even 'masters of the
universe' of a bit of their dignity",
as BBC Radio 4 Today pro-
gramme presenter Evan Davis
noted.
So what have we learned so far?
Here are 5 points to note:
1. Growth
The IMF is expecting the global
growth rate for 2009 to fall to 0.5
percent, meaning growth per
capita will be negative. The issue
of resilience is key. For example,
Rahul Bajaj, chairman of Indian
car manufacturer Bajaj Auto, says
India's domestic demand has
made it more resilient than many
countries. Should this be part of
nations' responsible competitive-
ness strategies in future?
2. Jobs
The ILO says as many as 51 mil-
lion jobs worldwide could be lost
this year, pushing the world's
unemployment rate to 7.1 percent
by the end of 2009, compared
with 6.0 percent in 2008. Could it
be that the biggest CSR issue in
2009 will be around job retention
and responsible approaches to
redundancy?
3. Speculation
Stephen Schwarzman, chairman
of the leading private equity com-
pany, the Blackstone Group, says
that 40 percent of the world's
wealth was destroyed in last five
quarters. "It is an almost incom-
prehensible number," he says.
"Business will be very different."
38 www.tbl.com.pk
Overview of the session 'Lessons from the Financial Crisis - Time for a New Rule Book?' at the
Annual Meeting 2009 of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
4. Trust
Companies are viewed as less
trustworthy than a year ago and
consumers want governments to
play a greater role in business,
according to a poll by Edelman.
"Business really has to work its
way back. It has to re-earn the
trust of its broad sets of con-
stituents," says CEO Richard
Edelman. "I think we have moved
from a shareholder society to a
stakeholder society, and that has
massive implications."
5. Charity
South African Finance Minister
Trevor Manuel notes that over-
seas development aid to Africa is
suffering: "Already, we are some
$240bn (£167bn) short of the com-
mitments made at [the 2005 G8
summit in] Gleneagles." Surely,
we can expect corporate philan-
thropy to suffer in equal meas-
ure?
I think WEF founder, Klaus
Schwab, best sums up the chal-
lenge we face: "We have now a
mass crash and we have to figure
out first how we help those
injured by it. Secondly, we have
to find out what rules we need for
the future in order to avoid this
happening again."
Finally, former UN Secretary-
General, Kofi Annan, continues to
be the conscience of the world,
when he says: "We need to ensure
the poorest in the planet - who
will be hardest hit by the financial
crisis - are not forgotten."
Davos Day 2
(January 30, 2009)
A year after Bill Gates famously
called for a new model of "cre-
ative capitalism" at Davos, it
seems that business (especially
the banks) took him a bit too liter-
ally. Of course, Gates didn't mean
creative loans and hedge fund
activities, but his speech stands in
stark contrast to this year's "crisis
capitalism" mood.
Despite Tony Blair's reassurances
that "the free enterprise system
has not failed, the financial sys-
tem has failed", the most consis-
tent refrain echoing through the
chilly corridors of the World
Economic Forum on Day 2 was
that capitalism needs bringing
back into line. The adolescent
years of free market rebels with-
out a cause are over.
On Day 1, all eyes seemed to be
on the bankers. On Day 2, the
stakes were raised and the US
was in the spotlight. A number of
delegates were talking about the
failure of US-led capitalism and
even Bill Clinton was nodding.
When asked about Wen Jiabao's
thinly veiled criticism of America
over the crisis, he said: "The
Chinese premier was right: It all
started in the United States."
Somewhat incongruously, Valerie
Jarrett, speaking as President
Obama's representative in Davos,
told delegates that his message
can be conveyed in one word:
"responsibility". That's encourag-
ing but not terribly helpful. What
does it mean? Maybe the test will
literally be "the ability to respond"
by policians and CEOs. Too little
too late some say, but watch this
space.
One place to start, according to a
WEF report is clean energy
investment, which they claim
needs to more than triple to
$515bn (£360bn) a year to stop
greenhouse gas emissions reach-
ing levels deemed unsustainable
by scientists.
At a corporate level, at least one
good news story of response-abili-
ty emerged. US firm Tupperware
