Ensuring Companies Are Active Partners in Social Well-Being

Q: What are the main strategic objectives for the Directorate of Strategic Alliances of the Nuevo Leon Ministry of Equality and Inclusion in the short, medium, and long term?

A: The primary mission of the Directorate of Strategic Alliances is to connect the private sector with Nuevo Leon´s social policy, ensuring that companies become active partners in driving social well-being.

In the short term, our focus is on building awareness and conviction within the business community about the importance of addressing social challenges, both within and beyond their organizations. We are helping companies understand that responsible business begins with their own people: ensuring fair wages, promoting mental health, and supporting employees’ families before turning outward to engage with communities. At the same time, we seek to position the government as a facilitator, an ally that provides training, tools, and guidance to help companies design and implement effective social responsibility programs.

In the medium term, our goal is to scale these alliances into formal collaborative projects that foster social sustainability. These are not traditional public–private partnerships centered on concessions, but joint efforts that combine public infrastructure and corporate resources to improve community conditions.

Over the long term, we aspire for Nuevo Leon’s private sector to become a national benchmark in equality, inclusion, and human rights. We want local companies to lead by example, integrating inclusive practices into their operations and culture, demonstrating that economic growth and social equity can — and must — advance together.

Q: How do you define strategic alliances in the context of equality and inclusion?

A: In our work, a strategic alliance goes far beyond the notion of a donation or sponsorship. We define it as a long-term collaboration that unites the government, private sector, and civil society under a shared purpose: addressing specific social challenges through measurable and sustainable actions.

This model is grounded in the concept of the stakeholder economy, as described by Klaus Schwab, where every actor — shareholders, employees, suppliers, communities, and government — has a seat at the table. The idea is that an organization can only achieve long-term sustainability when its operations generate mutual benefit for all its stakeholders and obtain a win-win scenario. 

From that perspective, we no longer speak of “donations,” but of contributions that carry shared responsibility and accountability. Each party provides value: the government as an enabler and coordinator, and companies as engines of innovation and social investment. When all sides gain from the collaboration, the relationship becomes stronger, more transparent, and capable of producing lasting impact. 

Q: What are the criteria for selecting the partners you collaborate with?

A: Our model is based on what we call the “Five Ps” of Strategic Alliances,” which guide our selection and collaboration process.

The first “P” is Purpose: We seek partners that share our commitment to equality, inclusion, diversity, and human rights, and that view these not as philanthropic goals but as integral to their business strategy. 

The second is Proposition of Value: Both parties must generate and exchange tangible value, ensuring the alliance delivers benefits for the community and for each institution involved.

The third is People: Alliances are built not between institutions, but between individuals. Mutual understanding and trust are essential, as projects can only succeed when there is confidence and continuity between the people leading them.

The fourth P is a Plan of action, one that defines objectives and a purpose of where we are heading as a ministry. This is something Minister Marta Herrera has worked very hard to achieve — a successful social policy, one that will not only be valid six years from now but 50 years from now. 

The fifth P is Permanence and follow-up on the alliances we have established. Ultimately, our goal is to form alliances that are not transactional, but transformational, anchored in purpose, reciprocity, and shared accountability. 

Q: How do you ensure the longevity and continuity of strategic alliances?

A: Longevity in strategic alliances is achieved through clarity, trust, and continuous engagement. From the outset, we communicate the long-term vision to our partners, outlining the full horizon of the collaboration. This transparency allows potential allies to assess whether their strategic objectives align with ours and fosters confidence that the partnership will endure beyond individual projects or administrative terms.

Additionally, we prioritize relationship management through consistent follow-up, guidance, and support. Strategic alliances are not transactional. They require daily care and deliberate efforts to maintain trust, ensure alignment, and adapt to evolving social challenges. By embedding these practices, we create enduring collaborations that persist even as personnel or leadership changes.

Q: Can you provide examples of successful alliances and key lessons learned?

