Accenture Development Partnership (ADP) for Save the Children

Preface

I am now in the seventh case of Accenture Bloggers and Journalist Competition. The case study will talk about Accenture Development Partnership for Save the Children. Below is short history about Accenture Development Partnership (Taken from Save the Children: Reach Future)

Faced with the urgency of children’s needs around the world – where each day, more than 24,000 children will die, most due to preventable causes – Save the Children set a goal to double the number of children they reach, without doubling the costs. To collaborate with organizations like Save the  Children, Accenture, a global consultancy, established Accenture Development Partnerships, or ADP; dedicated to channeling Accenture’s capabilities and assets to help address development challenges.  Save the Children commissioned ADP to see how improved supply chain management could enhance programs in sustainable livelihoods, education and health and emergency response.

Accenture Development Partnerships is a group within Accenture designed to operate on a not for profit basis to channel Accenture’s strategic business, technology and project management expertise to non-profit organizations, NGOs, foundation and donor organizations operating in the development sector—helping these organizations achieve their social and economic development goals. ADP started as a corporate social enterprise in 2003 and as at May 2010 completed 330 projects for 74 non-profit clients, working across 58 developing countries, and deploying more than 700 Accenture employees. ADP’s major clients include: UNDP, UNICEF, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Oxfam, Plan International, WWF, CARE, Save the Children, International Red Cross, GAIN, and World Vision.

In addition, Accenture Development Partnerships is the form of Corporate Social Responsibility to the international community. Accenture Development Partnerships was set up to deliver the same high level of innovation and best practice enjoyed by its commercial clients, but at rates in line with the development/NGO industry norm. The consultancy offered is on a not-for-profit basis; so the professional fees levied are designed to cover cost, not to generate profit. This is achieved through a three-way contribution comprising sponsorship from Accenture who provide consultants at marginal cost, free of profit and overhead; contribution from employees through a voluntary salary reduction (50%) and contribution from clients through the payment of fees, which are set at a fraction of usual commercial market rates (Accenture Development Partnership).

The case study is taken from Accenture Bloggers and Journalist Competition microsite. Here is the case study:

Accenture Development Partnership (ADP) provides its development sector clients with a broad range of management consulting and technology services, drawing on the resources of Accenture’s global organization. ADP is helping Save the Children improve its supply chain processes. The aim of this collaboration is to enhance Save the Children’s programs in sustainable livelihoods, education and health and emergency response. After the Tsunami struck Aceh and other regions on December 2004, Save the Children contacted Accenture to develop a logistic and procurement database that would help in managing all of the inflows of goods and delivery to the needed areas.

From the case study above, Accenture helped Save the Children.  There’re 3 (three) kinds of services from Accentures to Save the Children:

• Provided Save the Children a better logistics and procurement activities using a custom-developed toolkit
• The toolkit was designed and developed within a short time period to record typical logistics transactions: requisition, procurement, and request for delivery, delivery order, goods receipt, and stock adjustment.
• Developed a pilot and provided Train the Trainers to Save the Children staff

There’re 2 (two) questions that must be answered obviously.

1)      What benefit did Save the Children receive from Accenture Development Partnership?

2)      What would have happened if Save the Children managed their own tool kit?

In my opinion, Save the Children received several benefits from Accenture Development Partnership service above. Save the Children got sturdy chain management of logistics and procurement activities. Albeit the toolkit was designed and developed within a short time period, Accenture Development Partnership work effectively and efficiently to record typical logistics transactions: requisition, procurement, and request for delivery, delivery order, goods receipt, and stock adjustment. The chain management of logistics and procurement activities could help the main activites of Save the Children.

In addition, Accenture Development Partnership helped to manage the chain management of logistics, procurement activities as well as staff capabilities improvement. Save the Children obtained benefit form the Train the Trainers to Save the Children staff. It’s important to improve the skils and capabilities of Save the Children staff. It could be helpful to support the staff member activities.

The next case is about conditional question, what would have happened if Save the Children managed their own tool kit? In my opinion, if Save the Children managed their own tool kit, perhaps Save the Children would have some disadvantages, such as working would be ineffective and the cost would be inefficient. Additionally, Save the Children must deliver quick response to help the needed areas. Consequently, Save the Children should ask another organization to arrange Save the Children’s project. Therefore, Accenture helped Save the Children to manage logistics and procurement activities using a custom-developed toolkit. It would be more effective and efficient than Save the Children managed their own tool kit.

The case study of Accenture Development Partnership for Save the Children showed the importance of supply chain management of project. It can help the company to manage the budget carefully and get the output effectively. Accenture Development Partnership has provided high performance management to Save the Children organization by qualified supply chain management.

References

1. https://microsite.accenture.com/DoYouKnow/Accenture-Bloggers-Journalists-Competition/Pages/default.aspx
2. http://www.article13.com/A13_ContentList.asp?strAction=GetPublication&PNID=1313
3. https://blogs.accenture.com/Accenture_Development_Partnerships/archive/2010/07/27/welcome-to-the-accenture-development-partnerships-blog.aspx
4. http://www.accenture.com/us-en/consulting/international-development/Pages/index.aspx
5. http://www.accenture.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/PDF/Management_Consulting_Accenture_Development_Partnerships_Save_the_Children.pdf