A CSR Thoughtpiece from the CSR Training Institute -by Wayne Dunn CSR and Sustainability are continually getting more complex and more costly but often without a corresponding increase in value for shareholders and society. Sometimes it seems like it simply gets more complex and more costly and produces less value. To keep updated on postings and events go to www.csrtraininginstitute.com and sign up for the newsletter

1. Helping business to
serve shareholders AND society
SIMULTANEOUSLY
CSR SWOT
discover risk, value and more
-by Wayne Dunn
www.csrtraininginstitute.com/knowledge-centre

2. CSR budgets, requirements and external expectations have
increased astronomically in recent years.
At the same time the depth and breadth of stakeholder groups
and related interest has continued to grow.
Layered on top of all this has been an ongoing increase in
regulatory requirements around CSR and Sustainability and
an almost immeasurableincrease in voluntary standards,
norms and reporting demands and expectations.
CSR and Sustainability are significant costs to modern
corporations in many sectors. And failure to ‘get it right’ is
a huge risk with potentially devastating impacts on brand,
projects, careers and even companies.
CSR SWOT
discover risk, value and more
CSR and Sustainability are continually getting more complex and more costly but often without a
corresponding increase in value for shareholders and society.
Sometimes it seems like it gets more complex and more costly and produces less value.
Is this your CSR?

3. CSR SWOT
discover risk, value and more
Page 02
In many cases the cost and complexity of CSR has grown
rapidly and often without an effective framework to ensure
that shareholder value and societal value is optimized at both
the project and the corporate level.
CSR can seem Eyes Glazing Over complex
At the project level CSR activities are relatively efficient at
optimizing value to society and to the project. Theimmediacy
and discipline of social license and stakeholder interests
drives discipline and focus.
CSR projects and activities at the site level (minesite,
production site, factory, etc.) are normally fairly well aligned
with societal and shareholder interests and enhancing overall
social license.
In my work at the corporate and project level
I have often found
As CSR has become more important it has gotten more complex,
more costly and often less efficient at producing value.
A CSR SWOT can help discover risks and opportunities, and
help to CSR more comprehensible to key internal and external stakeholders
1. CSR is efficient at
value creation at the
project level.

4. Page 03
There is seldom a corporate level strategy/framework for
maximizing shareholder/corporate value from CSR activities
and budgets at the project level.
At the corporate level CSR value is more often realized across
communications, social value branding, talent acquisition
and retention, financial market relations, marketing and sales
and other areas.
Whereas CSR and value creation at the site level is often
responsive and, in some ways almost instinctive, at the
corporate level it is much more nuanced and requires broader,
more strategic and proactive approaches.
Few companies are efficient at fully capturing value from
CSR at the corporate level. This is somewhat ironic in that
corporate level CSR value is a highly leveraged and low-risk
value creation opportunity.
For the most part the money has already been spent (at the site
level) and capturing value at the corporate level is relatively
low cost and high impact.
Corporate wide-metrics and reporting frameworks are difficult
to fit to project-level needs and often simply add complexity
and work without apparent project-level value.
Metrics important for management at the project level are not
understood or accepted at the corporate level, and often not
even at executive levels on the project itself.
2. CSR is inefficient
at value creation at
the corporate level.
3. CSR/Sustainability
Metrics are confused
and confusing.
CSR SWOT
discover risk, value and more

5. Page 04
There is more discussion on this in CSR Metrics: You can’t
measure temperature with a speedometer
CSR Metrics should meet project and corporate level needs. Often they meet neither
The reporting demands of the obligatory, regulatory-driven
compliance reporting coupled with what often seems like
a disconnected and confusing hodgepodge of voluntary
reporting are confusing and overwhelming.
4. CSR/Sustainability
Reporting is
inefficient and
overwhelming.
CSR SWOT
discover risk, value and more