A: We have designed and implemented several initiatives that exemplify how strategic alliances can deliver measurable impact. One core approach is understanding our partners’ challenges before designing any project. Through focus groups with companies of varying sizes, we identified five critical needs: guidance on where and how to start, ongoing support, a shared framework and language for measuring impact, opportunities for co-investment, and connections to complementary partners, including the government.

To address these needs, we developed the Corporate Equality and Inclusion Award, a year-long program that guides small, medium, and large companies in enhancing their social sustainability. This framework consolidates best practices from 18 major international certifications and provides tailored support, enabling companies to progress toward globally recognized standards.

A concrete example is our public–private initiative to reduce the digital divide through technology centers in community hubs. These centers not only provide access to technology but also train participants in skills directly aligned with industry needs, creating pathways to sustainable employment. Partnerships like these demonstrate that well-structured alliances can generate tangible social outcomes while strengthening corporate capabilities and community impact.

Q: What mechanisms and indicators do you use to evaluate the success of strategic alliances?

A: We evaluate alliances through a combination of transparency, data-driven assessment, and recognition. At the outset, we ensure all partners clearly understand the problem we aim to solve and the expected contributions. Communication and visibility are also key: publicly acknowledging the company’s efforts helps encourage additional participation from other organizations.

Our core evaluation tool is the Certificate of Contribution and Social Impact, which has three components:

1. Context Analysis: Assessing the initial conditions in the target community or center prior to the intervention.
    

2. Alignment With Sustainable Development Goals: Mapping the project against measurable objectives, indicators, and lines of action.
    

3. Social Return on Investment (SROI): Quantifying the social benefits generated per unit of corporate investment.
    

For example, our technology center project demonstrates a high SROI by rapidly transforming participants’ skills into meaningful employment opportunities with partner companies, for instance, Softek, Deacero, Banco Base Trane, etc. This approach moves beyond direct transfers or temporary support, creating sustainable social mobility and long-term systemic change. 

Q: How do you ensure that alliances address the needs of the most vulnerable groups within the inclusion and equality realm?

A: Our approach begins by identifying the company’s social materialities — the social issues that are most relevant to their operations and stakeholders. Once these priorities are defined, we align them with the state’s social policy using our Manual of Social Materiality Convergence, which maps international standards to local policy objectives.

From there, we connect companies to civil organizations capable of addressing these priorities and, where appropriate, provide public funding to amplify the project’s impact. This methodology ensures that initiatives are targeted, scalable, and impactful. For example, we partnered with Grupo Frontera to support migrants and displaced persons through a state-managed integration office, providing technology infrastructure, facilities, and training. By combining corporate resources, government coordination, and community engagement, we ensure that vulnerable populations receive meaningful and sustainable support. 

Q: How do you coordinate strategic alliances with other levels of government and institutions?

A: Coordination is centered on a single-entry point for strategic alliances, which allows all requests from municipalities, federal agencies, and international organizations to be efficiently routed and aligned with state social policies.

Once a project is identified, we facilitate collaboration across relevant departments. For instance, in a recent initiative supporting over 300 women entrepreneurs, we connected MercadoLibre with state programs for women’s economic development. This ensured access not only to training and e-commerce tools but also to seed funding and additional state support. By centralizing coordination, we maximize impact, reduce duplication, and streamline participation across government levels. 

Q: How do you motivate the private sector to participate in these alliances?

A: Engagement begins with demonstrating the strategic value of social responsibility. We work closely with industry clusters, trade associations, and chambers of commerce to highlight emerging ESG trends, regulatory requirements, and global supply chain expectations. Companies are increasingly aware that social engagement is no longer optional. It is essential for competitiveness, reputation, and market differentiation.

To facilitate participation, we provide ready-to-implement projects tailored to each sector. Technology companies can support digital inclusion through technology centers, sports organizations can contribute to community athletic infrastructure, and food companies can provide culinary training. All initiatives are designed with clear social impact metrics, allowing companies to integrate results directly into sustainability reports. By reducing implementation barriers and demonstrating tangible benefits, we create a compelling, win–win scenario that encourages ongoing private sector involvement.

