Here's how you can recover from a failed CSR initiative and still create a positive impact.

Na minha opinião, o primeiro passo é reconhecer abertamente que a iniciativa não atingiu os objetivos esperados. Isso demonstra transparência e responsabilidade. Comunicar-se honestamente com todos os stakeholders envolvidos, incluindo funcionários, clientes e parceiros, é essencial para manter a confiança.

How can an organization recover from failure without acknowledging it had failed? This sentence might seem truly straight forward, but unfortunately, it is far from being so. I realized this back in 2005 after attending a donor meeting for the OECD - as an advisor to the program. To me, it had partially failed. However, there was a great sense of denial to the extent that donors where tapping the team on the shoulder for a job well-done. They, simply, didn't want to feel their money wasn't well spent. While those implementing might have had too much ego to admit failure or feared to admit that three years of work did not result in something tangible. Candor, humility and open communication are essential in any organization aiming to succeed

Will share an example straight amongst the many CSR initiatives planned targeting women children elderly youth of a rural community absence of adequate prog planning & mgmt the outcome were dismal. During mid course correction it was decided to build and hand over a Multi purpose Community Hall to be used for ( Social Religious Purpose/Skill Trng , Local Stkh /LGA Meetings in absence of positive feedback to other CSR Interventions due to faulty programme planning & other limitations . It was observed that the Com Cen. built turned out to be the most effective CSR initiative even in a failed larger attempt towards facilitating better participatory dev dialogue with great sense of comm ownership & long term sus devp initiative

El círculo virtuoso de aprendizaje se da mediante repetición y ajustes, así se llega a la excelencia, escuchando y afinando, cada vez hasta hacernos fuertes y experimentados en la materia.

Before implementing sustainability initiatives, always make sure that the initiative is clearly communicated to all parties. Out of my enthusiasm to implement sustainability initiatives at the workplace, specifically providing glass containers for employees to use for their takeaway lunches, I forgot to include our cleaning contractor in the communication. They were unhappy because it meant more workload for them (washing dirty containers after lunch). The company eventually switched to another cleaning contractor for an unrelated reason. However, I learned a valuable lesson. Once the new cleaner started, I communicated our sustainability principles and expectations in advance.

We cannot talk of CSR without stating stakeholders engagement. Stakeholders are lifeblood of companies and represent such a salient aspect of CSR. One can enumerate all the benefits that engaging stakeholders has to the success of a CSR initiative. The next step after brainstorming with a diverse backgrounds team and gathering their viewpoints, assessing stakeholders materiality, is to fuel the CSR initiative with feedback and strategy-oriented ideas. In my opinion, reckoning stakeholders concerns will definitely be perceived as a genuine CSR commitment.

I think it is important to acknowledge failure first, and then move on to unpack what went wrong. The evaluation has got to be a team effort in order to find out the root cause and here all sides of the story from various viewpoints. Remember to pick out the small successes as well as the failures, put them down in written form as a reminder for the future.

l est facile de considérer un échec comme un revers total, mais cette perspective est souvent trop dure. Peut-être que l'initiative était ambitieuse, visant haut pour un impact maximal. Dans de tels cas, même si le résultat final n'est pas celui escompté, il y a probablement des aspects qui ont bien fonctionné. Par exemple, l'équipe a peut-être développé de nouvelles compétences, renforcé des partenariats, ou identifié des besoins communautaires jusque-là méconnus.

But consider only those who are your target audience. And only those who can be considered as adequate persons. In crises, we tend to focus too much on inadequate people or reactions.

From experience, some CSR projects or programs fail not only because they didn't engage stakeholders correctly - right from the start, but because of the cultural barriers between them and their stakeholders. Understanding the language and culture and identifying the best methods to communicate can help in assessing failure and devise a recovery plan of action. It is important here to mention, that taking both these points into account might not be enough, it needs to be supported by choosing the right people who would have both the technical knowledge and social intelligence to communicate effectively with stakeholders.

Quand les actions RSE ne portent pas leurs fruits, c'est souvent en raison d'un manque d'alignement ou de qualité dans la communication interne. Ce déficit engendre un décalage entre les politiques RSE de l'entreprise et les initiatives concrètes, qui peuvent alors être mal comprises, d'abord à l'intérieur et par suite à l'extérieur de l'organisation. En travaillant une communication interne claire et cohérente concernant les objectifs de la RSE, les valeurs de l'entreprise et les plans d'action, on peut donner aux collaborateurs les outils pour bien comprendre et s'approprier la stratégie et les enjeux, et développer des actions engageantes qui sont cohérentes avec la politique RSE de l'entreprise.

Stakeholder engagement is crucial for CSR. At times a plan or activity that looks good in presentations does not fulfil the objectives. Hence, first hand feedback from all stakeholders can help you evaluate your plan and adapt according to the ground realities.

Muchos proyectos mueren porque no se conocen o no se divulgan, no se escucha a los interesados, no se gestiona la información y la comunicación, esto es clave para el desarrollo de proyectos que impactan comunidades.

I think Project Design can play an extremely powerful role in CSR projects. Good design aligns the interests of various stakeholders while also Maximizing outcomes both for the company and it's stakeholders. Project Design can really move the Needle on achieving objectives, be they Social or Environmental.

El apego a una solución impide la evolución o involución, todas necesarias en el proceso de aprendizaje. Ya decía arriba que la escucha, recibir retroalimentación, permite ajustar y mejorar, paso a paso, hasta llegar a la excelencia.

