Due Diligence

due diligence

Every day, managers must adapt to rapidly changing markets and situations. This book deals with sensitive or difficult projects. They range from redundancy programmes to disposal of radioactive waste, from the launch of a new product to the introduction of a new computer system. The method – the strategy of the lateral project – is radically different from those used in projects which are normally associated with traditional project management. It is based upon the lateral thinking concepts of Edward de Bono and is derived from 20 years experience of working with brave managers on projects which many others would have left to their successors. This is a revised translation of the prize-winning and best-selling French management book.

Managing Sensitive Projects'Buy book here

The ‘social licence to operate’ began as a metaphor to bring attention to the need for companies to earn acceptance from their host communities. Today, it is a necessary management framework for complex times.
A social licence strategy is essentially a stakeholder engagement strategy for navigating complex socio-political environments. This book provides the framework, tools and case studies a company needs to create a foundation for truly sustainable community development. This 90-minute guide will enable you to:
  • Define the social licence to operate
  • Make the business case for actively managing your social licence to operate
  • Measure the social licence to operate
  • Develop a step-by-step plan to restore, build, maintain and enhance your company’s social licence, and
  • Report on your social licence.
This book is for managers in any company facing rising social scrutiny due to unwanted social or environmental impacts. You may be working in natural resources, renewable energy, oil and gas, forestry, construction, manufacturing, retail, food processing, pharmaceuticals or any industry that is facing rising stakeholder expectations and increasing criticism.

ENDORSEMENTS  

Leeora Black provides her readers with a hands-on description on what the social licence to operate is, why it is important to have and how managers can measure and manage it. Her book combines the best of both worlds: firstly, academic precision and theoretical knowledge and secondly, an in-depth understanding of dynamics in social networks which Leeora Black gained in her work as a consultant. Managers and students will find this book useful as it enables better understanding of how businesses with a strong societal impact, for example mining companies, can interact with stakeholders in a meaningful manner that will increase the value the business delivers to the community it is operating in”.
Dr. Julia Roloff, ESC Rennes School of Business

ABOUT THE AUTHOR  

Dr Leeora Black is Managing Director of the Australian Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility, a specialist management consulting and training firm based in Melbourne, Australia. After a career in corporate communications and consulting, she completed a doctorate in corporate social responsibility at Monash University.
She is a globally recognised authority on social responsibility, stakeholder engagement and the social licence to operate, advising global companies, government-owned corporations and civic sector organisations on how to develop collaborative relationships that contribute to sustainable community development.

Black_LR Buy book here

Selectors, LLC (“SELECTORS”) uses applied game theory tools that have proven their ability to assist decision-makers:

  • Predict the outcome of negotiations.
  • Increase their ability to influence others and so improve the outcome of negotiations and lobbying efforts.
  • This new frontier of scientific development provides users with a competitive advantage.

SELECTORS uses game theory on behalf of its clients to resolve specific business or political problems.

  • Improve outcomes by anticipating reactions of the other parties in negotiations and helps identify winning strategies.
  • “Forewarned” is “forearmed”.   Game theory can identify when a specific participant or coalition of interests will emerge as a roadblock to reaching agreement on an issue.  Game theory can indicate preventative measures.
  • When negotiations or lobbying are not progressing game theory can often identify ways to get the process back on track.

AREAS OF APPLICATION
The methodology SELECTORS uses applies to the wide range of issues where people endeavor to persuade or coerce others towards their favored outcome.  Some typical areas of application are:

PREDICTING POLITICAL OUTCOMES
CORPORATE ADVISORY, M&A
LITIGATION SETTLEMENTS
LEGISLATION AND REGULATORY LOBBYING
NEGOTIATION WITH OVERSEAS GOVERNMENTS

It does not apply to predicting markets where outcomes are driven by supply and demand.  The methodology is rigorous and external audits find it accurate 90 % of the time.

PRIMA helps executives and public officials manage high-impact risks and opportunities in socio-political systems in order to identify and influence stakeholder coalitions to influence public policy and corporate reputation.

 

Mission Statement

PRIMA identifies and quantifies high-impact risks and high-yield opportunities in complex sociopolitical and infrastructure systems. We provide our clients with actionable insights by analyzing vast quantities of data to identify the stakeholder positions with the greatest potential impact on financial performance or mission attainment.

Markets We Serve

PRIMA’s clients share a common concern: the profound impact that critical stakeholder coalitions or complex system interactions may have on financial performance or mission attainment. Whether the system in question is…

  1. Bullet a political system in which policymakers with different powers seek to accommodate organized interest groups with different priorities, or
  2. Bullet a social system in which organized interest groups attempt to shape the perceptions of ordinary consumers and voters

PRIMA assists private executives and public officials by identifying the stakeholder coalitions or infrastructure system architectures toward which limited risk mitigation resources can be most effectively directed.

