From CSR Audit to Action Plan: Concrete Results
De l’audit RSE au plan d’action : comment transformer ses engagements en résultats concrets. Cas exemplaire d’une PME genevoise dans le cadre de l’opération Diagnostic-Action 2023 de l’État de Genève qui a permis de structurer, déployer et ancrer une démarche RSE ambitieuse – avec SpringWorks comme copilote./h2>
Texte publié le 17 June 2026
A real-world case of a Geneva-based SME supported through the Canton of Geneva's Diagnostic-Action 2023 programme, which enabled the company to structure, deploy and embed an ambitious CSR approach — with SpringWorks as co-pilot.
In 2026, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is on everyone's lips — yet for many SME managers, it remains an elusive ideal: not knowing where to start, lacking resources, and operational urgencies constantly taking over.
This is precisely the observation that led the Canton of Geneva to launch the Diagnostic-Action 2023 (DA2023) programme — a structured, concrete and subsidised support scheme designed to help Geneva SMEs move from intentions to action, and to inspire other local businesses to embark on the same sustainable journey.
SpringWorks had the privilege of supporting an SME through this programme. This article traces the full journey — from context to method, from actions implemented to results achieved — while keeping the company's identity confidential, in line with the wishes of all parties involved.
The DA2023 programme was launched by the Cantonal Office for Economic Development and Innovation (OCEI), within the Geneva Department of Economic Affairs and Employment. Building on the success of the 2022 edition, the programme was renewed and expanded to support around sixty new Geneva-based SMEs in their transition towards a more sustainable and responsible business model.
The scheme is structured around a clear partnership: the Canton selects candidate SMEs demonstrating commitment, availability and potential for progress, and engages certified consultants to carry out a 360° CSR diagnostic and develop a detailed action plan, monitored over a full year. A proprietary web platform (OK Pilot, the reference tool for EcoEntreprise certification) structures and tracks the entire process.
The programme's ultimate objective is as clear as it is ambitious: to engage Geneva SMEs in a concrete sustainable transition, by identifying short- and medium-term priority actions across the four dimensions of CSR — environment & climate, social & societal, governance, and economic performance.
The DA2023 Programme in Numbers
Approximately 60 Geneva SMEs supported
CHF 15,000 in subsidies per company (consultant fees covered)
18 months of follow-up (initial diagnostic + 4 quarterly reviews)
Integrated management tool: OK Pilot [EcoEntreprise]
→ More information: Canton of Geneva, DG DERI, Department of Economic Affairs and Employment
It was precisely this gap that had motivated the company's application to the DA2023 programme: to structure, formalise and accelerate a CSR approach that already made sense, but still lacked solid foundations. From the very first exchanges, the quality of the management team's and the internal CSR coordinator's commitment was evident: genuine conviction, real availability, and a sincere ambition to make sustainability a strategic pillar of the company.
Phase 1: 360° CSR Diagnostic
The first step was to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the company's CSR performance across the four CSR pillars. The approach combined:
- Documentary and contextual research (PESTEL analysis, regulatory framework, sector practices)
- Around ten in-depth interviews with management and internal stakeholders to identify key issues, assess performance, and surface improvement priorities
- A collaborative workshop incorporating a CSR SWOT analysis, stakeholder mapping, and a materiality matrix
- Completion of the OK Pilot questionnaire
Phase 2: Identification and Prioritisation of Strategic Focus Areas
Based on the diagnostic, SpringWorks worked with the company to identify priority action areas, structured around five main categories:
- CSR Direction & Governance: formalisation of a CSR charter, integration into corporate strategy, SMART objectives
- Organisation & Stakeholders: creation of an internal CSR task force, structured dialogue with suppliers and clients
- Social, Health & Safety: employee well-being, safety training, team mobilisation
- Internal Processes & Procurement: supply chain traceability, logistics flow optimisation, eco-design
- Environment & Climate: emissions measurement (scopes 1, 2 and 3), decarbonisation strategy
Among the fifteen or so actions included in the plan, here are the most significant achievements at the end of the 12-month deployment:
CSR Governance: The Foundation of Everything
The first priority was to equip the company with a solid CSR governance framework. A CSR charter was drafted, validated by management and shared internally and externally, accompanied by a code of conduct signed by all employees and partners. The company's CSR commitments were also published on its website, structured around three pillars: People, Planet, Art & Culture.
A CSR manager was officially appointed, a cross-functional task force formed with ambassadors in each department, and a standing CSR agenda item was integrated into weekly management meetings. As SpringWorks highlighted in its final assessment, this governance structure constituted "the foundation and keystone of the action plan".
