This document discusses the development of national CSR (corporate social responsibility) agendas through multi-stakeholder dialogue in 8 countries. It notes that businesses themselves currently drive CSR in the region, while government involvement is lacking. The objective is to coordinate government measures to enable better environments for CSR and set priority actions. National CSR agendas have been developed through stakeholder mapping, capacity building, and multi-stakeholder forums. Challenges include defining CSR, building stakeholder capacities, leadership and financing of strategies, and monitoring results. Priorities include CSR education, civil society support, SME guidance, procurement policies, and impact monitoring. Results so far include baseline analyses, national CSR agendas, formalized stakeholder structures, improved understanding

1. Development of National CSR Agendas
through multi-stakeholder dialogue
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Lyra Jakulevičienė, UNDP LITHUANIA
13-14 October 2008, Prague
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2. Why more active Government involvement in CSR needed?
Countries covered:
Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Slovakia and
Turkey.
Situation in the region (Baseline Study on CSR implementation,
2007)
- businesses themselves – supported by local, membership based
business organisations are currently the main agents of change for CSR
- the awareness, ability and organisational power of NGOs to put
pressure on business and government are limited
- the media in the Region is failing to hold corporate actors accountable
for irresponsible business activities
- the direct involvement of Governments across the region is diverse and
systematic government incentives and initiatives for social and
environmental performance are generally missing
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3. National CSR Agendas to accelerate developments
Rationale: when traditional driving factors for CSR are missing,
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Government policies and actions may stimulate developments
Objective: to coordinate state measures for enabling better
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environment for companies to engage in CSR (CSR promotion
measures); to set priority actions of Governments for 3-5 years – thus
not a new tool of regulation
Format: no single format – ranging from - Roadmap in Turkey,
§
Stakeholder agreement in Poland to - official government strategy in a
form of national programme in Lithuania and Slovakia
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4. Development of National CSR Agendas: process
Mapping out various
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stakeholders and building their
capacities to implement CSR
CSR peer groups formed from
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government representatives and
stakeholders-allowed to see “all
sides”
Partnership with three
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CSR/Global Compact Networks
in Germany, Spain and UK and
external CSR experts
Multi-stakeholder forums
§
nationally and locally
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5. National CSR Agendas in a multi-stakeholder context
TURKEY - SECTORS POLAND-STAKEHOLDERS
Consultations with 6 main groups
4 CSR peer groups working actively
in the development of Agenda: of CSR stakeholders:
• Business
§ TUSIAD (Turkish Industrialist’s and
• NGOs
Businessmen’s Association) WG
• labour unions
§ CSR Association round table
• Government
§ Textile CSR peer group
• academia
• media
§ PR and Strategic Communication
Companies CSR peer group
BULGARIA – FORMAL GROUP
A multi-stakeholder CSR experts’ group is
MACEDONIA – CSR BODY
appointed by the Order of Deputy Minister
of Labour and Social Policy Coordinative Body on CSR
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6. Development of National CSR Agendas: challenges
The definition of CSR: Often mixed up with PR, charity, philanthropy or
§
ad-hoc initiatives, the CSR concept should be understood and applied
on the basis of common denominator by all national (CSR)
stakeholders.
Lack of capacities of stakeholders
§
Leadership and financial sustainability: Which institution assumes
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the leading role in the implementation of the National CSR strategy and
Action Plan? How to ensure the financial sustainability of the national
strategy?
Monitoring and Assessment of results: How do we assess the
§
progress?
Promotion and spreading the CSR practices among SMEs: What
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kind of incentives to be applied? Specific requirements which are less
cumbersome and less expensive in order to be effectively implemented
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7. National CSR Agendas: priorities
Among the priority areas for advancing public policies on CSR the
eight countries recognised:
CSR education and advocacy,
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support to civil society organisations and capacity development of other
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local stakeholders,
small and medium enterprise (SME) guidance,
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responsible public procurement,
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development of regional CSR reporting standards and impact monitoring
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systems
(Statement of Vilnius Conference on Public CSR Policies, 9
September 2008)
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8. Results so far
Comparable baseline analysis of CSR implementation situation in the
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region mapping the actors in the field of CSR
CSR Agendas in 7 countries as first multi-stakeholder agreements to
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outline vision/ action plan for CSR development. Led to formalized
public CSR policies - provides sustainability for many years to come
Multi-stakeholder forums turned into permanent or formalized
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structures (CSR Coordinative Body in Macedonia, CSR Association in
Bulgaria, CSR Platform in Turkey, etc.) – will allow to continue the
dialogue
Better understanding among stakeholders - working together allowed
§
to understand each other concerns better
Cooperation among countries: establishment of knowledge and
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expert sharing platform in the region, a database of good practices, a
joint European masters programme on CSR
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