6. Page 05
Compliance with regulatory driven reporting requirements is
mandatory and can be driven by site level and host country
requirements, home country requirements and the requirements
of various membership organizations.
Voluntary reporting requirements are often selected somewhat
randomly and companies end up complying with sets of
voluntary reporting requirements that may not make sense
when looked at objectively.
Too often companies end up complying with one or more
voluntary requirements that simply don’t make sense when
looked at through a value and efficiency lens.
Those that do often find that there is little marginal value in
some of their voluntary areas and that there may be other
voluntary areas where there is a much better value/cost
relationship.
Even fewer look at where and how they may extract more
corporate level value from their overall reporting commitments.
There has been significant improvement in this area in recent
years but it is still often the case that CSR is often somewhat
of a bolt-on piece of the corporate structure.
Fortunately, there are increasing numbers of companies that
have CSR and related interests represented at decision making
levels throughout the organization
5. CSR is ghettoized.
CSR SWOT
discover risk, value and more

7. Page 06
CSR efficiency (especially efficiency at creating shareholder
value) too often ends up in the important but not urgent
category and simply doesn’t get done.
Executives and managers recognize that there are
inefficiencies, that there are value opportunities and that there
are likely unnoticed risks and threats.
They know that a CSR SWOT should be done. But, the urgency
of day to day demands and priorities keeps pushing this out
and it doesn’t get done.
8. We’ll get to it soon
CSR SWOT
discover risk, value and more
Few companies have invested the time and resources to
develop effective CSR communication strategies at the site
level or at the corporate level.
Too often CSR communications is ad-hoc and sporadic,
ranging from ‘shout from the rooftops’ to ‘keep your head
down and mouth shut’ strategies. Sometime both at the same
time.
Communications is a very efficient way to extract more
shareholder value from CSR spending and yet too often this is
literally left to whim and chance.
For more on this see CSR Communications: Eleven mistakes
to avoid
7. Confused strategy
for external CSR
communications.

8. Page 07
An objective and dispassionate ‘fresh-eyes’ review will often
find:
• Opportunities for increased shareholder and societal
value from existing CSR budgets and programs.
• Opportunities for improved efficiency and effectiveness in
CSR/Sustainability reporting
• Unnoticed risks and threats
Executives and managers who can’t find the time to undertake
a CSR SWOT should look to bring in someone who can bring
fresh-eyes and fresh perspectives and just do it.
CSR SWOT
discover risk, value and more
This isn’t to blame the leaders and practitioners of CSR, nor
the C-suite team. It is simply the reality of companies and
leaders working hard to keep up with a dynamic and rapidly
evolving field.
However, a CSR SWOT does represent an important
opportunity for companies, especially in these days of
economic uncertainty and increasing budgetary pressures.
A CSR SWOT can often uncover value, opportunities and
risks that have developed and gone undetected as managers
and executives have scrambled to keep up with the rapidly
evolving CSR space in recent years.

9. Page 09
CSR SWOT
discover risk, value and more
To read other CSR Articles and Thoughtpieces click here>>>
A CSR SWOT doesn’t have to be comprehensive to be
valuable. Most can be done, at least to a preliminary level,
without travel to project sites and remote locations.
A CSR SWOT can help companies to unlock new value and
better manage risks. But, only if they actually get done and
not just thought about.
A CSR SWOT can help your organization to better support and
capture value from your CSR budgets and activities.

10. CSR SWOT
discover risk, value and more
Eleven strategies
for maximizing value from
CSR
CSR in Budget Crunch Times
12 strategies for success
Multi-sector CSR Partnerships
Natural Partnerships – Un-
natural Partners
From Pariah to Exemplar
Applying the 6 best practices
Engaging Internal Stakeholders
Seven proven strategies
CSR Communications
Eleven mistakes to avoid
Stakeholder Engagement
Six best practices
Creating a CSR Program
in eight self-serving steps
CSR Metrics:
You can’t measure temperature
with a speedometer
Stakeholder Engagement
Five common mistakes
CSR Value Continuum
A unique perspective on Shared
Value
Smarter CSR Budgets
8 steps to connect budget to
value
28 Expert tips
On stakeholder engagement
Don’t be an Altruistic Angel
Be transparent about what’s in
it for you
13 Mistakes that prevent & destroy
Multi-sector CSR partnerships
NHL Sustainability Report
Good but incomplete.
Below are some recent articles and publications on Corporate Social
Responsibility and stakeholder engagement that you may find interesting.

11. 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

12. 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