Recommended actions to foster the adoption of Corporate Social ...

international guidelines and principles such asthe Global Compact and the InternationalLabor Organization.4.3 Business AssociationsBusiness associations include trade associations,territorial associations and associations for servicedelivery and support to SMEs activities. The “SSystem” (Brazilian Service to Support SMEs - SEBRAE;Social Service of Industries - SESI 33 ; Social Service ofCommerce - SESC; National Rural Training Centre -SENAR), is the social service network to which allBrazilian companies contribute. The “S System” hasbeen considered in this analysis and included in therecommended actions as project developers. Brazilianbusiness associations seem to have the strongestpotential role in fostering CSR, therefore, they areencouraged to lead most of the actions proposed below.a. Ensuring transparency, recommended actionsfor business associations include:– Encourage and support voluntary third partyauditing to provide CSR accreditation for SMEs.Responsible SMEs should be recognized bytheir stakeholders (in particular by customersand competitors) for their efforts to complywith tailored ethical protocols.b. Facilitating, recommended actions for businessassociations include:– Facilitate workshops on compliance issuessuch as taxes and administrative costs,transparency and accounting.– Improve monitoring systems and environmentalassessments in SMEs through the developmentof the Life Cycle Assessment approach in aspecific sector (through the supply chain).– Train SME managers on CSR best practices. Forexample, provide classes on strategic planningand on how to write a responsible business plan.– Participate in the definition of guidelines forcodes of conduct and ethical behavior.c. Improving Promotion and Advocacy,recommended actions for businessassociations include:– Provide gender rights counseling bysupporting women at work throughexperience sharing and workshops withwomen who are leading managers, politiciansor entrepreneurs.– Raise awareness of good labor practicesthrough voluntary programs.– Enhance the application of best availabletechnologies and praise environmentallyfriendly technologies through anEnvironmental Technology Expo.– Promote stakeholder engagement throughtraining and dissemination of best practicessuch as benchmarking techniques.– Promote sustainable tourism practices amongrelated SMEs. Foster planning, managementand communication activities for SMEs in thetourism industry.d. Partnering, recommended actions for businessassociations include:– Develop an SME culture of transparency andcommunication by sharing domestic andinternational best practices and tools.– Conduct a risk analysis to identify the directand indirect costs of non-compliance based oncase studies. Then, form a pilot group of SMEsto draft a compliance program specifyingtiming, resources and expected results.– Start a pilot project for a chosen sector onenvironmental management systems accordingto ISO 14001 at the district level. Local banksand financial institutions can support thisproject with their knowledge of local SMEs,including the financial and industrial situationas well as the risk involved 34 , they can also helpfinance the project.33 SESI promotes workers’ quality of life. Its objective is to stimulate the sustainable growth of the country with services in the healthcare, safety, environment, sport, leisure, culture and basic education. Besides stimulating the companies to be socially responsible,the SESI promotes activities that help change the life of thousands of people. Together with Global Action, the System carries outother activities on a regional level, in partnership with local associations to diminish misery and assist the excluded portion of thepopulation in the generation of sufficient income.34 Clients privacy policy should be appliedBrazil 39