Helping Business Serve Shareholders AND Society Simultaneously

Helping business to
serve shareholders AND society
SIMULTANEOUSLY
Multi-Sector CSR Partnerships
Natural Partnerships – Unnatural Partners
-by Wayne Dunn
www.csrtraininginstitute.com/knowledge-centre

Multi-sector CSR partnerships can drive
organizational successes and value creation.
Yet why do so many fail to start or start and fail?
Business, NGOs and development agencies might have natural
partnership opportunities but organizational history and the often
conflicting perspectives of internal and external stakeholders can
make these partnerships hard to realize. Far too often they start and
fail, or even fail to start.
The private sector is playing an increasingly important role in
development. Companies from all sectors, including especially the
extractive and fast-moving consumer goods sectors, are investing in
development initiatives in areas such as education, health, poverty
alleviation and livelihoods, environment, gender equality and overall
development partnerships.
These businesses strive to positively impact these areas at the
community, local and national levels, recognizing that doing so is
good for their business in many ways (or else why would they do it)
and also good for the communities and countries in which they work.
Natural Partnerships
– Unnatural Partners.
Chasms often separate natural development partners

Page 02
The impact areas of these private sector social responsibility
investments closely maps the impact areas outlined in the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) and anticipated impact areas of the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The MDGs and SDGs serve to guide the development activities of
the member countries of the United Nations and the vast majority
of development NGOs and organizations. Every member country
approved the MDGs at a special Millennium Session of the United
Nations.
Official Development Agencies (ODA), national governments, multi-
lateral and international organizations and NGOs focus development
efforts on MDG/SDG focus areas such as education, health, poverty
alleviation and livelihoods, environment and gender equality
While the various private, public and civil society organizations noted
above approach development with a focus on common areas and
themes, they often bring unique skills, experience and capacities to
the work. Coupled with the natural diversity of their organizations this
should/could add a lot of value to development efforts. The synergies
seem natural.
In many cases this focus on common themes and areas appear
complimentary and synergistic, at first glance, would seem to
naturally invite partnerships and collaboration and the various sectors
(e.g., ODA agencies, private sector companies, NGOs, etc.) even
have stated goals of collaborating with each other in support of their
development efforts.
Simple logic would suggest that collaboration would result in
efficiencies and more and better development impact per dollar spent
or effort expended for all parties.
That government, NGOs and industry would see a more and better
impact for their spending and their efforts.
They seem like
natural partnerships

Whether on an individual project level or a strategic organizational
level these natural partnership opportunities too often do not result
in effective partnerships. Value is lost for the organizations involved
but the real price is paid by their community partners who do not
receive the full impact that they could have received had these natural
partners found an effective way to collaborate.
The good news is that progress is being made. There is increasing
collaboration amongst business, NGOs and development agencies.
ODA Agencies such as Germany’s GIZ, America’s USAID, Canada’s
DFATD (formerly CIDA) and many others are developing and
implementing programs that enable co-investing in development with
private sector partners.
NGOs such as Care, World Vision, WUSC, Cordaid and many
others are actively working to find productive ways of partnering with
industry on CSR and development programs.
Natural Partnerships
are too often held
back by seemingly
unnatural partners
Yet, the reality is that, while there are notable exceptions, this
collaboration is not easy to achieve.
Chasms often separate natural development partners

There are some great examples of success – for example see From
Pariah to Exemplar: CSR & Stakeholder Engagement in Six Best
Practices (here) for an analysis of a 2001 CIDA, Placer Dome, World
Bank and various NGO partnership that was credited with ‘changing
the social face of the South African mining industry’.
Companies such as Golden Star, Kosmos, Tullow, Newmont, Kinross,
IAM Gold and many others are working with NGOs and development
agencies.
Companies such as Golden Star, Kosmos, Tullow, Newmont, Kinross,
IAM Gold and many others are working with NGOs and development
agencies.
Placer Dome went from Pariah (‘worst employer in South
Africa’) to Exemplar, credited with ‘changing the social face
of the South African mining industry’ Read the Stanford case
study and the CSR Training Institute analysis of the project

