National content

It is a business imperative that our presence contributes to the social and economic development of local communities and host nations. By establishing comprehensive programs in the areas of workforce development, supplier development, and strategic community investments, we help to build capacity and sustain economic growth beyond the life cycle of our projects. Collectively, we refer to this approach as national content.

A successful national content program requires long-term perspective driven by clearly defined and consistently applied management processes. National content is integrated into overall project and execution through the ExxonMobil Capital Projects Management System (EMCAPS). As part of EMCAPS, every new upstream project in an emerging market must develop a project-specific National Content Plan.

A plan consists of goals and objectives; an outline of the approach and requirements for workforce development, supplier development, and strategic community investments; performance monitoring; and reporting. Individual plans are customized for each country to account for local factors such as regulatory requirements, business environment, workforce capability, supply base, and infrastructure. As a project progresses from one stage of development to the next, the National Content Plan must be reviewed and revised accordingly.

Our contractors also play a significant role in the execution of the National Content Plan. In many instances during the project phase, our Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contractors drive much of the workforce and supplier development. We ensure that our national content priorities are met by including requirements in our EPC contracts. EPC contractors are expected to execute these plans through their subcontractors.

Our National Content Development—Guidelines, Strategies, and Best Practices Guidebook provides an overview of the key elements of a National Content Strategy and Plan; models and tools for the successful development of national content components; and roles and responsibilities at the corporate, country, and project levels. This past year, we launched a new national content Web-based toolkit consisting of best practices, sample tools for national content implementation, and case studies.