GBC's New Best Practice Action Standard
Overview
 |
BPAS helps companies to confidentially maximize the impact of their products, skills, services and philanthropic efforts on the global AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria crises by monitoring their action, examining their progress and redefining their future goals. The evaluation is the first step in enabling companies to improve programs that protect their workforce, supply chain and the communities in which they operate.
Although the BPAS tool is self-administrable, GBC provides guidance to member companies in their initial application at the regional and global levels. BPAS also serves as the foundation for data collection for GBC’s The State of Business and AIDS, TB & Malaria benchmarking and trend report.
There are thirteen primary components to BPAS:
- HIV/AIDS Non-discrimination
- HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavior Change
- HIV/AIDS Testing and Counseling
- HIV/AIDS Treatment, Care and Support
- HIV/AIDS Stakeholder Partnerships
- HIV/AIDS Corporate Philanthropy
- HIV/AIDS Product and Service Donation
- HIV/AIDS Business Associates and Supply Chain Engagement
- HIV/AIDS CEO Advocacy and Leadership
- HIV/AIDS Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
- HIV/AIDS & Gender
- Tuberculosis
- Malaria
BPAS is an evolving resource that is continually updated to reflect innovation, new levels of commitment, and emerging operational research in the business response to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The tool’s continued development is facilitated through a coordinated consultation process with GBC member companies, GBC partner organizations and affiliates, on both global and regional levels. GBC anticipates that companies will eventually use BPAS for their external reporting.
Best Practice Action Standards – FAQ
Why did GBC develop the Best Practice Action Standards?
Years ago, many of GBC’s member companies began expressing interest in a self-evaluative, quantitative system that would enable them to measure corporate involvement in the fight against HIV/AIDS and design their own strategies. More recently, and with the expansion of GBC’s mandate, companies have asked for a similar tool for private sector engagement on the tuberculosis and malaria epidemics.
How did GBC develop the Best Practice Action Standards?
Over the last seven years, GBC has supported hundreds of companies in the fights against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. Through close collaboration and consultation with these companies, BPAS was developed to reflect the continuum of private sector involvement, from entry-level companies to those recognized for Best Practices by GBC’s annual Awards for Business Excellence.
How will a company use the Best Practice Action Standards?
Companies work in close collaboration with GBC experts, using various BPAS categories to evaluate their activities addressing HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. This creates a “baseline” by which they can measure their progress, as companies work with GBC to design their overall business strategy in responding to the epidemics.
Why would companies use the standards?
Every company has different motivations. They do, however, share the realization that a progressive approach to HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria increases profitability, protects their investments in emerging-market regions, and maximizes shareholder value.
Why is the Best Practice Action Standards tool only available to GBC member companies?
The BPAS tool is a benefit of GBC membership. It is part of our Business Action Methodology (BAM™), and an early step in the process designed to help companies build a business plan for addressing HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria—including through workforce engagement, community intervention, leveraging strategic core competencies, and public advocacy.
What components make up the Best Practice Action Standards?
There are 13 primary categories in BPAS:
- HIV/AIDS Non-discrimination
- HIV/AIDS Prevention, Education and Behavior Change
- HIV/AIDS Testing and Counseling
- HIV/AIDS Treatment, Care and Support
- HIV/AIDS Stakeholder Partnerships
- HIV/AIDS Corporate Philanthropy
- HIV/AIDS Product and Service Donation
- HIV/AIDS Business Associates and Supply Chain Engagement
- HIV/AIDS CEO Advocacy and Leadership
- HIV/AIDS Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting
- HIV/AIDS & Gender
- Tuberculosis
- Malaria
Are the standards complete? Or will they change?
As with the Business Action Methodology (BAM™), BPAS will be regularly refined to incorporate changes in corporate benchmarks in the fight against HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. BPAS evolves in a parallel process with the expansion and progression of business action.
Which company gets the highest score right now?
Based on our experience working with over 220 companies, we know who the industry leaders are for each category, and have used them as examples for other companies to emulate. This tool is designed for self-assessment and to guide companies in expanding and improving their HIV/AIDS, TB and/or malaria interventions; GBC does not use the results to compare companies.
Will the results be publicized?
The BPAS tool is a self assessment measurement. It was not designed for public promotion, but for companies to honestly evaluate and improve their response to the pandemics. A company can choose to announce its score; however, at this time, GBC will not act as a compliance organization nor will it distribute reports on company output.