Definir metas mais realistas permite um amadurecimento do RSE, e a medida que se alcance as metas aí sim é possível determinar um novo avanço. De qualquer forma, o histórico deve ser mantido e divulgado dentro do contexto, para que se demonstre a evolução do RSE com transparência.

Si detectamos que la estrategia no fue la mejor, siempre hay tiempo para replantear el rumbo y cambiar el plan. Muy importante saber que es un camino a largo plazo, en etapas cortas para ir perfeccionando al andar.

I would say that refining a strategy is a dymanic process. It is not because strategies have been defined, that they are untouched. For example, Marketing teams in companies always revisit their strategies to adequately and appropriately cover customers needs in a day-to-day changing world. It is a true competitive advantage and therefore cannot remain static. Likewise, refining a CSR strategy is more than crafting words, it's about understanding and scrutinizing the stakeholders feedback and results from assessments and field operations in other to get a tailored strategy. It is a regular action, a continuous improvement process.

🔄 Adapt and act: Implement the changes identified during the evaluation and strategic refinement phases. Ensure all team members are on board. We re-launched our CSR initiative with a revised plan and clear roles for each team member, which improved execution and outcomes.

Implementar mudanças com base na estratégia refinada de RSE integrada à ESG é fundamental. Comece com projetos gerenciáveis que proporcionem vitórias rápidas e, gradualmente, avance para iniciativas mais ambiciosas. Mantenha a transparência, informando as partes interessadas sobre progressos e contratempos. Isso cria uma narrativa de melhoria contínua e ajuda a reconstruir a confiança nos esforços de RSE, demonstrando um compromisso genuíno com a responsabilidade social e a sustentabilidade.

Mettez en place des indicateurs de performance clés (KPI) pour suivre l’impact de vos initiatives RSE. Évaluez régulièrement les résultats et ajustez vos actions si nécessaire. Partagez ces évaluations avec vos parties prenantes pour montrer les progrès et obtenir des retours constructifs. Soyez prêt à ajuster vos stratégies en fonction des retours et des résultats obtenus. L’amélioration continue est essentielle pour s'assurer que vos efforts de RSE restent pertinents et efficaces. La mise en œuvre des changements basés sur une stratégie affinée, en commençant par des projets gérables et en passant progressivement à des initiatives plus ambitieuses, permet de créer un impact positif durable.

Soyez prêt à accueillir les feedbacks venant des parties prenantes pour assurer une amélioration continue de votre stratégie RSE. Maintenez un dispositif de suivi et évaluation avec des indicateurs clés et facile à évaluer.

Los cambios se deben tomar en equipo considerando los diferentes rumbos que podemos encontrar en cada proyecto. Más cuando venimos de un proyecto que falló, de esta manera perfeccionamos lo malo y podemos convertirlo en una buena arma de eficiencia a lograr el objetivo.

📈 Continuous monitoring: Regularly track the progress of the new initiatives and adjust as needed to stay on course. We set up a monthly review process to monitor the progress of our revised CSR activities, allowing us to make timely adjustments and stay on track.

You might need an accountability partner to keep you on your toes. Such an individual will keep nudging you until you get it right and able to celebrate small wins!

Avaliar o progresso do produto ou do serviço prestado é fundamental para ver se a estratégia adota esta dando resultados positivos ou negativos, para que se possa tomar decisões quanto a novos procedimentos deverão ser tomados ou não.

To recover from a failed CSR initiative and still create a positive impact, it's crucial to monitor progress effectively. Establish clear, measurable goals and track key performance indicators (KPIs) regularly. Use feedback loops to gather insights from stakeholders and adapt strategies based on what you learn. By continuously assessing and adjusting your approach, you can identify areas for improvement and ensure that future initiatives are more successful and impactful.

Trabajar responsabilidad social te puede convertir en un generador de cambios en tu comunidad, en tu ciudad, en tu país. Para lograrlo recuerda trabajar bajo un modelo de gestión de calidad que te permitirá siempre revisar tu proceso de trabajo y hacer mejoras continuas

🌐 Communicate improvements: Keep all stakeholders informed about the changes and progress being made. This helps maintain trust and demonstrates commitment to CSR. 🧠 Reflect and innovate: Continuously reflect on what works and what doesn’t, and be willing to innovate and try new approaches to achieve better results.

Sempre que for necessário revisar as metas deve ser verificado se as metas anteriores contribuem para a minimização dos impactos da empresa. É importante aproveitar o momento para determinadar novas ações que minimizem os possíveis impactos causados pela empresa.

In addition, consider establishing clear metrics to measure the impact of your revised CSR initiatives. These metrics can demonstrate tangible progress and help in refining strategies further. Also, fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptation ensures sustained success in CSR endeavors.

Stop and explore (honestly) 1. What could the OPPORTUNITY side of sustainability offer your business? 2. What a goal to REGENERATE the ecosystems and communities you operate within means? 3. How could you do CIRCULAR SYSTEMS innovation? 4. Do you have SERVICE (PaaS) development potential? 5. Your potential for BIOMIMICRY-based innovation. 6. Do you design for 3D safety using Cradle to Cradle principles? 7. Are your goals around SYSTEMS optimisation, not process efficiency? 8. Are you exploring ways to use GLOBAL commercial solutions to solve LOCAL issues? 9. Do your business decisions consider your impact on your host ECOSYSTEM and COMMUNITY? 10. Have you designed around the inconvenient , irrational realities of human behavior in groups?