Brands Corp said it is unlikely to
lay off staff or cut costs. Chief
executive Rick Goings admon-
ished that "the last thing to cut is
your talent." Let's hope other
CEOs are listening, although I
seriously doubt it.
The annual Philanthropic Lunch,
with its predictable crowd of Bill-
spotters (including the Gates and
Clinton varieties), seems to me a
bit like a doing a band-aid dance
at a chainsaw massacre party. At
least it produced a pearl from
Gates - philanthropy is fun and
fulfilling! Well, if anyone would
know, its the world's biggest phil-
anthropist ever, right?
Then again, wouldn't it be better
to improve capitalism as a system,
so that we don't need to rely so
much on uber-philanthropists'
need for a warm-fuzzy endor-
phine fix? Why don't we give
responsible capitalism a try first,
and then we can talk about some-
thing a bit more creative after
that? How about it - do we have a
deal, Bill?
Davos Day 3
The Conservative party leader,
David Cameron, revived yester-
day's "quest for a new capitalism"
theme, calling for "capitalism with
a conscience". Cameron urged
businesses not to ignore the inter-
ests of society in the pursuit of
profits, saying it's time for wealth
“ We need to
ensure the poorest
in the planet -
who will be hardest
hit by the
financial crisis -
are not forgotten.
- Kofi Annan
” sadly familiar, but no less true:
Former UN Secretary-General
to be distributed "more equally".
Most of the talk and twitter on
Day 3 was about protectionism -
dire warnings that this is
precisely what led to the Great
Depression in the 1930s and
tut-tutting by German Chancellor
Merkel about America's
auto-industry bale-out, which is
Protectionism with a big P -
protectionism of the $25 billion
variety.
They may be right, but this is a bit
of a tough sell on a world still
fighting the runaway fires of
neoliberal capitalism. What's
more, it is precisely managed
protectionism that has helped
sustain China's rise to prosperity,
while neither America nor Europe
has been prepared to forfeit their
perverse agricultural or fossil fuel
subsidies.
But before I head off on a tan-
gent...the day was not totally
devoid of CSR-related themes.
Al Gore was seen looking much
cheerier than usual, assuring us
that Obama's commitment to a
post-Kyoto deal on climate
change is real. Let's hope Obama
gets further with his good inten-
tions than Gore did during his
term as Vice President.
Denmark's Prime Minister,
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, politely
asked rich and poor countries
alike to commit to big cuts in
greenhouse gas emissions, ahead
of year-end talks on a new climate
treaty that he will host in
Copenhagen. Ironically, the
worldwide economic collapse
may be good news for the climate,
at least in the short term.
Remember how Russia's emis-
sions went into freefall along with
their economy in the early 1990s?
The messages out of Africa were
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila
Odinga criticised Zimabwe's
Robert Mugabe for allowing 3,000
people to die of cholera and
African leaders for not taking a
unified stand against him. He
admitted that corruption on the
continent must be reigned in, but
so too must Western companies
exploiting Africa's resources.
Amazingly, there were still a few
brave, intrepid banking honchos
pleading the financial industry's
case. HSBC chairman Stephen
Green said that banks must not be
"demonized" over the financial
crisis. "Banks have clearly done
things wrong. Some of the prac-
tices did not contribute, by any
reasonable standards, to human
welfare."
Thanks for the apology, Steve, but
you won't get off the naughty-
step that easily! Besides, if I'm not
wrong, most of your mates are
now working for the politicians.
So we'll let you know how we feel
about the banks - demonic or oth-
erwise - when next we place our
democratic votes.
Which makes me wonder ... could
we be witnessing a shift from CSR
to CNR - from corporate social
responsibility to corporate nation-
al responsibility?
About the Writer
Wayne Visser is Founder and
CEO of CSR International
(www.csrinternational.org). In
addition, he is Internal
Examiner at the University of
Cambridge Programme for Industry, where he
previously held positions as Research Director
and External Examiner.
tbl jan-feb 09 39
triple bottom-line reporting

