Workshop: Awareness

to Action: How to
Implement CSR in SMEs
18 - 1 March !"1#
$%ito& Ec%a'or
(inal Report
Final Report
Workshop: Awareness to Action: How to Implement CSR in SMEs
Quito, Ecuador
18-19 March 2013
I. Workshop Oeriew
O!"ecties:
Understand the opportunities that CSR can generate for SMEs, especia! "! increasing
co#petiti$eness and pro$iding access to ne% #ar&ets'
(ro$ide current state of CSR, incuding o$er$ie% of CSR principes'
)e$eop a taiored CSR action pan for each SME that can "e i#pe#ented o$er * #onths'
#e$ materials coere%:
+$er$ie% of CSR principes and "enefits'
,o% to de$eop and i#pe#ent a CSR action pan in a SMEs "usiness strateg!, incuding-
#apping sta&ehoders, diagnosis, "ench#ar&ing, strategic panning, i#pe#entation strateg!,
e$auation and co##unication'
,o% to foo% up once a CSR action pan is de$ised'
Workshop str&ct&re:
.ntroduction- o"/ecti$es, e0pectations, introducing participants'
CSR 1%areness- current state of CSR, incenti$es and o"staces to i#pe#enting CSR in
SMEs, i#portance of CSR in "eco#ing #ore co#petiti$e2 interactive sessions: CSR in a
SME, benefits of CSR.
+$er$ie% of CSR principes- interna pu"ic, e0terna pu"ic, suppiers, en$iron#ent,
responsi"e #ar&eting and co##unit! reations2 gender and hu#an rights; interactive
session: responsible practices in my SME.
.#pe#enting CSR in a SMEs "usiness strateg!- de$ising a #ission, $ision and $aues2
#apping sta&ehoders2 diagnosis3CSR incenti$es3opportunities and chaenges2 strategic
ana!sis2 de$ising an action pan2 e$auation2 co##unication2 interactive sessions: mapping
stakeholders, diagnosis and benchmarking, business case for key CSR principles and
presenting action plans.
4oo% up strateg!- de$ise taiored pan, support net%or&s; interactive session: hat do you
need!
5rap up and concusion- ne0t steps2 interactive session: hat ill you do tomorro!2 present
dipo#as'
Workshop participants:
68 participants fro# %ho# 30 %ere SMEs fro# a $ariet! of sectors incuding #ining, ogistics,
ser$ices, agricuture, etc' 4ro# the tota of participants, 27 %ere #en and 21 %ere %o#en
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II. Workshop Res&lts
Emer'in' themes:
SMEs in attendance %ere $er! interested in earning a"out CSR, especia! after the in& %ith
co#petiti$eness "eca#e cear'
SMEs ac&ed the appropriate toos to de$eop a CSR strategic pan' (rior to the %or&shop 29
out of 30 SMEs had de$eoped CSR progra#s "ut none had de$eoped a CSR strategic pan'
1though 233 of SMEs had de$eoped a #ission, $ision and $aues, #ost of the# had a
co##ercia tone' 8er! fe% SMEs incuded a co##it#ent to societ! in these docu#ents'
)uring a "ench#ar&ing e0ercise, SMEs de#onstrated strong practices in go$ernance 9had
ega status, #ission, $ision and $aues, code of ethics, and co##unicated the CSR
acti$ities:'
So#e of the attendees e0pressed a strong desire to infuence their o%n sectors'
SMEs recogni;ed that CSR is a $aua"e too to i#pro$e a co#pan!<s i#age and reputation'
1%areness regarding this topic increased "! 2=> during the %or&shop, #easured "! the
sur$e! that %as ad#inistered prior to and foo%ing the %or&shop'
Res&lts an% (articipant )ee%!ack:
(articipants< &no%edge of CSR increased "! 36> o$er the course of the %or&shop,
according to the sur$e! that %as ad#inistered prior to and foo%ing the %or&shop'
(articipants indicated that the! %ere e0tre#e! peased %ith the %or&shop #ethodoog!,
content, and for#at' ?he participants appreciated that the trainer presented concrete ideas,
soutions, and toos, taiored to SMEs, and that she addressed their concerns throughout the
%or&shop'
(articipants $aued the opportunit! to share their e0periences and earn fro# the e0periences
of others during the %or&shop and "e a"e to "ring ne% and inno$ati$e soutions to their o%n
"usinesses'
*e+t steps:
?he +1S and CERES %i "e foo%ing up %ith the Ecuadorian SMEs' ?he SMEs %i ha$e to su"#it
the action pans that the! de$eoped during the %or&shop for +1S re$ie% and appro$a' ?hereafter,
the SMEs %i seect a &e! aspect of the action pans that the! %i i#pe#ent %ith support fro#
+1S3CERES o$er the ne0t si0 #onths' ?he training, as %e as the si0 #onth foo% up, shoud
pro$ide the SMEs %ith a soid idea of ho% to i#pe#ent the re#ainder of their CSR action pans'
?he +1S CSR (rogra# %i aso "e hoding %or&shops for SMEs in the foo%ing countries-
1' 1rgentina 929-30 1pri 2013:-
o Status- in con$ersation %ith possi"e oca partners, %ho agree that the %or&shop is
an e0ceent initiati$e that %oud pro$ide SMEs %ith ne% opportunities' ?he detais of
the possi"e partnerships are current! "eing discussed'
2' Urugua! 92-3 Ma! 2013:-
o Status- in con$ersation %ith the oca CSR organi;ation' +1S is finai;ing the dates
and %i "egin recruiting participants short!'
3' Me0ico 9Ma! 2013:-
o Status- there is considera"e interest to hod a %or&shop in Me0ico 9especia! in
Chihuahua, )urango, and Sinaoa states:' )ate, pace, and oca partners are sti
?@C'
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III. Workshop (ict&res
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