The document outlines the governance framework of the Biji-biji Initiative, which includes their sustainability indicators, governance structure, financial distribution model, and transparency commitments. It details how the organization measures its economic, social, and environmental impacts and how funds are allocated for salaries, materials, overheads, and reinvestment. The framework also encourages internal entrepreneurship, ensures inclusiveness and collaboration, and advocates for open source principles.

1. GOVERNANCE
FRAMEWORK
Biji-biji Initiative
Published on: August 2015

2. Content
No. Title Page
1. Why do we have a Governance Framework? 4
2. What do we want to do? 5
3. Our Sustainability Indicators 6
4. How do we measure our economic impacts? 7
5. How do we measure our social impacts? 8
6. How do we measure our environmental impacts? 9
7. What is our governance structure? 10
8. Our transparency commitments to clients 11

3. Content
No. Title Page
9. Our transparency commitments to our team members 12
10. Our financial distribution model 13
11. How we use our funds for salaries and materials? 14
12. How we use our funds for re-investment and overheads? 15
13. How we encourage internal in-traprenuership? 16
14. How we ensure inclusiveness and equitability? 17
15. How we ensure collaboration? 18
16. Our Open Source Principles 19
17. Our Open Workshop 20

4. Why do we have a
Governance Framework?
• It sets out the key principles and models that govern our operations.
• A formal documentation of our day-to-day practices.
• These principles and models may change over time, to suit the size
and complexity of the organisation.
• All changes and amendments will be documented and
communicated to all members and partners.

5. What do we want to do?
• To provide a holistic approach in all engagements through utilizing
Biji-biji Initiative’s Sustainability Indicators;
• To design sustainable solutions aiming to create or enhance
positive economic, social and environmental impacts;
• To capture value of discarded waste materials through
incorporating them in products and services offered;
• To help raise awareness amongst the general public and to inspire
a society that is accountable for their waste.

6. Our Sustainability Indicators
Economic Social Environment
Local Procurement Raise Awareness Waste Upcycled
Fair wages Community Engagement Waste Reduced
Social Inclusion Gender Equality Sustainable Procurement
Transparency Open Source
Development
Green Technology

7. How do we measure our
economic impacts?
Economic
Local Procurement
Percentage of materials
sourced from local and
international suppliers
Fair wages
How many times more is the
wage earned by permanent staff
compared to minimum wage
Social Inclusion
Total amount of money
channeled to community-in-
needs through employment
Transparency
Adherence to the Biji-biji
Initiative Financial Model

8. How do we measure our
social impacts?
Social
Community Engagement
How many individuals or
communities were engaged
Raise awareness
How many new people were
reached (no. of participants)
Gender Equality
Ratio of male and female
members engaged by job scope
and in decision making roles
Open Source Development
How many new open source
instructables were made and
shared

9. How do we measure our
environmental impacts?
Environment
Waste upcycled
Amount of waste, renewables,
recyclables and second-hand
materials incorporated
Waste reduced
New methods and technologies
explored to eliminate waste
creation
Sustainable Procurement
How was 1% sustainable
procurement budget used
Green Technology
Aspects of green technology
incorporated (energy efficiency,
etc.)

10. Our governance structure
Exco
Sales & Marketing
Department
Creative
Department
Production
Department
Admin, Finance &
HR Department
Education &
Workshops
Department
Communications &
Branding
Department
CEO
Internal Audit
Department

11. What are our transparency
commitments to our clients?
Waste Materials
Our clients and customers will be informed of the total amount of waste
materials used or incorporated in the product or service they have
engaged us for.
Supply Chain
Our clients will be informed on the percentage of local versus
international procurements made. In delivering they product or service
they have engaged us for.

12. What are our transparency
commitments to our team?
To address the ever-growing income inequality, we have salary cap
of 5 times between the highest and lowest earners.
This ratio may have to be reviewed in the future to reflect the need for
different skill levels and competencies as the organization grows.
Reviewed ratios will be made known to all Biji-biji Initiative members
and the public. Salary information is based on the salary band in the
Salary Scale.

13. What does our financial
distribution model looks like?
Breakdown Percentages
Salaries 30%
Materials 30-40%
Overheads 10%
Reinvestment 20-30%
Total 100%
All team members have access to information on project value, total
budget and breakdown of each project as per our Open Book Finance
policies and procedures.

14. How do we use our funds for
salaries and materials?
Salaries
30% of project budget is for salaries, which
will be added to the total salary &
allowances pool. Salaries and allowances
are paid out to team members as per their
hiring contracts.
Every 6 months (in June and in
December), any balance remaining in the
salaries and allowances pool will be paid-
out to all permanent team members as
bonus.
This is to increase the sense of ownership
and accomplishment of everyone in the
team. Permanent members of team are
those on EPF and SOCSO.
Materials
30-40% of a project budget is for material
procurement.
1% of the materials procurement pool is for
purchasing new sustainable materials
(other than waste materials and existing
green purchases) that are socially,
environmentally and economically
responsible.
This is to encourage continuous
improvement in our procurement
practices.
Any balance remaining in the materials
procurement pool will be added to the
In-trepreneurship pool.

15. Overheads
10% of a project budget is set
apart for overheads and added to
the larger overheads pool to
cover expenses that cannot be
directly attributed to specific
projects (electricity, water,
internet, etc.)
Reinvestment
20-30% of a project budget is set
apart for investing into the Biji-biji
Initiative through new tools
acquirement, property rental,
proposal development, bonuses,
remunerations and to encourage
entrepreneurship initiatives.
How do we use our funds for
overheads and reinvestment?

16. We promote entrepreneurship and encourage our team members to
develop their ideas internally, within the Biji-biji Initiative. All members of
team have access to the funding available through the In-trepreneurship
pool for Research and Development.
To increase ownership and sales, all team members are encouraged to
bring in projects and will be rewarded with 10% commission. This includes
contacting relevant parties, proposing a type of engagement and setting up
a meeting. This only applies to new client engagement .
How do we encourage internal
In-traprenuership?

17. We work in an inclusive and equitable manner.
We make conscious efforts to engage members of different groups
in different facets of our operations whenever feasible.
Biji-biji Initiative works in a non-discriminatory manner where
conscious efforts are made to create, maintain and ensure a fair and
equitable environment within the Biji-biji Initiative.
How do we ensure inclusivity
and equitability?

18. We believe collaboration is superior to competition. The best way to
innovate is to collaborate. We seek out collaboration opportunities to
increase efficiency and effectiveness in reaching our shared goals.
At our Open Workshop, we welcome groups and individuals to
participate in our projects and to design and
prototype new ideas.
When someone shares a great idea with us,
We make sure they are included fairly in
the entire process.
How we ensure collaboration
takes place?

19. We are a strong advocate of Open Source
principles.
Our designs are shared online for non-
commercial use, which means the rights to
study, change and distribute our designs are
open to anyone for non-commercial purpose.
This allows the designs to be constantly
improved upon, and for us to further develop
our building techniques by making new
prototypes.
By trying to spread good ideas instead of
protecting them, we can innovate efficiently and
effectively.
Our Open Source Principles

20. Biji-biji Initiative Open Workshop
Our Open Workshop is based in a 9,000
sq. ft. space in Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur.
This workshop is equipped with tools and
machinery, and serves as our prototype
development centre, production and
storage facility.
Here, members of the public and clients
alike are encouraged to take part in the
design process, learn and develop the
solutions.
Our Open Workshop