beyond accounting
assessing the impact of sustainability
reporting on tomorrow's business

by tony manwaring & richard spencer

“ Business has an extraordinary capacity to deliver

practical solutions. Tomorrow's Global Company:
Challenges and Choices argues that future commercial
success must go hand in hand with tackling our shared
challenges, such as environmental degradation, poverty
and abuse of human rights.
” Tony Manwaring
Chief Executive, Tomorrow's Company

W
e manage what we measure (and report) - it's a
truism, but no less valid for that. We believe that
the time is now right to ask whether we have
been measuring the right things in the right way and
communicating them appropriately to the right people.

As we face profound challenges for people, profit and

planet alike, our need for an effective and 'fit for purpose'
compass to plot a sustainable and successful course for the
future has never been more urgent or important.

By far the most currently developed approaches to reflect-

ing the triple bottom line (economic, social, and environ-
mental) are the many frameworks and guidelines that
companies use to report on their sustainability activities.
For example, the Global Reporting Initiative, the UN
Global Compact, and AccountAbility. Such frameworks
enable benchmarking and can build understanding. Often
this process is initially undertaken internally and later
applied to external reporting. However, it is intended to
create a platform for dialogue with stakeholders, and then
seeks to influence behaviours and decisions for mutual
benefit.

40 www.tbl.com.pk
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England
and Wales (ICAEW) and Tomorrow's Company
have launched a project on the review of
sustainability reporting frameworks and guidelines.
These 'frameworks' provide what is currently the
most developed approach for companies to reflect
what are commonly described as the non-financial
impacts of business. However, these impacts often
have significant costs as well as benefits. Taking
them into account in mainstream business and
investment decision-making is, therefore, central to
our shared interest in exploring how best to
'redefine success'.
This review of sustainability reporting frameworks
and guidance is set in the context of the major
programme of collaboration that ICAEW and
Tomorrow's Company have jointly undertaken -
working with many others, including Pavan
Sukhdev and his colleagues from the Green Indian
States Trust (GIST), TEEB (The Economics of
Ecosystems and Biodiversity), and the UNEP Green
Economy Initiative - to explore how businesses can
most effectively measure and communicate their
impact on society and the environment.
Society is increasingly demanding that businesses
take account of their impacts but also recognises that
they have a strong positive role to play as well.
Business, society and the environment are inextrica-
bly linked and inter-dependent for their survival
and must be held in balance.
Equally, as we see the first shoots of the new Green
Economy bursting through - given renewed impetus
by the election of a US President committed to the
sustainability agenda - we see challenges as well as
extraordinary opportunities opening up to create
value through sustainability. Yet, at this time of
financial instability it would be very disappointing
to see companies draw back from confronting the
challenges of sustainability and from what has
already been achieved.
The combined pressures of recession and growing
population means that businesses have not only to
think of making their operations more efficient (that
is, cost cutting and carrying out their core business
more effectively) but also to consider what sustain-
ability means for their business strategy.
In this regard, Graham Hubbard, Professor of
Strategic Management, University of Adelaide,
Australia has written a paper 'Beyond Accounting -
assessing the impact of sustainability reporting on
tomorrow's business'. While many frameworks have
been developed for sustainability reporting, few
have received much general traction. Limited light
has actually been cast on organizational
performance by sustainability reporting to date and
so far it is unclear what impact it has actually had on
organization strategies, practices and outcomes.
Many questions exist. What should a 'responsible'
organization be expected to do (and not do)? What
is 'sustainable' organization practice? Which
measures should organizations really be worried
about? Is the GRI framework a desirable global
standard? Which organizations are performing well
in nonfinancial areas? Can we trust what organi-
zations say about their performance?" states Graham
in his paper.
Graham's Paper provides a background to the cur-
rent state of sustainability reporting. It briefly covers
the development of sustainability reporting. It con-
siders approaches to sustainability reporting and the
models of reporting that have emerged.
Graham’s paper also considers general issues which
arise from the measurement problems in the field.
Finally, it proposes plans for research which is pro-
posed to address these issues.
Note
This note has been tailored for tbl with permission from the authors
Mr. Tony Manwaring, Chief Executive, Tomorrow's Company and
Mr. Richard Spencer, Manager Corporate Responsibility, ICAEW.
To read the complete paper by Mr. Graham Hubbard, visit:
<http://www.forceforgood.com/Uploaded_Content/tool/
512009152850944.pdf>
For further information on this joint project, visit
www.forceforgood.com and www.tomorrowscompany.com
“ Corporate social responsibility
is not just about managing,
reducing and avoiding risk,
it is about creating
opportunities, generating
improved performance,
making money and
leaving the risks
far behind.
Sunil Misser,
”
Head of Global Sustainability Practice,
PwC
tbl jan-feb 09 41
 crossword

CROSSWORD
Across
1. Partnering with others for vested interests
5. Theme of 2008's last issue
6. tbl is not a magazine, but a ________
7. The friendliest bottom-line has to do with
________
9. As opposed to cacophonic collaboration
11. 'The next green' (model from tbl issue 2's
toolkit)
13. The kind of CSR that is not like likely to survive
crises
16. The fourth 'p' in public private partnerships
(from tbl's first-ever interview)
19. _______ in crime
20. A merging of efforts or interests by persons