For more information, see presentation here

NB: Witold J. Henisz is a principal in PRIMA LLC

Stakeholders not happy? Can’t get people to work together? Use four simple steps and our proven templates to map your stakeholders. Learn how to analyse stakeholders by interest and influence to identify key players, potential saboteurs, advocates and avoid time wasters.

Using the ebook and templates available on this site you can develop detailed plans to manage the most important people on your project – the stakeholders.
If you google ‘reasons projects fail’ you will find many different opinions on project failure, but all will contain something about stakeholders, communication, people or teams. 
If you are involved in managing or leading a project it is your responsibility to ensure the project is delivered successfully. It is up to you to deliver the project on time, to budget and to quality. Stakeholder mapping and stakeholder engagement is crucial to achieving these goals. If you manage your stakeholders well they will actively support you. If you ignore your stakeholders they will sabotage your project. 
Need convincing about the importance of Stakeholder Mapping? This case study reveals the perils of mis-managing your stakeholders. Importance of Stakeholder Management – UK Passport Office

Four steps to successful stakeholder mappingProject management methodologies and organisations approach stakeholder mapping in different ways, but there are fundamental principles and processes that can be drawn out. I have distilled these principles into a proven 4 step process that can dramatically improve your chances of success.

 Use these steps along with the stakeholder maps and templates to manage your stakeholders effectively and turn them into project champions!

ListenLogic is a pioneer of advanced social insight discovery, utilizing next-generation streaming big data technology to deliver actionable, real-time intelligence to the world’s largest enterprises.

ListenLogic Advanced Social Analytics delivers deep insight into consumer attitudes and needs by analyzing unstructured data from social media, open-end surveys and text documents. Our Risk & Reputation Monitoring detects reputational and operational risks that emerge from social media and internal data. Our Pharma & Health division, ListenLogic Health,specializes in providing brand and market intelligence to life science companies.

To see how ListenLogic can help your business contact us.

This case study series collects experiences with Net-Map from around the world and is intended to explore different applications and adaptations of the tool, inspire future users and initiate discussion and methodological development. Users who would like to contribute their own case study and share their lessons learned, are encouraged to contact Eva Schiffer at [email protected]

Net-Map Certification Training in Washington, DC, June 27-28th 2014

Dates: June 27-28th, time 9 am to 4 pm

Venue:

The George Washington University
Marvin Center: Room 403,
800 21st St, NW Washington, DC 20052

Places available: The course will be taught in a small group (around 14 people) with a focus on hands-on learning and peer exchange.

Certification: After completion of the 2 day training, each participant will apply Net-Map in their own context. On completion of a case study a Statement of Accomplishment or Certificate will be given.

Each participant is entitled to a free 2 hour phone/skype consultation with Dr. Schiffer within 6 months of the training, to discuss questions that came up with implementation.

Price: 500 dollars, 400 dollars for students

Refund policy: 80% refund within October 15th, 2013

You will learn how to use this pen-and-paper method in meetings, individual interviews and to structure your own thinking process. It will improve your project planning, monitoring and evaluation, team work and strategic networking.

From years of Net-Mapping experience, I have distilled the most common prototypical influence network structures, which I will share with you. This will help you detect network problems, bottlenecks and opportunities while you are mapping the network so that you can immediately develop improved networking strategies. By mapping out your own case studies (challenges from your work experience), you will learn the method, develop a networking plan for a complex work related issue and improve your “network eyes”.

Because the most difficult questions normally come up once you are back to your own work, wanting to implement what you have learned, we have added a free 2 hour phone or skype consultation, redeemable within 6 months after the training, to the package.

Have a look at the detailed program and sign up!

Net-Map is an interview-based mapping tool that helps people understand, visualize, discuss, and improve situations in which many different actors influence outcomes (Net-Map Brochure: 679 KB). By creating Influence Network Maps, individuals and groups can clarify their own view of a situation, foster discussion, and develop a strategic approach to their networking activities. More specifically, Net-Map helps players to determine

  • what actors are involved in a given network,
  • how they are linked,
  • how influential they are, and
  • what their goals are.

Determining linkages, levels of influence, and goals allows users to be more strategic about how they act in these complex situations. It helps users to answer questions such as: Do you need to strengthen the links to an influential potential supporter (high influence, same goals)? Do you have to be aware of an influential actor who doesn’t share your goals? Can increased networking help empower your dis-empowered beneficiaries?

The tool is low-tech and low-cost and can be used when working with rural community members with low formal education as well as with policy makers or international development actors.