Q: How does the government coordinate with academia to advance social inclusion and sustainability initiatives?

A: We maintain strong partnerships with leading universities in Nuevo Leon, including Tec de Monterrey, Universidad de Monterrey, and Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Leon. Our approach involves sharing the latest trends in social sustainability, defining priority research topics, and integrating students into projects that address critical social challenges, such as achieving zero hunger in the state of Nuevo Leon. This collaboration has allowed us to reduce food insecurity by over 20% in the past two years. Academia serves as a strategic partner, contributing research, innovative strategies, and business solutions that reinforce the impact of our social inclusion initiatives.

Q: What operational challenges arise in managing multisector alliances, and how are they addressed?

A: The primary challenge is aligning priorities across multiple stakeholders, including government departments, private companies, and municipal authorities. In a year, we have made 185 strategic alliances with approximately 140 companies. Each project requires extensive coordination to build trust, establish clear objectives, and ensure consistent engagement. Implementing initiatives such as technology classrooms or community programs can take up to 12–18 months due to the need to harmonize expectations, secure approvals, and ensure reliable operations. Our approach emphasizes establishing credibility, delivering measurable results, and maintaining transparent communication to sustain long-term relationships.

Q: How does the government ensure transparency and accountability in multisector partnerships?

A: Transparency is central to our model. As a facilitating entity, we link social needs with private sector contributions and closely monitor outcomes. We provide annual “Contribution and Social Impact Reports” that track progress against objectives, align with Sustainable Development Goals, and calculate the social return on investment for each initiative. All interventions are executed collaboratively with our partners, ensuring visibility and verification throughout the process. This rigorous approach builds trust, guarantees accountability, and enhances the credibility of the alliances.

Q: How is financing structured for these strategic alliances, particularly involving small and medium-sized enterprises?

A: Financing is designed to maximize impact while reducing barriers for smaller companies. We pair small and medium enterprises with larger companies to facilitate co-investment in shared projects. Additionally, through our Civil Society Support Program, we channel government resources via NGOs that implement the projects, allowing companies to contribute indirectly without bearing full operational costs. For example, in technology classroom projects, the government provides approximately 70% of the infrastructure and operations, while the company contributes the remaining 30%, such as computers or equipment. This model significantly reduces costs, encourages participation, and ensures efficient use of public resources.

Q: Are there tax incentives or other mechanisms to encourage corporate participation in inclusion initiatives?

A: Yes, the state provides substantial incentives. For instance, companies that hire women heads of households, persons with disabilities, seniors over 60, or young first-time workers are eligible for 100% payroll tax deductions for four years. These incentives, combined with our structured project support and shared infrastructure, make corporate engagement more attractive while ensuring meaningful social impact.

Q: What are your short, medium, and long-term plans?

A: Our short-term goal is to equip all 50 community centers in the state with top-tier technology and high-speed internet. Each center also offers multiple workshops to teach digital tools that are essential for the productivity of our industries. Thanks to our partnerships, 33 centers are already online. Each one will feature a technology classroom supported by a corporate partner to ensure its sustainability. There is no productivity without technology, and technology is key to sustainable social mobility.

In the medium term, we aim to integrate social services into businesses. Nuevo Leon already has Mexico’s first state-level social services system, and we want companies to adopt practices like flexible schedules, lactation rooms, childcare facilities, and support for employees’ family responsibilities. We also plan to ensure all events include core inclusivity measures.

Long-term, we seek to go beyond traditional welfare by helping vulnerable individuals achieve stability through employment, training, and programs linked to foreign investment. Our overarching goal is to create value for companies and society, fostering collaboration among businesses, academia, and government. Public-private partnerships will be essential to addressing the state’s social challenges.