“Most people would agree that it is important for organizations – and those who invest in them – to listen to the voices of those affected by their activities. However, not many are doing this consistently or comprehensively enough. Good stakeholder engagement practice remains surprisingly rare. Many investors and organizations believe stakeholder engagement would take too much time and resources to be worthwhile. Some take a narrow view of who their stakeholders are and engage only with intended beneficiaries or end-users, ignoring other affected groups. And there are many who would like to do it, but don’t know where to start. But empirical evidence from the impact investing community shows that there is a strong cost/benefit case for stakeholder engagement. In fact, it is becoming increasingly central to impact and risk management, and an increasingly rich source of innovation. How can we really understand and be accountable for the effects of an investment/organizations’ activities, without understanding the experience of those affected by it? From the many conversations we have had on this subject in 2016 and 2017, it is clear that stakeholders in the impact investing community – and, increasingly, in traditional investment sectors and industries – want and need some guidance on appropriate (practical, credible/robust, low-cost, responsible and ethical) ways to incorporate the voices of affected stakeholders into their impact investments or organizational activities; and, importantly, on how they should respond to these voices. This document is a collaborative effort by several individuals and organizations, who came together to help provide guidance on how and where stakeholder engagement practice should evolve. It suggests some of the many ways in which the voices of all affected stakeholders can be gathered – and then used to draw lessons, inform decisions, and develop strong relationships with those affected. This document references existing tools, resources, and examples of practice as of 2017 about engaging all affected stakeholders, bringing them all together into one document.”
Document Keyword: social value measurement
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A Discussion Document on the Valuation of Social Outcomes
There is growing recognition and interest in the valuation of social outcomes, and Social Value International (SVI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) convened a meeting of experts to further the debate. This document is the result of the result of the meeting in September 2015 that took place in the Bellagio Center on Lake Como in Italy, and was sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation. The meeting brought together 22 individuals from a range of sectors and countries to discuss the variety of valuation techniques, their relationship to one another, and how they can be mapped and brought together with clearer guidance. This report is the result of the global meeting, and is designed to garner cross-sector discussion and alignment – with a particular focus on the assigning of monetary values to social outcomes. We hope you enjoy the document, that it adds to the ongoing debate and discussion around these important issues.
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BeHealthy Charitable Programme funded by Mondelez International Foundation (CAF Russisa)
This report articulates the social impact of the BeHealthy Charitable Programme funded by Mondelez International Foundation which was carried by CAF Russia in 2014-2015 using Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology. It also provides conclusions and recommendations aimed at increasing social impact created by the Programme. This SROI analysis not only proved that the Programme aimed at teaching primary school children the basics of healthy nutrition and lifestyle was achieving the expected outcomes (increase in the children’s vitality and social development), it also had unexpected positive outcomes of increased children’s autonomy and self-esteem. Overall, the analysis showed that for every ruble invested, the BeHealthy programme produced up to 5 rubles in social value. In addition, the Programme produced considerable social value for the parents and teachers involved. SROI is a principles-based impact measurement approach that looks at three types of value – economic, environmental and social and uses monetary units to convey value. This allows not only measuring the impact produced by a social intervention but also comparing it with the amount invested to produce an ROI ratio.
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Are we accounting for value? A discussion document
Are the basic accounting principles that have developed over hundreds of years still fit for purpose? Jeremy Nicholls of the Social Value International and Social Value UK argues that they could be reshaped to be more relevant to the global economy. Accounting for value is a discussion piece.
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Measuring Social Value
This document, produced by the Department of Health in 2010, looks at ways of measuring social value and outlines how 5 social enterprises went about accounting for the value of their activities.
