"It's my business" approach will not suffice when competition exists in a fierce market with emerging economies. Nowadays, customers look to buy more than an average product, they want to see how the products or services they are buying will safeguard the environment or contribute to social development. Corporate social responsibility, being part of competitive strategy, must comply with the corporate mandate, vision and mission to ensure business's growth and sustainability. The Development Solutions will conduct situational analysis of your current development strategy, business activities, review your corporate policies, advise on creating additional value to your brands/products and assess the potential for human development in your company. The work breakdown may look as follows but can always be tailored upon consultation with a client:

- Carry out a SWOT analysis to identify potential priorities and areas of focus;

- Organize a one- or two-day workshop with staff and identify priority areas for CSO over the next three years;

- Carry out bilateral consultations with interested parties to identify areas of concern;

- Carry out consultations with key stakeholders to identify areas for potential collaborations;

- Develop a CSR strategy, outlining clear objectives, targets, activities, allies, deliverables and indicators, as well as an implementation plan for the first year;

- Provide recommendations on corporate policies, key competences of personnel to implement the strategy over the coming three years.

Ethical culture of an organization is supported by its ethical standards. The employees feel more motivated and rewarded when they know that their daily work has a positive impact on the environment, reduces poverty or contributes to changing community lives. The statement of the company's vision, code of conduct or code of ethics supported by the leadership help maintain high levels of motivation and creates a desirable corporate culture. The Development Solutions knows how to turn your everyday business chores into strategic development changes by shaping your vision and reflecting it in the ethical standards for your employees. The work breakdown may look as follows but can always be tailored upon consultation with a client:

- Conducting interviews with employees and management to identify the gaps in understanding ethical standards;

- Stating risk areas and identifying social causes related to your organization;

- Advising on the appropriate form of a document – statement of values, code of conduct, code of ethics, work and family responsibilities policy, whistle-blowing policy, compliance policy;

- Conducting interviews with key stakeholders to include their values and promote inclusiveness;

- Drafting documents and creating visual materials to communicate the values to the employees and stakeholders;

- Training human resources and management personnel to uphold ethical values and pass them on to employees in an effective manner.

If you are a socially responsible company than you may already be implementing corporate social responsibility strategy, but like in business – measuring things helps managing them well and effectively. You may want to know how your CSR activities complement your business development goals and, as a responsible company, you would like to know what the impact is on the society and environment. Evaluating the effectiveness of CSR helps you achieve progress in development, add value to your business and build a more rewarding relationship with your stakeholders. The work breakdown may look as follows but can always be tailored upon consultation with a client:

- Reviewing the CSR strategy, internal reports and other relevant documents;

- Developing evaluation design, evaluating criteria and evaluative questions;

- Assessment of external perception of CSR by public and image of the company in mass media;

- Assessing the baseline data, developing indicators and assessing the outcomes;

- Drafting the final report and providing necessary recommendations;

- Presenting the findings and incorporating suggestions in the report;

- Holding a workshop on adjusting CSR strategy, if necessary.

Have you decided to do something good but do not know where to start? Or perhaps as a chief executive officer you feel overwhelmed by incoming requests from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) asking you to help children with poor health, save arctic bears, build churches or combat corruption? Everything seems important but the budget is limited and you may not want to reject the incoming requests. Hold on here. Random aid in a chaotic manner may not reach the desired impact. It should also be done in a holistic and systemized manner. Using the resources and expertise of your organization may lead to a higher impact of social causes and complement your corporate mandate. We can show you how to find outstanding approaches, use your CSR budget wisely and even reach your business targets. The work breakdown may look as follows but can always be tailored upon consultation with a client:

- Initial consultation to study your business profile and corporate mandate;

- Conducting a stakeholder needs assessment and recommending initiatives that leverage your expertise and meet your stakeholder's expectations;

- Identifying relevant causes and global challenges;

- Finding social initiative to support and advising on the budget;

- Drafting a public message for NGOs stating funding priorities and social issues;

- Developing the set of indicators for inclusion in the public report.

Like in business, your social responsibility requires focus, consistency and professionalism. It starts from learning who is doing what in terms of corporate social responsibility issues but unlike competitive strategies your CSR strategy should seek synergies with other stakeholders: businesses, governments, local communities and NGOs. Complex projects start from thorough problem analysis, assessment of your resources and the right strategy. A good design is crucial because it not only increases your chances for higher impact, but also builds up your brand and the value of your organization. The Development Solutions is highly capable of developing projects for big corporations, linking them with international organizations or governments; or for middle size or small business exploring the opportunities of social entrepreneurship. Together, with you, we exercise an integral approach based on project life cycle management so that your CSR projects will drive your business and ensure overall sustainable development.

If you have already been implementing corporate social responsibility activities, now it is time to share them with the public. Usually, for first time reporters, you can reflect upon your three years of CSR activities. However, it is better to start the process beforehand by developing indicators to report on, conducting dialogue with your stakeholders and choosing the reporting format – UN Global Compact report, GRI, AA1000, Integral report or your own form of the report. Though the form is important, the content is even more important. Some companies opt for standardized reporting, reaping additional benefits and attracting socially responsible investors. Whether you need to prepare for your first reporting or get your hands around the actual reporting – we are ready to assist you.

The work breakdown may look as follows but can always be tailored upon consultation with a client:

- Initial consultation to study your business profile, corporate mandate and CSR activities;

- Advising on the reporting format and defining the borders of the report;

- Facilitating dialogue with stakeholders to identify the scope of the report and key indicators;

- Developing the system of data collection;

- Training the personnel;

- Conducting interviews with relevant departments of your company;

- Drafting the report and preparing it for independent assurance and verification;

- Designing the plan for promoting your public report.