mfsa buttresses industry transformation

The mfsa will also be conducting a number of workshops to facilitate engagement of the transformation process and encourage adherence to the industry score card. This forms part of the mfsa's commitment to develop and derive an exhaustive change programme to ensure engagement of the process by all members.

"As we all know, what gets measured, gets done, and we will therefore also be working very closely with The BEE Monitor to keep a close watch on our progress as an industry. However, we encourage all organisations to create their own measurement and evaluation processes to ensure engagement at all levels," says Dee Blackie, executive chair of the mfsa.

With the assistance of The BEE Monitor, the mfsa aims to develop an easy to complete, online score card that participants can either download and complete as an internal assessment document; complete online anonymously as part of the industry measurement and evaluation process; or, complete online publicly, and be included in the mfsa's BEE preferred supplier directory.

"We see the preferred supplier's directory as an added value to our members. On this directory, suppliers of marketing and communications services will be listed according to their area of expertise, and their BEE compliance levels. Those accessing the directory will also be able to download the supplier's BEE score card to assess where they are in the process and what they are doing to ensure full compliance by 2014," Blackie adds.

The BEE Monitor will also have a qualitative aspect to its survey, which will assess how the industry is living up to the challenge of transformation, incorporating both its successes and its learnings. "This will enable us to share best practice across the industry, and to assess our progress beyond the hard measures contained in the quantitative score card component."

As with any change initiative, the task of transformation is not an easy one, however, all industry stakeholders are committed to engaging with the process to ensure that their legacy to the next generation of marketers and advertisers is a prosperous and fully integrated industry.

From a functional point of view, the draft transformation score card was presented at the Indaba by its primary developers, Nkwenkwe Nkomo (ACA), Mxolisi (GCIS) and Jeffrey Ndumo (DTI). The draft score card has used the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Codes of Good Practice and Generic Balanced Scorecard as its foundation. There are however some differences on the marketing and communications score card that acknowledge the 'idiosyncrasies' of the industry.

"There has been criticism in other industries over the divergence between their charters and score cards. However, the DTi and GCIS have played an important leadership role in the Marketing and Communications transformation process, and as a result, both the charter and score card are being developed in harmony," says Blackie.

The aim of the score card is to create a simple, definitive set of standards that can be applied consistently across the entire industry, with the result of tangible and transparent transformation across the industry in an agreed time frame.

There a two key components to the score card. The first, Direct Empowerment, contains ownership/management criteria and human resource development, which encompasses employment equity and skills development. The second component of the score card, that of Indirect Empowerment, includes guidelines on preferential procurement, enterprise development and a residual element, which broadly encourages investment into black entrepreneurs within in the industry and corporate social investment initiatives in general.

Engendering transformation into how we do business

The process of pitching is inherent in the every day workings of the marketing and communications industry. This is often a time consuming and laborious process, and there is little guidance at a category level, with most industry players keeping their cards close to their chests.

The mfsa, with the assistance of its members, would like to develop best practice guidelines for the pitch process, that incorporates the transformation score card as a key element within a standard pitch, which would include the following components:

1. Insight and Market Research
2. Strategy Development
3. Creative Development
4. Implementation Strategy
5. Team Structure & Empowerment Credentials
6. Ongoing Measurement and Evaluation

The marketing and communications score card will also take the challenge of the SME/SMME industry into consideration in its development, and will be developing clear definitions and provisos to ensure a positive outcome. "It is critical that SMEs and SMMEs engage with the Transformation Committee to ensure that their point of view is tabled," Blackie says.

For more info, go to www.mfsa.co.za.

To view the draft transformation scorecard document in full, click on the ICON below.

TAIAdvertising_BEE_Scorecard.doc (90K)