The CSR Training Institute is interested to learn more about the
successes and failures of Multi-sector CSR partnerships in the space
where business meets society.
If you have a case study that you’d like to share please contact us
(info@csrtraininginstitute.com) and we may be able to work with you
to develop and publish your case study.
Development Agencies often have approval and operational criteria
that is slow, cumbersome and makes the cost of the partnership way
too high.
NGOs too often struggle with fully embracing the value of partnering
with the private sector and communicating that value effectively to their
internal and external stakeholders, including especially individual
and organizational donors.
Businesses struggle to accept and adapt to the execution speed,
launch processes and reporting requirements of ODA agencies and
NGO partners.
Much more can be done, and should be done.
An early success and
yet, the progress is,
in my opinion, too
slow.

Professor Dunn brings a practical and realistic approach to CSR, blending theory and
practice to develop realistic models and approaches to address real-world challenges
Dr. Ellis Armstrong
Former CFO, BP Exploration
…coherent, thoughtful, stimulating and insightful… state of the art! The network of
participants from the public, private and civil society sectors was incredible, some of
the leading experts in the field.
Kojo Busia, Ph. D.
Snr. Mineral Sector Governance Advisor
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa/UNECA
…pragmatic blend of theory and practice, very applicable to helping organizations
meet real-world challenges.
Frank McShane
Manager, Corporate Responsibility Policy and Ethics, Talisman Energy
… readily available to provide support to organizations like Amref that are seeking
partnerships, and looking to bring about positive change in a collaborative and concrete
way. Wayne and the CSR Training Institute helped us to identify and connect with
potential partners and are always available. The training, the expertise, the network
and the overall support are world-class.
Onome Ako
Director of Strategic Partnerships, Amref Health Africa
“The program enhanced the CSR knowledge and strategic skills of our Kosmos Energy
Ghana team, and offered the participants a platform for networking with professionals
from other organizations across Africa and Ghana.”
Reg Manhas
Sr VP Kosmos Energy
Very much helpful Wayne; some of the tips and questions you gave will be an extremely
helpful guide in the process of developing a CSR Strategy for my company.
Emmanuel Aubynn
Regional Social Responsibility Manager, Newmont Africa
The CSR Program was excellent. A key aspect of my work is to encourage and support
private sector development that contributes to Ghana’s overall socio-economic
growth. The learning that I and my staff take away from attending this program will
help us immensely with this responsibility. I highly recommend this program.
Hon. Rashid Pelpuo (MP)
Minister of State for Private Sector Development and Public Private Partnerships
(Ghana)
New and exciting insights into the theory and practice of CSR… great faculty and
participants, very diversified. An excellent learning experience, very practical and
useful. I’m very happy I was able to participate in it.
Hon InusahFuseini (MP)
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources (Ghana)
WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT OUR WORK

Should Business Serve
Helping business to serve society and
shareholders, SIMULTANEOUSLY.
Should Business Serve
WAYNE DUNN, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER
SHAREHOLDERS?
SOCIETY?
IT SHOULD SERVE BOTH.
Wayne Dunn is President & Founder of the CSR Training Institute and
Professor of Practice in CSR at McGill. He’s a Stanford Sloan Fellow
with a M.Sc. in Management from Stanford Business School.
He is a veteran of 20+ years of award winning global CSR and
sustainability work spanning the globe and covering many industries
and sectors including extensive work with Indigenous Peoples in
Canada and globally. His work has won major international awards
and has been used extensively as ‘best-practice’ by industry and
academia.
He’s also worked oil rigs, prospecting, diamond drilling, logging,
commercial fishing, heavy equipment operator, truck driver and
underwater logging, done a couple of start-ups and too many other
things to mention.
Wayne’s career includes big successes, and spectacular failures. He
hopes he’s learned equally from both.
www.csrtraininginstitute.com

Helping Business Serve Shareholders AND Society Simultaneously

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