CB BureauToyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has launched the Social Academy of Learning (SALT) to train and empower not-for-profit organisations (NPO). Touted as a first-of-its-kind academy, this is part of TKM’s outreach to create a better ecosystem in CSR and build capacity of NPOs and ensure quality management and work excellence following the Toyota Way.
The first-ever five-day residential cohort of the Social Academy of Learning by Toyota was organised in February 2020 at the Toyota plant in Bidadi, with the support of KPMG India and Common Purpose in India.
Participating NPOs were selected on parameters such as specialisation, number of years in service, fund flow and funding pattern, and complete documentation for incorporation. At the end of the training, NPOs are expected to benefit from a result- and process-oriented session along with an assessment report that allows them to evaluate themselves and their organisation. The list of NPOs is not available.
SALT aims to train and develop NPO leaders to become more strategic, high-performing, and result-oriented in order to create large-scale social change. 500+ NPOs expressed interest and 135 leading NGOs submitted application for the training programme, with 30 getting shortlisted.
According to the company, the pilot programme aims to be a platform for senior leaders of NPOs to express their challenges, explore best practices, and develop capabilities by leveraging the strengths of sector experts and peers. The sessions will explore areas such as project planning, tax and regulations, branding and communication, sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation.
As part of this programme, TKM will engage with the participants on a continuous basis for 4 to 5 months, with the 30 NPOs undergoing multiple level of trainings. Prior to the training, the NPOs underwent training for seven days covering various topics including strategy, legal, programme implementation, finance, integration of technology, social impact and SROI. Post training, the individuals and respective organisations are assessed again to identify gap areas. A gap analysis report is submitted to these organisations to improve the processes at their end. During the course of the next two months, these organisations are encouraged to bridge these gaps using the knowledge imparted during the training. The respective organisations submit an implementation report shedding light on the gap areas and how the strategies learnt at the training programme were executed. Lastly, these reports are evaluated and the organisations are certified as per their performance.
The company spokesperson tells CauseBecause that Toyota’s objective is to enhance knowledge and strengthen the processes of the organisations, aligning with the current compliance and organisational requirements. Since this was a pilot launch, they are in the process of collating feedback from participants, which will help them curate a sustainable long-term plan.
Commenting on the launch of this learning programme, Vikram Gulati, senior vice president, external affairs, corporate social responsibility & public relations, TKM, says, ‘NPOs have played a vital role in educating community and making the community responsible for maintenance of facilities in our CSR interventions. This initiative is our attempt to reach out to relevant organisations who make a significant impact. Rather than focusing on a single project that may have minimal impact, we aim to improve the quality of delivery of a large number of NPOs which we hope will make a difference to a wider group.’