THE BIG SOCIETY, SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY & THE BOTTOM LINE

The Big Society consists of all the local communities. Social responsibility is government and companies taking responsibility for their impacts on the local community, on a day to day basis, and for new projects.

Taking social responsibility involves listening to peoples’ concerns, ideas and expectations. Government needs to listen, since many of its members have little experience of the real world. Companies need to listen, as the local community is a key stakeholder that can make a significant difference to their bottom line.

The Big Society idea is about delegating responsibility to the local level where the people debating, negotiating and resolving the issues are those affected by the outcomes. It recognises that “top down” management as employed in the armed forces doesn’t work in business or in everyday life – the MOD is a prime example of this. “Bottom-up” management has been successfully developed over the past 30 years in Business, led by unions and workplace committees in areas such as health, safety and the Environment. It has resulted in substantial improvement in standards and reductions in injuries, pollution and other costly losses. Similar opportunities for cost reduction are available within the local community, working together to exploit opportunities and avoid costly delays and disruption, for example during projects.

All Projects are “local” for the people living and working in the local community, and these are the people who have the greatest influence on the success of the project. Engagement and involvement of key local stakeholders in the workplace, marketplace, environment and community is critical to the success of every project.

By engaging the community the company gains “local knowledge” and an understanding of the local culture, the likes and dislikes, the sensitivities. The process identifies local resources and potential partnerships and synergies to exploit for mutual gain. It also uncovers risks and sensitivities that can be negotiated to reach a compromise acceptable to all parties – proactively, not as a reaction to an incident, delay or other setback.

So the message to Business is that the Big Society Idea is a wake-up call to the opportunities for added value and cost savings that are available in partnership with the local communities.