Sustainable business through responsible investment & good corporate citizenship

Call for Expression of Interest

Trainers for Workshop Series on Corporate Responsibility

Capacity Building for Better Business (C3B)

April 2010

The Corporate Responsibility Forum Liberia

The Corporate Responsibility Forum of Liberia is a private sector initiative that aims to
promote responsible investment, good corporate citizenship and collective action for the
sustainable development of Liberia. With a focus on capacity building and knowledge
transfer among Forum members and the private sector, its objectives are to:

i. coordinate corporate responsibility programmes and provide a forum for the sharing
of lessons, experiences and best practices on corporate responsibility in the private
sector;
ii. support capacity building and good business practices among companies and
corporations;
iii. provide ongoing support and advice for small medium enterprises with regards to
good business practices and local economic integration (local supply chain
management); and
iv. mobilize private sector resources in support of specific government development
initiatives.

An Executive Committee comprising six companies and the Government of Liberia manages
the affairs of the CR Forum. The GTZ Centre for Cooperation with the Private Sector
provides technical support to the CR Forum.

Capacity Building for Better Business (C3B) Project

The business climate in Liberia is gradually improving, spurred on by reforms implemented
by the government. Yet, despite significant gains, challenges and obstacles remain in the
way business is done. Addressing these problems requires a combination of short-, medium-
and long-term approaches.

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Through the Capacity Building for Better Business (C3B) Project, the CR Forum Liberia
seeks to strengthen capacity of business to deal with contemporary business and associated
social issues that are relevant to the creation of a vibrant private sector in Liberia. It will run a
series of workshops and seminars that will introduce and share best practices on
partnerships in supply chain management, business and human rights, stakeholder and
community engagement, corporate philanthropy, anti-corruption and disclosures, and
business and the environment.

The Workshops will run over a period of six months beginning in June 2010 and will be open
to all members of the business community, representatives from relevant government
agencies and civil society organizations. Each thematic workshop, described further in the
Table below, will run for not more than a week at hours that allow participants to spend a
portion of their time at work. The total number of hours per workshop will not exceed four
hours.

Participants will receive a certificate of participation (from CR Forum Liberia) after

completion of a workshop/seminar.

Topic/Theme Workshop Objective & Content Outline + Recommended Additional

Reference
The CR Forum realizes that corporate responsibility is about the ‘’way we do
what we do’’. In a less developed economy like Liberia, there is often a blurring
of the line between marketing and corporate philanthropy. Some businesses
struggle to balance community expectations with their business plans and
models, leading to tensions.

While not presuming to provide an all-encompassing solution to the way

businesses approach corporate responsibility and engage in philanthropy,
Streamlining Corporate Responsibility Into Business Operations will seek
to promote understanding of the principles and issues of corporate
responsibility. It will provide a contextual differentiation between corporate
philanthropy and brand marketing, and guide business on how to balance
Streamlining stakeholder expectations with legal and business responsibilities and
obligations.
Corporate
Responsibility Additional Content Outline:
into Business 1. Unpacking Corporate Responsibility:
Operations Introduction: terminologies & definitions, i.e. CR/CSI/Corporate
Philanthropy, etc;
Evolution of CR in Liberia and globally: debates around CR; current
developments, etc.
Applicable frameworks, initiatives, principles (introducing the UN Global
Compact and its 10 Principles)
Practical issues (as they apply to Africa and Liberia)

2. How to go about setting up, implementing and monitoring a strategic CR

programme in a company in Liberia

Presentation: These topics will be presented at an annual event of the CR

Forum in November 2010, where all members and guests will attend.
Recommended (additional) Reference:
-The business of sustainable development in Africa

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Topic/Theme Workshop Objective & Content Outline + Recommended Additional
Reference
The Business and Human Rights seminar/workshop will cover the following
areas:
Raise awareness of relevance and significance of business and human
rights standards and practices to management and operations of business
enterprises;
Recognize with discussion that with the incorporation of business and
human rights standards and practices, business will be adapting to
st
economic and cultural demands of the 21 century that include consumer
interests and should lead to accessibility of additional markets;
Identify and review international human rights law signed by Liberia and UN
Secretary-General Special Representative framework on Business and
Human Rights in relation to business management and operations and
identify with discussion international corporate responsibility mechanisms;
and
Introduce practical business tools for development and application that
Business and
promote respect and adherence to business and human rights standards on
Human Rights
the workplace, customers and community.

Presentation: CR Forum members and all interested businesses, civil society

and relevant government agencies will attend the Business and Human Rights
workshop in August 2010. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights will serve as resource agency for this workshop.

