| |
In This Issue
Editor's Note
Delivering Sustainable Local Benefits
Leading energy and extractives companies—and companies that deal with “local” issues in their operations or supply chains—have the opportunity to deliver lasting value to local communities while enhancing economic returns.
In today’s feature, BSR Advisory Services Director Michael Oxman recommends a three-part approach that incorporates a strong risk-management base, “investments” in a formal accountability system, and deployment of a framework that promotes innovation to support companies’ efforts in delivering long-lasting, sustainable local benefits to the communities in which they operate.
We also share a new BSR report that highlights some of the challenges and opportunities extractives companies face in building local content programs that drive commercial value and support local development.
Additionally, we hear from BSR Advisory Services Manager Alejandra Martin, who shares the benefits of conducting site-level human rights impact assessments, which are particularly important to extractives companies operating in remote locations.
 |
In Depth
Operating Locally: BSR’s Three-Step Approach to Delivering Lasting Value
By Michael Oxman, Director, Advisory Services, BSR
Leading energy and extractives companies—and companies that deal with “local” issues in their operations or supply chains—have the opportunity to deliver lasting value to local communities while enhancing their own economic returns. BSR’s three-step approach to delivering lasting value creates a clear and systematic connection between local benefits and corporate value to ensure that program outcomes are sustainable.
Read more →
|
Spotlight
Conducting Site-Level Human Rights Impact Assessments
By Alejandra Martin, Manager, Advisory Services, BSR
Although more than 270 companies have human rights policy statements in place, few have implemented the policies, and even fewer have conducted human rights impact assessments at the site level. These assessments are particularly relevant for companies operating in remote areas where local governments and civil society have limited experience interacting with the private sector.
While human rights impact assessments are usually conducted when a new site is acquired, performing the assessment at any stage in the operation can deliver benefits, including:
-
Helping define a common framework for respecting human rights among all stakeholders, including public security, government, contractors, the local population, workers, and other incoming companies
-
Identifying positive actions already taking place to protect human rights and communicating performance to stakeholders
-
Recognizing potential issues that could become human rights violations if they are not addressed and corrected immediately
For more information on this work, contact Alejandra Martin or Chris Nolan.
Toolbox
Building Effective Local Content Strategies
BSR's new report highlights some of the challenges and opportunities extractives companies face in building local content programs that drive commercial value and deliver sustainable local development benefits in countries where they operate.
Local content—which typically refers to local employment and procurement—is an increasingly important part of companies’ business strategies in light of the growing number of governments establishing stringent policies on local hiring, local capacity-building, and preferential pricing to local firms.
This report provides 10 recommendations on how to build effective local content strategies. The top recommendations include:
-
Make local content a core part of business planning and strategy.
-
Consider local content within overall fiscal/commercial negotiating terms.
-
Align community investment with local content goals.
-
Take a life-cycle approach to enhancing employment opportunities.
-
Invest in internal capacity-building at corporate and site levels to support the implementation of local content programs.
For more information, contact Michael Hackenbruch.
|
|
|
