Corporate Social Responsibility

The very nature of our business places ethical considerations at the forefront of our operations and activities. We are aware that our work, in the UK and overseas, has a direct environmental and social impact. In fact a positive long-term impact is usually a desired outcome that we deliberately plan for. It is therefore crucial for us to uphold a set of ethical values that guide who we work with, how we work and the steps we take to ensure a responsible business.

Our ethical standards set out the duty we have to ensure our suppliers (including independent consultants) share our concerns for the environment, respect for human rights and commitment to good conscience-driven corporate practice.

Consequently our procurement process takes into account the green credentials of our prospective suppliers. It also means that our engagement of staff and consultants follows strict quality standards for merit-based recruitment; and once employed our staff and consultants are expected to follow the HTSPE Code of Professional Conduct. The Code is an integral part of our ISO 9001:2008 quality standard and summarises the company position on transparency, anti-corruption practices, respect for the client, local conditions, society, law and the environment.

We have a strict Code of Ethics which has been developed to help our staff and associates work to the highest professional standards in our field of development consultancy.

Our Environmental Policy sets out how we intend to minimise our ecological footprint and feeds into our company-wide strategy. For example, setting up fully functional regional offices ensures we can localise some of our marketing efforts and better monitor and support our projects and programmes from regional bases.

To HTSPE corporate responsibility is more than a statement to act, it is embedded in everything we do. In the UK we have developed strong links with the local community in Hemel Hempstead. Following an explosion in 2005 at the Buncefield Oil Depot which destroyed our offices, we have come to realise the importance of this relationship and aim to maximise our role in the local community. Staff members participate in local careers fairs and interact with local schools on development issues.

Further afield, we believe it is important to support young people especially to develop their potential. At Cranfield University we are proud to sponsor annual awards to post-graduate students who have shown the greatest merit, demonstrated by academic achievement and personal qualities, in natural resources and environmental development.

Our head office staff is keen to affirm a clear commitment to social responsibility by organising inter-company events to raise funds for two young children in Kenya and northwestern India. The funds we raise help to support the children’s community through various practical projects to improve sanitation, improve access to education and the management and control of illness.

CSR IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

For example, HTSPE has recently teamed up with local Adeyfield School to provide ‘A’ level citizenship students with an insight into international development in practice. A workshop was held in March 2012 during which the students visited HTSPE to get a glimpse of life in an office environment. After a brief introduction to the processes of tendering for and managing development projects, the students were set a task of responding to a set of terms of reference and coming up with proposals for the design and implementation of a diverse set of projects. For the students, it was a chance to build their research and presentation skills as well as to learn about future career opportunities. For HTSPE staff, it was an opportunity to pass on their knowledge and encourage the students to make the connection between what they’d learnt in the classroom and the broader development agenda.

‘A’ level citizenship teacher Emma Street said: ” This project gave students a chance to link their learning to the wider world and the issues that other countries and cultures face in modern times and the possible resolution and support available to peoples. The students gained a new set of skills that will be invaluable as they take their next steps in life at university. A valuable and exciting project for all involved and we are grateful to HTSPE for giving up time and resources to enrich the lives of others in the local area”

Following the success of this pilot visit, another workshop is being planned for the New Year.

FUNDING FOR SCHOOL IN NIGERIA

HTSPE recently provided funding for the building of an IT classroom at a primary school in Nigeria.

The classroom was ready in time for the new school year, and is now in regular use. The school is providing computer literacy classes to the older children in the school. This early exposure to IT will help the children gain a wider understanding of the world in which they live, as well as broaden their education, and increase their future employment opportunities and aspirations.

The school’s Head Teacher said, “It has been exciting to see the computer room completed and the pupils sitting in it for lessons. And the pupils have themselves been quite excited to go into the room and to see the computers. We believe that the project will help expose and introduce our pupils to computers, science and a new world of possibilities. We are very thankful to HTSPE for the support.”

FUNDING FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP IN ZIMBABWE

HTSPE has provided funding to the Women International Fellowship (WIF) to support children orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe. The funding has covered school fees for a number of children, enabling them to stay in school or reinstate school attendance.

Enabling these children to attend school can have a dramatic effect on their young lives, from simply re-establishing a sense of normality after the trauma of losing their parents, through to ensuring the children have a focus in their lives and avoid falling into self-destructive behaviour. Positive role models at school can raise children’s aspirations and offers hope for a better future.

Jane Aichi Banjo, the Founder/President of WIF, said, “One of our greatest challenges at Women International Fellowship has been how to meet the ongoing needs of the orphans under our care; food, school fees, school uniforms and stationeries. The donation from HTSPE was very helpful in meeting some of those costs and a great boost to our morale.”

HTSPE is pleased to have been able to support WIF in their work.

EAST AFRICA CRISIS APPEAL

HTSPE supported the DEC appeal for East Africa.

HTSPE has a long history of working in East Africa, having implemented many projects and programmes over the last 40 years. As part of our commitment to corporate social responsibility, HTSPE made a donation of £10,000 to the DEC appeal.

MUSANZE DEAF CHILDREN CENTRE

HTSPE has funded the purchase of a diagnostic audiometer for this school in Northern Rwanda. The school currently has 68 pupils and is the only school in the region dedicated to hearing impaired children. The audiometer will assist with the diagnosis of the hearing requirements of children, and therefore enable the school to correctly target teaching methods for individual children.

The audiometer was delivered to the school last week by April, a VSO assisting the school. April said the school “…. were delighted. This machine means they will be able to improve the level of care given to the children at the school as well as kids in the area.”


Louis, the school founder, and April carry out a hearing test using the new audiometer	Kids at the school saying “Thank you” in sign language

The school has already started an advertising campaign on the local radio station and in the press to encourage people to bring their family members to the school for testing. HTSPE is delighted that the school is using the audiometer in this way to help identify people with hearing impairments early, to enable them to access appropriate education.

FUNDING FOR SCHOOL IN NEPAL

HTSPE has recently provided funding to improve the sanitation facilities at a secondary school in Khopasi, a small village near Panauti in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

Shree Ram Higher Secondary School was established in 1951 as a community primary school but the number of students attending the school has increased significantly over the years. Due to a lack of funds the school has not been able to increase or improve its facilities to accommodate this increase in students, but with funding from HTSPE the school has been able to renovate their toilet facilities. It is hoped that the improved facilities will lead to better attendance (particularly amongst girls) as well as improvements in students’ health and hygiene.

Gokul Khatri, School Principal, said “we, on behalf of the school, would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to you for providing us financial support. We are glad to convey to you the fact that the girls’ daily presence and that of their daily school life have been much improved …”