IBM today announced three community projects in the city of Jamnagar, Gujarat as a part of its Corporate Service Corps (CSC) program. The projects will be implemented in association with Essar Foundation, Chaitanya Charitable Trust and Saurashtra Voluntary Actions (SAVA). The 11 member team hail from nine different countries and will be the 20th group from IBM to engage in the program in India.
Working with the Essar Foundation and the Chaitanya Charitable Trust, the IBM team will focus on creating a framework to both enhance access to quality education as well as advise on best case scenarios to provide quality training materials to schools in the region. In its work with Saurashtra Voluntary Actions (SAVA), the IBM CSC team will work to optimize the organization’s processes by providing a blueprint for successful operations.
IBM’s vibrant CSC initiative is unique because it places high-performing, talented employees from across the world in non-profit organizations in emerging countries for a month. This is a leadership development programme that combines HR’s need to develop global leaders and at the same time, utilize their skills to contribute to the community. The CSC program has made a direct economic impact in over 20 countries it has engaged in”, said Mamtha Sharma, Country Manager – Corporate Citizenship & Community Affairs, IBM India/South Asia.
Working with the Essar Foundation, the corporate responsibility arm of the Essar Group Companies, the IBM team will focus on providing an in-depth situation analysis as well as value assessment on the company’s existing philanthropic programs which are housed in various primary and secondary government schools near Essar’s refinery. Based on the analysis, the team will design a comprehensive volunteer programme to effectively run English teaching and learning courses as well as recommend study material and course curriculum that would enhance the programme.
The second project will be with Chaitanya Charitable Trust, a non-governmental organization that runs special initiatives to enhance access to education for children in underprivileged areas in Jamnagar. IBM’s team will create a five year strategy for the NGO to help them expand the reach of the programme and scale to an optimal number of centres. IBM’s team will also review Chaitanya’s marketing and communications strategy and make recommendations on how they can increase public awareness and amplify fundraising to support their efforts.
Working with Saurashtra Voluntary Actions (SAVA), the IBM CSC team will help streamline the operations of the Farmers Producers Organization – a producer company formed by SAVA in 1995 – to prepare a five year business plan. The result will be a more structured organization with a renewed focus on planning, review, accounts, reports, management, personnel, and HR systems to ensure SAVA continues to meet its commitment to minimize member’s market risks, providing them with suitable insights and recommendations.
Under the CSC program, IBM provides the expertise of its employees free of charge to organizations in order to deliver high quality IT and business consulting skills to local governments or communities in what is considered to be the largest program of its kind. Over 2,000 IBM employees have undertaken assignments in 34 countries since the founding of the Corporate Service Corps five years ago.
The CSC program is a unique opportunity and I am happy to be in Jamnagar, India as part of this program working with partners who are investing to improve the lives of the communities around them. Being the part of the CSC programme, we are able to provide fresh insights coupled with best practice solutions gained from our business which should add some real long term value which will help these NGOs to enhance their operations”, said Malcolm White, IBM CSC team member.
