Business alignment
PwC has embedded its community programmes at the heart of its business. The firm has a clear aspiration to make a difference in the community through its company vision: “One firm – a powerhouse of a commercial enterprise that does the right thing for our clients, our people and our communities”. The company focuses on three sustainability objectives:
- Valuing its communities by sharing talent and putting something back
- Developing a diverse pool of talented people who create a high performance, respectful and inclusive culture
- Protecting the planet by reducing their environmental impact.
By linking community activities to staff engagement and skills development, PwC ensures synergy across its stakeholders and strategic value from its investment. Working in partnership with its Learning & Development Team, the firm has created leadership programmes to enable employees to share their skills with community organisations, whilst gaining atypical experiences - that support their personal development. Such an approach is a best practice example of integrating community investment into the wider business.
Measuring impact
PwC has showcased its leadership in the community investment arena by using its core competency in measurement to track and evaluate the long-term and sustainable difference it is making to both its communities and its business. For example:
- Student mentors supported by PwC have helped the young people that they work with to achieve higher GCSE grades. 94% of the students in a Southwark school who worked with a PwC mentor achieved 5 or more A*-C grades, compared to 77% for the entire year group.
- Through the firm’s involvement with Volunteer Reading Help, students supported by PwC made significant progress in reading ability, with one school reporting that 67% of Year 6 students supported by PwC volunteers made at least two sub-level gains in literacy, above expected attainment.
- Thirteen members of PwC’s Emerging Leaders Programme worked with the Globe Theatre to develop a new product that demonstrated the Globe’s expertise and unique approach to personal development training. Members of the Programme developed as leaders, with clear outcomes, such as new facilitation skills or team working experience.
- As part of its commitments from its original CommunityMark submission, the firm has also reviewed all its existing work to focus on emerging trends in the community investment agenda so that its programmes remain relevant.
Collaborating with clients and suppliers
PwC is at the forefront of engaging its business partners to support its community investment. The firm uses its convening power to highlight issues to other business leaders and secure their support.
For example, PwC hosted a BITC ‘Prince’s Seeing is Believing’ visit to the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) in 2010. The visit introduced business leaders from a number of PwC’s clients and profiled how the firm has shared resources and skills with social entrepreneurs across the country. As a result, a number of clients committed support, enabling SSE to diversify its corporate partner base.
PwC collaborates with its suppliers to share knowledge and skills and encourage greater community support associated with the provision of their services. The firm works with MITIE, for example, and has trained 17 apprentices through the “Real Apprentice Scheme”.
For more information on PwC’s approach to community investment, please visit http://www.pwc.co.uk/eng/aboutus/corporatesustainability/community_involvement.html or www.firestation.pwc.co.uk.