B-Corp Certification: A Catalyst for Ambition
One of the most structuring decisions taken during the support process was the launch of the B-Corp certification process. Not initially planned at this scale, it became a powerful catalyst — creating direct synergies with the DA2023 actions and accelerating efforts across many fronts. The documentation required by the B-Corp framework structured and sharpened the company's CSR approach. The certification application was planned for submission in the first half of 2025.
Carbon Footprint Assessment: Measuring to Act
A comprehensive carbon footprint assessment (scopes 1, 2 and 3) was carried out on 2023 data — also ahead of the initial schedule. The exercise made it possible to map emissions across the entire value chain — from goods transport to business travel and office energy consumption — and to concretely raise awareness among teams and partners. A decarbonisation strategy was defined, and the update of the assessment with 2024 data was in progress at the close of the DA2023 programme.
Stakeholder Engagement: Internal and External
Bi-monthly "Lunch & Share" sessions were established, giving employees the opportunity to exchange on CSR topics, share initiatives and generate concrete ideas. The CSR approach was also integrated into the onboarding process for new employees and into individual annual appraisal objectives.
Externally, a CSR survey of suppliers was successfully conducted, achieving a 100% response rate. CSR criteria (certification, recyclability, etc.) were integrated into the selection brief for new suppliers, and the same exercise was extended to B2B clients over the course of the year.
Eco-Design and Flow Optimisation
An eco-design process was launched for flagship products, in collaboration with production and distribution partners. Ingredient and material traceability was strengthened, and an improved forecasting system reduced product obsolescence and optimised logistics flows, with measurable cost savings.
Three factors explain these results, according to SpringWorks' analysis:
Strong and legitimate leadership commitment. The CSR charter did not remain a communication document: it permeated internal and external stakeholders and created a sense of belonging around the company's sustainability values.
The B-Corp catalyst effect. By engaging in this process in parallel, the company created a powerful alignment between the B-Corp framework's requirements and the DA2023 actions, accelerating progress and documentation.
Internal CSR leadership. The company's CSR manager galvanised and motivated teams with infectious energy, transforming each CSR action into a moment of collective mobilisation rather than a formal obligation.
DA2023 Final Review — At a Glance
- 100% of action plan objectives achieved
- OK Pilot score significantly improved vs. initial self-assessment
- CSR charter formalised, validated and shared (internally and externally)
- B-Corp certification in progress, application planned H1 2027
- Carbon footprint (scopes 1-2-3) completed, decarbonisation strategy defined
- CSR task force in place, CSR manager appointed
- Supplier CSR survey: 100% response rate
- CSR criteria integrated into procurement, onboarding and annual appraisal processes
Method Trumps Intention
Every company has good intentions when it comes to CSR. What makes the difference is the ability to translate those intentions into concrete, accountable and measurable actions. The 360° diagnostic is the indispensable first step: it grounds the process in the company's actual reality, not an idealised vision.
Governance Is the Keystone
Without formalised governance — vision, mission, objectives, responsibilities, monitoring rituals — even the best CSR actions remain fragile and dependent on the individuals driving them. The CSR charter and internal task force are not administrative "deliverables", but organisational foundations.
Honest Self-Assessment Accelerates Progress
The rigour with which this SME assessed itself during the initial diagnostic — without seeking to flatter its performance — already reflected genuine CSR maturity. It was precisely this honesty that made it possible to identify the real improvement areas and build a truly transformative action plan.
Momentum Is Built and Compounded
Early positive results generate enthusiasm, which drives further efforts, which produce further results. This virtuous cycle — observed concretely throughout the 18 months of support — cannot be decreed; it is cultivated through regular follow-up, transparent communication, and celebration of progress.
In closing the DA2023 support process, SpringWorks submitted its final review with a conviction: this SME stands among the best examples of the 2023 cohort. Not because it is perfect — the road towards sustainability is a long one — but because it managed to transform an institutional programme into a genuine strategic driver, with the seriousness, ambition and enthusiasm that distinguish a symbolic CSR exercise from a real and lasting transformation.
The momentum created during these 18 months — the charter, the B-Corp certification in progress, the carbon footprint, the mobilised teams, the engaged suppliers — represents capital that will continue to appreciate well beyond the DA2023 programme.
At SpringWorks, we support French-speaking Swiss SMEs through every stage of their CSR transition: diagnostic, strategy, action plan, certification, and communication.
Would you like to engage your company in a similar approach?
→ Contact us for a no-obligation initial conversation: www.springworks.ch