Corporate Community Challenge
26 May 2004 at 1:05 pm
Take the Challenge! The Corporate Community Challenge 2004–2005. The Australian Benchmarking Group is looking for 30 Australian companies to join a one-year program to improve their community investment.
The challenge for each company is to achieve a target of 10% in performance improvement based on measures that balance internal goals and external standards.
The Australian Benchmarking Group – Corporate Community Investment, is itself is a corporate-community partnership between ARTD Pty Ltd and the National Centre for Citizenship (Volunteering NSW).
Project Manager, David Morrissey says there are already many leaders in corporate benchmarking such as BHP Billiton, Westpac and Qantas.
The Challenge (CCC) is looking for second tier companies that may not be as large but may be every bit as diverse and are keen to put appropriate benchmarking models in place.
Morrissey says the Challenge offers the resources to do it in a systematic way.
He says the CCC program offers a structured cycle of performance improvement that will support companies to:
– Set a new vision, goals, strategies and KPIs
– Take baseline measurements
– Disseminate CCI strategies to internal and external stakeholders
– Systematise improved performance at business unit level
– Evaluate and report; assess the % improvement against targets and
– Celebrate their improvement!
Ideally, Morrissey says there is a break-even need for sponsorship from public and private organisations to enable the Challenge to go ahead.
He says at this stage some 60-70% of the initiative will be self-funded by participants and the rest by sponsors.
The Challenge will open its doors in June and operate through a series of workshops over the twelve months. The first workshop will take place in mid-July.
The Australian Benchmarking Group was established in 2001 as a partnership between the National Centre for Citizenship, an initiative of Volunteering NSW, and ARTD Pty Ltd, a Sydney-based consultancy in program performance assessment.
The overall goal of the ABG is that member companies improve the effectiveness and management of their investment in community partnerships, for both the business and the community.
The benchmarking process draws on the work of the London Benchmarking group, and adapted to Australian circumstances. It includes the systematic collection of input, output and impact information using standard templates and definitions. This comparable data is a gateway to structured discourse around good practice, which is where the value of benchmarking lies.
ARTD provides tools (a generic database, guidelines, reporting proformas) and the ‘backroom’ support to the ABG. The NCC provides the community input, links to Not for Profit partnerships and some management / media support.
ABG members include Thiess, Newmont Australia, Australia Post, Wyeth Australia and BHP Billiton.
For more information on the Challenge contact David Morrissey on 02 9716 4500 or email to david.morrissey@artd.com.au.