Additional Content Outline:

What are the broader business/human and labour rights issues, dilemmas
affecting the conduct of economic activities globally?
What are the specific issues relevant to Liberia?
The Global Compact Human Rights and Labor Rights principles; other
relevant initiatives
What could companies do? What systems should they have?
Optional: Case studies
Business has a responsibility to safeguard the environment for future
generations. The Business and the Environment seminar aims to give
participants an understanding of the environment in Liberia, why it matters and
what must be done to help keep it healthy. It will include the following main
topics:

Why does the environment matter to society in general and business in

particular;
Liberia’s environment, what is special about it, what is robust and what is
fragile;
Current environmental problems;
Environmental compliance legislation and its enforcement by the
Business and the
Environmental Protection Agency;
Environment
Understanding environmental options: avoidance, reduction, mitigation and
compensation; and how these work in practice;
Examples of positive and negative environmental approaches by different
businesses; and
How to go about ensuring compliance with environmental laws

In Liberia, the government puts the onus on all businesses either to undertake
their activities in ways that do not damage the environment, or to find ways to
compensate fully for damage caused. National legislation carries stiff penalties
for businesses that fail to achieve this, and there are many areas where
compliance issues are poorly understood in the business community. The
seminar demystifies the topic in a practical way.
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Topic/Theme Workshop Objective & Content Outline + Recommended Additional
Reference

Additional Content Outline:

What are the broader environmental issues, dilemmas?
What are the specific environmental challenges in Liberia
The Global Compact Environment principles
What could companies do? What systems should they have?
Optional: Case studies

Presentation: This seminar is targeted at businesses in the extractive,

manufacturing and agriculture sectors. It will be held in October 2010.
Drawing on the experiences of the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency
Initiative, the Anti-corruption, Disclosures and Business Ethics workshop
will address the following specific areas:

National laws and statutes on anti-corruption and disclosures

International protocols and best practices on business conduct and
corruption
Contextual application of business disclosures
Corruption as an impediment to growth and development and better
Anti-corruption, business in Liberia
Disclosures and
Business Ethics Additional Content Outline:
Business and the risk of corruption
The Global Compact anti-corruption principles
What can business do to fight corruption: different approaches/interventions
at the work-place;
Optional: Case studies, e.g. Malawi BAAC, SA NACF

Presentation: This workshop is for all interested businesses and agencies. It

will be held in September 2010
Recommended (additional) Reference:
-Business fighting corruption: Experiences from Africa
-Anti-corruption Toolkit
Partnerships in Small businesses in Liberia are crucial to spurring economic growth and the
Local Supply building of a vibrant middle class. Many small, Liberian-owned businesses
Chains struggle to compete with similar, foreign-owned businesses with access to large
capital and business experience.

The Partnerships in Local Supply Chains seminar will outline areas of

possible partnerships between small businesses and large companies in local
economic integration and supply chain management. It will identify opportunities
and challenges and explore ways of influencing national policy on support to
small businesses. It will also include components dealing with best practices on
small business management.

Additional Content Outline:

The need for inclusive business/local economic integration
Local supply chain/value chain management
Poverty Foot
Partnerships and public private partnerships
Related concepts: Bottom of the Pyramid, Poverty Foot Print Evaluation,
etc.
Optional: GTZ PPP facilities and opportunities

Recommended (additional) Reference:

-An Introduction to Partnerships for Sustainable Development in Africa
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Topic/Theme Workshop Objective & Content Outline + Recommended Additional
Reference
-Capacity Development for Partnerships in South Africa: Increasing Service
Delivery through Partnerships between the Private and Public Sector
-The Partnering Toolbox (IBLF)

Presentation: The seminar will be held in July 2010. The target participants of
this business seminar will be CR Forum members and small and medium
businesses.

Call for Consultants

The Corporate Responsibility Forum Liberia invites qualified individuals and agencies to
submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) to conduct at least one of the seminars or workshops.
Each submission must include the following:

1. A cover letter describing for which thematic workshop(s) the EOI is submitted
2. A brief description of the proposed training methodology and approach
3. Updated curriculum vitae of the Trainer and, if applicable, the Profile of his/her
organization
4. At least one evidence of experience in facilitating similar workshop or seminar, especially
in Sub-Saharan or West Africa
5. The training/professional fees in US Dollars calculated on the following basis: One
Workshop Session of 4 hours offered a total of three times (i.e. 12 Credit Hours). If
trainer resides outside of the Republic of Liberia, additional reimbursable costs (i.e.
flight costs, visa, per-diem, airport transfer, etc) should be clearly stated. The total cost of
that trainer will, therefore, be calculated as: training/professional fee + reimbursable fee.
The CR Forum Liberia will provide accommodation and local transport and hence this
should not be included in the reimbursable costs.

Deadline for submission of EOIs is May 8, 2010 at 17:00 Hrs GMT.

Please send all submissions by email to the Secretariat: marcus.wleh@arcelormittal.com or

info@crforumliberia.org

For more information on the Corporate Responsibility Forum, visit www.crforumliberia.org

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