national content

national content video seriesnational content video series

One of the most important contributions we make to the countries in which we operate is to ensure that the benefits from our projects are sustainable over the long term and that the government and communities do not depend solely on our presence. To do so, we employ a variety of economic support and incentive programs for capacity building, collectively referred to as national content development.

ExxonMobil has engaged in national content development for decades. Our approaches differ between countries as a function of existing infrastructure, industrial base, and local supplier capabilities. Plans for national content development are unique to each location and formalized through our business processes, at the local, regional, and global level. Our global strategy for national content development is broadly focused on three areas:

  • Workforce Development: Training employees and contractors in technical and professional skills necessary for working on existing and future projects and operations;
  • Supplier Development: Purchasing local goods and services, and increasing the capability of suppliers to help them meet global industry standards in order to qualify for contracts with ExxonMobil and others; and,
  • Strategic Community Investments: Providing investments in health, education, and infrastructure that assist in the development of local capabilities and improve the socioeconomic environment of host communities.

In 2007, we continued rolling out our strategy for national content development into developing and operating areas. To assist with aligning and sharing best practices across our operations, we developed our Upstream National Content - Guidelines, Strategies and Best Practices as well as tools to help facilitate a coordinated approach. In addition, we shared the lessons learned and best practices with host governments, national oil companies, joint-venture partners, and suppliers to help develop a collaborative approach across the international community.