Learn how to measure the success of your CSR programs.

CSR initiatives can improve workforce motivation, public approval ratings, and customer loyalty, but what are realistic goals and how do you know your program is a success? Implementing measurement best practices can help you optimize your CSR investment and report its benefits more effectively. The right metrics, standards, and guidelines can also help establish targets and gauge progress, ultimately adding to the CSR program’s credibility.

Which standards are right for your company, and how do you implement them?

Sorting through the needs of various internal and external stakeholders to set realistic and achievable goals is a complex and continuous process. The established guidelines and standards that enable effective goal setting are a solid starting point, but refining and implementing them in your organization can prove difficult.

What do you need to measure and how do you measure it? Which tools should you choose, and how do you communicate about the measurement process and findings?

Learn how to assess and capitalize on your CSR program’s effectiveness with approaches proven by the CSR measurement and communication experts.

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Contributed by Martin Mitchell of the Corporate Training Group

In case you were too busy to have kept up with all the news, contributor Martin Mitchell has gathered some important market events from last week to help you start this week well informed:

Mergers and Acquisitions

• Fiat has ambitious plans to create a new European car giant by buying Opel from GM and also taking a stake in Chrysler after it emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. However the Opel deal faces pressure from the German government aimed at protecting jobs, as well as competition thought to include sovereign wealth funds from Abu Dhabi and Singapore and three private equity firms.

• UK van manufacturer LDV has been rescued from administration by a £5m taxpayer-funded loan from the UK government. The loan is set to last up to 4 weeks, to enable a rescue of the business by Malaysian vehicles business Weststar.

• UK restaurant chain Carluccio’s has received a takeover approach. The buyer is yet to be revealed, but private equity firms are considered likely since Carluccio’s currently has no debt.

• Volkswagen and Porsche announced a merger that will create a family-controlled company. A taskforce of Porsche and VW managers, works council representatives and the state of Lower Saxony will work out the final details of the company structure over the next four weeks.

• The consortium that includes Icap finally launched its bid for LCH.Clearnet. The details have not been disclosed and the board of LCH.Clearnet will consider the offer next week.

• UK’s Carphone Warehouse agreed to pay £236m in cash for the UK assets of Tiscali, the Italian telecoms company. The deal will make Carphone Warehouse the second largest broadband provider in the UK and pave the way for a demerger splitting the company’s retail and telecoms interests to be executed in late 2009/early 2010.

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Distinguished Keynote Speakers Include:

• Dr. A.M. Gondane – Deputy Consul General of India in New York
• Ms. Pallavi Shroff – Lead Litigation Partner
• Amarchand & Mangaldas & Suresh A Shroff & Co (Advisor to Indian Government-Appointed Board at Satyam)
• Ambassador Frank Wisner – Former U.S. Ambassador to India, Currently International Affairs Advisor, Patton Boggs LLP

Distinguished Panelists to Discuss:

• US-India Business and Economic Relationship
• Private Equity in India
• The Indian Consumer
• India Going Global
• Corporate Governance & Board Oversight

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The story about:

• MFIs in the Trenches, and Specific Regional Differences
• Investors as they React to the Sector’s Challenges.

The on-going financial market crisis is hitting microfinance institutions and their investors. However, various country and/or market characteristics combined with individual institution policies are resulting in differing consequences. Come hear from the experts running these operations as they discuss their insights on what are driving these differences and how they are dealing with the challenges. Then hear how investors (public and private) are assessing the same challenges in their investment decisions. This will be a great evening with a lively and broad ranging panel examining the story of how a sector whose chief purpose is to supply small loans to those without collateral or access to traditional financial services is at once maturing and reshaping itself during this time of turmoil.

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As part of the Women in Technology ongoing partnership with internationally recognised law firm Kingsley Napley, we are hosting a series of employment law related breakfast briefings. This series of free events is specifically aimed at the HR and recruitment contacts within our network as well as senior technologists with team management responsibilities.If you don’t fall into this category of our membership but would be interested in the topic, please get in touch because if there is enough interest from other members, we will look into running an evening event with a similar theme for a larger audience later in the year.

This briefing is taking place from 8.30am (for 8.45am start) until 10am at the Kingsley Napley offices – Knights Quarter, 14 St. Johns Lane, London, EC1M 4AJ. The nearest tubes are Farringdon and Barbican.

Bonus and Staff Incentivisation
Tuesday 2nd June 2009 – 8.30am (for 8.45am start) to 10am

Sir Fred Goodwin’s pension payout and the controversial bank bonuses have been widely derided in the press. This seminar will discuss contractual obligations around bonuses and the threatened legislative changes in this area.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Sarah Lilley – slilley@womenin.co.uk – including the following details:
* First Name
* Surname
* Company
* Job Title
* Email Address
* Contact Number

Please note, there is no charge to attend this breakfast briefing.