Prime Minister’s CSR Awards/FAQs

Overview — By csr on June 26, 2009 at 6:51 pm

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. Why is the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development running an award for corporate social responsibility (CSR)?Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is very much of interest to the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, given the overlap between CSR efforts of corporations and the Ministry’s own initiatives to promote the well-being of marginalised and underprivileged communities. Experience, both locally and in other countries, shows that the most positive results in community development are obtained when the private sector partners the government in elevating levels of education, empowering those who have been left behind by development, improving health standards and awareness, eradicating poverty, and creating equal opportunities for women, among others.

The Ministry feels that, by rewarding corporations that make a real and meaningful effort towards improving the social, environmental and economic impact of their businesses on communities, it can promote a healthier, better and more just society for all Malaysians.

2. Why are the awards called the PM’s CSR Awards? What is the link with the Prime Minister?
At the 60th anniversary celebration of the Department of Social Welfare in 2006, the Prime Minister announced a special award to recognise the philanthropic role corporate Malaysia has played in national efforts to establish equity and justice. These Awards are a realisation of that announcement, and reflect the Prime Minister’s genuine desire to see corporate Malaysia play a stronger role in community development. It also reflects the prestige inherent in the Awards. Companies that are given the Prime Minister’s CSR Awards truly deserve the recognition afforded, because their CSR initiatives have achieved real and positive change in local communities.

3. What makes the PM’s CSR Awards different from other CSR awards in Malaysia?
Most CSR Awards adopt a holistic approach and take into consideration a company’s efforts to be responsible to all its stakeholders - including customers, business partners, media and regulatory bodies. Going by this approach, factors such as openness, transparency and corporate governance become important. The ACCA Mesra Awards, for example, are based on the quality of the reporting, and particularly on the levels of disclosure and transparency contained.

The PM’s CSR Awards takes a more community-based approach. The aim is to reward companies that act to enhance the well-being of Malaysians - to create a level playing field where it does not exist; to eliminate discrimination, injustice, ignorance, neglect and any other impediment to the overall socio-economic development of the country. The focus here, therefore, is the impact of CSR initiatives on communities - whether it be through education, protecting the environment, providing better healthcare/service, or through the creation of a healthy, conducive work environment for employees.

4. What are the criteria used in judging entries?
Three main criteria are used to determine how effective a CSR initiative is, namely:
• The positive impact the CSR initiative has on the communities at which it is targeted.
• The sustainability of the project.
• The level of commitment and involvement displayed by the companies in these projects.

5. How many categories are there in the Awards?
There are seven main categories:
• Community & Social Welfare
• Culture & Heritage
• Empowerment of Women
• Education
• Environment
• Small Company CSR
• Best Workplace Practices

In addition, there is a special category for Media Reporting. The most outstanding CSR initiative from these eight categories is awarded the prestigious Anugerah CSR Perdana Menteri.

6. How do you define Small Company?
A small company is one which employs fewer than 150 employees or has a sales turnover of RM25 million or less.

7. What CSR programme timeframe will these Awards take into consideration?
The Prime Minister’s CSR Awards 2009 will take into consideration programmes run between early 2008 and June 2009.

8. What if our CSR programme qualifies for more than one category?
If you have a single CSR programme that covers more than one category, you will need to decide which aspects of your programme are strongest and submit the programme under the relevant category.

If your company runs more than one CSR project, for example you have a health project and an environment project, you can submit each under a different category (health under the Community & Social Welfare Category; and environment, under the Environment category).

9. How can we obtain an entry form for the PM’s CSR Awards?
You can download an entry form from the website, www.anugerahcsrmalaysia.org. The Prime Minister’s CSR Awards Secretariat will also be sending out info packs (containing entry forms) to the CEOs of all major companies.

10. What is required for submission to the Awards?
In addition to filling up the entry form, in which you will be asked to describe the CSR project(s) your company carries out, you will need to submit supporting material in the form of:
1) Either a short video (3-4 minutes) or a powerpoint presentation about your CSR project(s); and
2) High-resolution photos of your CSR project(s)

11. How do you ascertain the authenticity of the information provided?
As these are CSR awards, the assumption is that companies will be open and honest about their activities. However, if the judges feel the need to verify certain points, they may ask to make site visits; or they may request the companies concerned to provide additional information to substantiate specific claims.

12. Who are the judges?
The judges have been carefully selected to represent various sectors of public and corporate life. Each judge is a respected, distinguished professional or public figures with many years’ experience in areas relevant to community/social/ health/education/environment work. To maintain complete objectivity and preserve the integrity of the judging process, however, the names of the judges will be disclosed only at the Presentation Ceremony, which will be held some time in November 2009.

13. How do we submit our entries?
You will need to submit your entry to:
The Prime Minister’s CSR Awards Secretariat
c/o Capital Corporate Communications
No 9, Jalan 11/14
Petaling Jaya 46200
Tel: 03-7954 7030 / 7031

14. If we need more information on how to fill up the form, who can we approach?
You can contact the Secretariat.

15. What is the deadline for submissions for the 2009 PM’s CSR Awards?
August 31, 2009.

16. How will we be informed whether we have won?
The Secretariat will not be informing winners prior to the actual Awards Presentation Ceremony. Invitations to the Awards Presentation Ceremony will be sent to all companies that submit entries, so your presence at the Ceremony is important.

17. When will the Awards Presentation Ceremony be held?
It will be held in November, but the exact date will be given closer to the time.

18. Will the Prime Minister be presenting the Awards?
Yes.

The Prime Minister’s CSR Awards, launched by the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development in 2007, aims to recognise companies that have made a difference to the communities in which they operate through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes. Download the Official Entry Form. Tags: ,

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