Down
2. Without a view grounded in this, there ain't no
CSR, baby
3. Of coffee, of chocolate, of CSR
4. The number of provinces Pakistan has,
multiplied by the number of bottom-lines tbl
has
8. The bottom-line that is best for the air we
breathe
10. The capital of Pakistan
12. tbl's last survey report explored this HR issue
14. We save some, we spend some - the bottom, bot-
tom-line
15. The kind of energy cross-company CSR builds
17. _______ republic of Pakistan
18. Something that shatters the status quo, with crit-
ical negative change

tbl Issue 6 Crossword Hints

Across
1. What it's all about! At least in the world of tbl
2. If I was as strong as your ability to account, your organization would exist
at a higher plane altogether
4. This tbl issue's current thematic focus!
6. Not the indecent kind. Just so public knows what you've been up to in
areas that do happen to concern them
8. Do we really need all that talking?
11. An official raid on your company's existence
13. The skewed concept that ever-expanding consumption of material goods is
advantageous to - anything at all under the sun?
15. A system of values we all like to think we live by
16. Not the kind from a fresh green apple, but the one the world's in right now
17. Without these, how would we know we had quantifiable success?

Think you got it? Tell us at feedforward@tbl.com.pk
and see what surprises we have in store for you!
Down
1. Think of them as one among a group of many stakeholders, but those that
happen to hold the strings to some of your purses
3. The spirit of which is what keeps all economies fuelled
5. More with less (this was part of tbl's third issue's title)
7. This sometimes translates into unbridled profiteering, if there isn't a robust
governance mechanism in place
9. If you take me literally, your attire might be rather objectionable but with-
out me, governance doesn't mean anything to the public
10. If you're on the cutting edge, you're bound to have some up your sleeve
12. By the bureaucracy, for the common people
14. One who muses in tbl

