We have been involved in social investment programmes for many years, supporting a wide range of community welfare initiatives and projects aimed at:
- education or skills development;
- community development or social cohesion;
- health, environment and safety-related issues; and
- enterprise development and capacity building.
Through our social investment programmes, we work with the community on projects that address issues directly linked to our business, like access to energy or education. We also seek to give local people control of the project, and wherever possible, to involve development experts from NGOs.
Our social investment programmes are designed using the following criteria:
- fit with Shell business activities;
- be sustainable: delivering lasting benefits and be self-supporting after Shell participation ends;
- have a measurable positive impact: socially, economically and environmentally;
- be inclusive: involving a range of stakeholder views and opinions;
- based on community needs and designed in consultation with local communities;
- involve local support;
- based on partnerships and local implementation: with NGOs and community groups;
- be transparent: regularly monitored and evaluated with the results clearly and openly reported;
- leverage additional funding: leading to increased benefits; and
- be replicable: to accelerate the learning curve and decrease implementation costs.
