The French navy has shown there is life in CSR beyond the corporate
sector by submitting itself to a social responsibility assessment.
The Marine Nationale opened itself to scrutiny by Vigeo, a Paris-based
social responsibility rating agency, as part of its drive to modernize
employment practices.
Vigeo’s assessment concentrated on human capital, human rights and
community involvement, using the general evaluation methods it applies
to its private sector clients, with some changes to account for the
navy’s specific characteristics, such as its lack of trade union
representation and its emphasis on a structured hierarchy. This
included the application of international labour and environmental
standards laid down by the UN and the ILO. The assessment was the first
detailed appraisal of a non-corporate organization by Vigeo, which is
developing a similar service for French local authorities.
Simon Zadek, chief executive of the Institute of Social and Ethical
Accountability, said that the navy’s move was part of a growing trend
among non-corporates to adopt CSR tenets. ‘Social responsibility is not just
a business issue, as numerous scandals, cases of corruption and
accountability deficits have demonstrated in both the public sector and
increasingly across civil society,’ he said. ‘Here we begin to see
non-corporates stepping up to the plate and taking on this emerging
accountability agenda.’
Marine Nationale spokesman Captain Jerome Regnier said one of the main
points to come out of the Vigeo assessment was concern about unfair
treatment of minority groups and women. As a result the navy is
developing recommendations to improve its recruitment processes with a
view to achieving a ‘natural balance’ in its racial and gender profile
that broadly reflects French society.
The final recommendations, due to be published in mid-2006, will also
apply to France’s overseas territories, French Guiana, Guadeloupe,
Martinique and Reunion.
The navy has already adopted more family-friendly policies as a result
of Vigeo’s study. The measures include improvements in education
services for children of pre-primary age and providing a vehicle
breakdown service for family members of navy employees.
Regnier said the navy, which on average takes in more than 3500
recruits every year, expects many in its present force to retire in the
next few years and wants to modernize its practices to attract
personnel. ‘We wanted to have some arguments to show [new recruits]
that the navy takes social dimensions into account,’ he told EP.
In addition to recruitment problems, the Vigeo study found a general
need to promote equal opportunities and diversity at all levels, and
the final report noted that racism and homophobia needed special
attention. Regnier said it had been ‘interesting’ to have the navy’s
actions and policies evaluated from a civilian, rather than military
viewpoint.
