The Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS) is the Singapore chapter of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the lead UN agency on corporate sustainability​. Given the rapid recent growth in the sustainability sector, and as part of GCNS’ efforts to grow and scale impact for its business community, GCNS approached Eden to perform a review to chart its three-year strategic roadmap.

APPROACH

Eden’s methodology to develop the roadmap was built on GNCS’ unique capabilities and positioning, adopting an inclusive approach to empowering its stakeholders as a membership organization, and an implementation orientation that would help meet GCNS’ operating, capability, and manpower requirements. We:

• Performed literature review to map the corporate sustainability landscape that GCNS is operating in. In the process, we identified emerging sustainability trends, competing service lines, and gaps in the corporate sustainability offerings available in the market.
• Conducted focus group discussions and surveys, engaging with GCNS’ target segments to map their needs and identify current and future areas where GCNS could add value to each constituent. We further evaluated GCNS’ existing strategy, partnerships, and aspirations, and through a series of internal stakeholder interviews, helped identify GCNS’ strengths and highlighted key capabilities it can build to help achieve its ambitions.
• Presented key insights to the GCNS staff and management committee and facilitated the strategy co-creation workshops at the board and management levels. Through these workshops, we determined the risk appetite, ambition level, and scope of the organisation, and re-calibrated the vision and mission statement based on market analysis and ambition.
• Developed a three-year strategy roadmap closely with GCNS, including recommending a different operating model and organizational design, identifying new capabilities and skills, and developing detailed implementation workplans, pro forma financials, and impact metrics.

IMPACT

The 3-year roadmap, approved by GCNS’ Management Committee, helped clarify its identity, scope of impact, and competitive positioning in a rapidly-evolving corporate sustainability landscape. It offered recommendations for new partnership models that GCNS could adopt to offer services that best meet the needs of GCNS’ key stakeholders. The extensive ecosystem scan further helped rationalize its priorities to drive both its economic viability and societal impact.