42 www.tbl.com.pk
on the lighter side
The Eco-friendly
Family
A
n eco-friendly family have
reduced their household
waste so much they have
only filled one bin - in six months.
The Strauss throw away an aver-
age of just 100g of litter every
week - enough to fit in the palm
of a hand. They do not buy any-
thing with packaging, recycle
everything they can, compost all
their leftover food, and buy veg-
etables direct from local farmers.
The family even take their own
containers to their butcher to col-
lect meat so they do not use any
packaging or plastic.
Even over Christmas - when the
average family threw out an extra
five bags of rubbish - the Strauss
family threw away just 78g of lit-
ter. They saved their wrapping
paper from previous years, took
their Christmas cards to recycling
plants and made 'zero-waste'
crackers out of loo roll tubes,
according to news story pub-
lished on Mail Online in January
2009.
Rachelle and husband Richard,
who have a seven-year-old
daughter Verona, started recy-
cling last March by cutting back
on their use of plastic. Rachelle
has now set herself the target of
throwing out just ONE binful of
rubbish in the whole of 2009.
Richard added: "When we started
this I pledged not to take another
plastic bag from a supermarket
and I haven't. We just try to buy
food packaged with recyclable or
reusable materials. We're plan-
ning to go a full year creating the
minimum amount of waste and
hopefully this will amount to no
more than one bin."
Hybrid Buses Only
Please
G
oing green was a cause
she could really sink her
teeth into. The New York
Daily News, in its Crime section,
reports the story of a woman,
Shelia Bolar, 49, who apparently
bit the driver of the bus she was
riding on because she was upset.
Why was she so mad? Because
the bus wasn't a hybrid!
"She came on the bus, and she
said she waited more than an
hour for a hybrid," said MTA
driver Peter Williams, 42. "I said,
'I'm not in control of what bus is
assigned to me.'"
From this we can conclude that
she only rides in hybrid buses,
and when none showed up she
got frustrated. Once inside the
bus, she started hollering at the
driver and when she was done
ranting she bit him through "a
jacket, a sweater and a thick shirt,
causing a bruise and swelling but
not breaking skin."
Bolar now faces assault charges
and will undergo a psychiatric
evaluation. The moral of this
story? Crazy in the name of any
cause, even green, is still crazy. If
you want to ride only in hybrid
buses, that's fine (though kind of
pointless since all the buses keep
driving around whether you are
inside them or not), but please
don't bite anyone!
First Cloned Dog
Raises Issues of
Ethics, Science
A
n American couple were
so distraught at the
prospect of losing their pet
Labrador that they decided to pay
£100,000 to clone him. Edgar and
Nina Otto decided to have DNA
samples of their pooch Sir
Lancelot frozen six years ago,
after he was diagnosed with can-
cer.
The £100,000 pooch, Lancelot
Encore was created from cryo-
genically frozen DNA of the
Otto's dog Sir Lancelot. After he
died last January in 2008, the
wealthy pair then paid a biotech
firm £108,000 to create Lancelot
Encore.
BioArts CEO Lou Hawthorne
teamed with Dr Hwang Woo-suk,
a scientist with South Korea's
Sooam Biotech Research
Foundation, to produce the dog.
To create Lancelot Encore, Woo-
suk took an egg from what
Hawthorne called 'an indigenous
Korean dog' resembling a blood-
hound, replaced the egg's innards
with the late Lancelot's DNA,
then implanted the egg in a sec-
ond Korean dog.
Two months later, Lancelot
Encore was born in South Korea,
weighing 1lb 3oz. The Ottos say
he's the first single-birth, commer-
cially cloned puppy in the United
States.
A researcher holds two cloned
beagle puppies named as 'Magic'
and 'Stem' at the South Korean
biotech firm, RNL Bio. They said
a new method could slash the cost
of cloning pets. RNL Bio said it
has developed a new method to
clone dogs using stem cells
derived from fat tissue that great-
ly increases the likelihood of suc-
cess.
According to chief executive Ra
Jeongchan, two cloned beagle
puppies were born in the past
week using this method, which
could reduce the cost of cloning a
pet dog to about £35,000 within
three years.
While some see canine cloning as
assisting efforts to understand
human stem cells, others
denounce it. "Dogs are man's best
friend and have a special place in
most cultures," says Executive
Director of the Genetics Policy
Institute, Bernard Siege.
Compiled by Rutaba Ahmed
tbl jan-feb 09 43
musings
any takers?
by praetor
for tbl
M
y view on CSR is rather self-centric. What is
in it for me? Are all the millions the corpo-
rate sector is pouring into CSR program-
ming making my life better? Do companies under-
stand how my life can get better? I don't think so.
Because if they did, I wouldn't be stressed and
hyper-ventilating all the time because of what
companies do to me. Perhaps unknowingly at times,
I grant you that. But nevertheless its time they
understood what the first tenet of corporate social
responsibility should be. And that is simply, do not
stress your consumer. Or for that matter anyone
falling within the rather amorphous definition of a
stakeholder. So what am I talking about here?
I get stressed when I dial a corporate number and a
machine comes on, mechanically instructing me
what to do to solve any one of half a dozen possible
problems, by pressing a magic digit. I get stressed
because I am a human being and when I have a
problem I want to talk to a human being. Whoever
came up with automated answering should be held
responsible for a crime against humanity. I mean
really, how much does it cost to have a few
educated young people with great peoples skills as
they are called, to answer calls?
I get stressed when I see the mind-boggling profit
figures in annual reports and wonder why some of
these cannot be passed onto me and to other
consumers in terms of lower prices when it has
become impossible to make ends meet in these
costly times? Hey, isn't this corporate social
responsibility? I don't know about you, but I get my
salary on the first of the month and it's all gone by
the fifth. Used to be the tenth in what seem now to
be the good old days. So dear corporate, do me a
favour if you want to be socially responsible. If
44 www.tbl.com.pk
profits are coming out of your ears, reduce your
prices for a change. It's the best public relations you
can do!
Then I also get stressed when I buy a product and
some of the critical text on the packaging or
accompanying leaflet is in a font size that can only
be read by using a magnifying glass. Which you will
admit is not something you keep within arm's reach
all the time as you go through life. Or perhaps you
are expected to have the vision of an eagle that can
see a field rat on the ground as large as a football
from several hundred feet up in the air. So what is
the miniscule lettering if not a deliberate attempt to
stress me out? Just make me give up in sheer hope-
lessness. I am not sure what is worse; trying to read
instructions or warnings in font size 2 or being bla-
tantly insulted in this way. See we did tell you what
can go wrong but you didn't read the instructions
carefully! Not funny.
And what about all the companies whose CSR
strategies do not have any cross reference to their
advertising? Shouldn't it again be a fundamental
CSR principle not to take me for a fool and thrust
misleading advertising down my throat? Deliberate,
pre-meditated hustling, no less, if you ask me. Why
not just tell me the truth and let me still buy their
products because I appreciate their honesty? Stress.
Stress. Stress.
So do I have any takers for my version of corporate
social responsibility? One thing I can tell you for
sure. Re-think your CSR on these lines and you will
do yourself a big favour. Because in essence what
you will be doing will be creating 'sustainable'
consumers. Praetor has given you a new insight. Act
on it.