Позитивные изменения. Том 4, №1 (2024). Positive changes. Volume 4, Issue 1 (2024)

B4SI MODEL FOR ANALYZING PROJECT OUTCOMES

The B4SI (Business for Societal Impact) model, a global standard for corporate social impact assessment and management, formed the foundation for developing the project’s social and environmental impact assessment and management system.

The B4SI model empowers companies and their partners by providing impact information essential for various purposes, including:

• Ensuring a consistent approach to assessing contributions (inputs, various forms of investment, e.g. money, goods and services), outcomes, and impacts across company and partner initiatives;

• Informing strategic decisions regarding future directions, goals, and key performance indicators (KPIs) within the community context;

• Identifying and verifying outcomes for both the community and the company;

• Optimizing project operations and engaging new participants, including company employees;

• Communicating the results of community investments to key stakeholders;

The components of the B4SI model are summarized in Figure 1.

RESULTS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT

One of the primary objectives in analyzing the CC project was to delineate the core components of the B4SI model and devise recommendations for gathering data on the project’s products, outcomes, and impacts.

The fundamental information regarding the Inputs and Products segments resides within the reports provided by the project operators. Therefore, the initial focus was on structuring the available data and proposing a framework of outcomes and indicators for the Impact segment concerning the local community and environment.

1. Inputs

Given the CC project’s multifaceted nature and design, a comprehensive analysis of the resources invested in it necessitated considering more than just its financial aspect. To achieve this, insights were gathered during interviews concerning the resources of the retail chain utilized for CC operations.

The most substantial in-kind contribution to the CCs from the retail chain involves providing space within stores for CC equipment and activities. This contribution could be monetarily assessed based on allocated floor space and store premises’ rental rates. Additionally, the company not only funds CC launches but also provides them with printed materials for events and designs exhibitions within stores.

While no instances of such occurrences were identified during the focus group research, if goods were donated as part of any events, their value should be integrated into the in-kind inputs category, along with the value of publications, advertising space, or airtime on Voice of Pyaterochka radio, if allocated for project promotion.

When evaluating contributions in terms of time invested by store employees, consideration must be given to the value of directors’ and participating store employees’ time dedicated to CC activities and events. Typically, working hours are accounted for, and their value is calculated based on salary, including payroll insurance contributions.

Furthermore, it is advisable to factor in the company’s own expenses for managing the CC project, encompassing salaries or other compensation for the specialist coordinating the project from the trading company, along with employees from other departments involved in project management. These costs should also cover office equipment, communication, travel, and administrative expenses associated with project implementation, including consultant service fees. Such costs are counted separately if they are not part of the core project funding (which in turn is accounted as a financial support).

From a targeting perspective, the retail chain’s contributions to the CC project represent social investments, given that the project is initiated by the company itself, with clearly defined goals, objectives, and envisioned results, coupled with ongoing monitoring and analysis of their achievement.

Since community development and support are not explicitly outlined as separate themes in the B4SI model, this aspect could be classified under either the “Other” section or encompassed within all the themes presented in the model. The rationale is that a CC project can equally support activities across education, healthcare, economic development, and human welfare, depending on the needs of local communities and the involvement of active stakeholders engaged in various domains.

Regarding the project’s geographical scope, while classified globally under B4SI as projects in Europe, it is more fitting to analyze and manage results within the project by federal subjects of Russia. This approach stems from findings during the focus group research indicating that regional characteristics can influence project implementation nuances.

2. Products

Considering the design, goals, and objectives of the CC project within the B4SI model, it seems the most appropriate to account for the following products: