Integrating Social Responsibility (ISO 26000) into existing Management Systems and Your Supply Chain

Companies around the world, and their stakeholders, are increasingly aware of the need for and benefits of socially responsible behaviour.  

Your company’s performance and "license to operate" is measured on its impact on society, the environment and good organizational governance.

In the recently released study Canadian Business Sustainability Priorities for 2011 , Dr. Tima Bansal, Executive Director, Network for Business Sustainability noted: "Corporations that fail to accommodate public interests through their private actions expose themselves to significant risks: they will lose customer markets; experience limited access to financial capital; and suffer disruptions to their supply of goods and services." 

The Good News about Social Responsibility

The perception and reality of an organization's performance on Social Responsibility can positively influence many things including:

• Competitive advantage

• Reputation

• Ability to attract and retain workers or members, customers, clients or users

• Maintenance of employees' morale, commitment and productivity

• View of investors, owners, donors, sponsors and the financial community

• Relationship with companies, governments, the media, suppliers, peers, customers and the community in which it operates.

• Risk Assessment , Share Price and Corporate Valuation

What Gets Measured Gets Managed - "get guidance from ISO 26000"

It is important that an organization standardize the way it defines, manages and measures its impact on society and the environment to ensure continuing effective operations and sustainability.  The new ISO 26000 guidance document does just that. 

"It's important to know which sustainability metrics are most meaningful and integrate them with traditional business metrics." 

ANDREW WILCZYNSKI, Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility TELUS

In this course we will show you how ISO 26000 provides practical guidance to the standard measurement and operationalization of Social Responsibility within your company and your supply chain. 

We will also demonstrate its value in providing guidance for stakeholder engagement, CSR reports and claims. Business wants guidance on the best metrics to help benchmark, signal commitment to sustainability, and identify areas that need improvement.  In this program we will show you how ISO 26000 can provide this guidance.

 What you will Learn:

At the conclusion of this practical, fast paced and hands-on program you will be able to:

• Define Social Responsibility using the ISO 26000 as it relates to your organisation and supply chain.

• Apply Social Responsibility (ISO 26000) principles to current issues within your company and learn practical metrics and benchmarking methods.

• Identify Social Responsibility gaps in your current management systems and those of your supply chain.

• Explore tools, frameworks and software for practical application of ISO 26000.

The session will be delivered in four, 1.5 hour sessions. 

Session 1 (February 7, 2012 at 1 pm EST)

1.    Introductions – Understanding your context for social responsibility and CSR.
2.    Define Social Responsibility using the ISO 26000 guidance document, make the link to sustainability and examine its standardization through the supply chain.
3.    Examine the practical benefits and business case for Social Responsibility and ISO 26000.

Session 2 (February 14, 2012 at 1 pm EST)

1.    Social Responsibility (ISO 26000)  Principles and Practices including: Accountability, Transparency, Ethical Behaviour, Stakeholder, Rule of Law, International Norms & Human Rights
2.    Exercise: Stakeholder Identification and Engagement

Session 3 (February 21, 2012 at 1 pm EST)

1.    Social Responsibility (ISO 26000) Core Issues including: Human Rights, Labour Practices, The Environment, Fair Operating Practices, Consumer Issues, Community Involvement & Development
2.    Exercise: Recognising Social Responsibility in your Organisation and Supply Chain

Session 4 (February 28, 2012 at 1 pm EST)

1.    Social Responsibility (ISO 26000) Implementation Practices: Integration using existing management systems through your supply chain, including: Communication, Measurement and Continuous Improvement.

2.    Exercise: Identifying internal processes to manage Social Responsibility.

3.    Tools for Metrics Management - Software, Records, Internal and External Audit Process.

4.     Management Tools and Frameworks.

Sandra Tavares, Principal, Tavares Group Consulting

Since 1995, Sandra’s experience has ranged from local EHS management with small firms to global Corporate Social Responsibility management with large multinationals. Sandra, a certified Environmental Management System Lead Auditor, has conducted EHS management and compliance audits throughout Canada, the U.S. and Mexico; she has also recently been accredited by the California Air Resources Board as a Greenhouse Gas Verifier and Electricity Sector Specialist. 

 Sandra is an active member of the Canadian Advisory Committees on Environmental Management and Social Responsibility; these committees provide Canadian feedback to the ISO Technical Committees who develop the ISO 14001 and ISO 26000 standards, respectively.  Sandra is also a Director of the Board for the Small Business Centre located in London, Ontario.  Sandra is a former member of the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment’s (CCME) Pollution Prevention Awards Advisory Board and the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters Environmental Quality Committee and former Director of the Board for the Environmental Management Resource Centre for Business.

Sandra earned her M.Sc. (Plant Science/Environmental Science) from the University of Western Ontario, where she returned to lecture at the Masters of Environment & Sustainability programme.

GUEST SPEAKER(S):

TD Bank Financial Group

Karen Clarke-Whistler, Chief Environment Officer for TD Bank Financial Group is responsible for developing and implementing an environmental strategy that meets TD's stated goal of becoming the environmental leader in the banking industry in North America. A respected environmental scientist, prior to joining TD Karen worked as an environmental consultant on projects around the globe relating to sustainable development of the natural resource and energy sectors. She has consulted extensively to global banks and is published on a range of topics relating to sustainable development and corporate responsibility.

A Canadian non-profit established in 2005, the Network for Business Sustainability produces authoritative resources on important sustainability issues – with the goal of shaping management practice and research. NBS connects thousands of researchers and professionals worldwide who are interested in corporate social responsibility (CSR) and who believe in the value of research-based practice and practice-based research. 

• All organisations / industry sectors
• Corporate Social Responsibility Officers, Sustainability and Environmental Managers and Personnel
• Environmental Health and Safety Managers and Personnel
• Senior Management
• Supply Chain Managers
• Any one responsible for integrating Social Responsibility into an existing management system

$325 UNTIL JANUARY 10, 2012