Social Value UK

Tag: Impact measurement

  • Ex-Offender Recruitment: Let’s Hear From The Employer

    Ex-Offender Recruitment: Let’s Hear From The Employer

    Social Value in Perspective: Driving Equality to Solve the Workforce Shortage

    As part of our workplace equality campaign we have been sharing insights into hiring ex-offenders successfully, as a means of both solving staffing issues and creating social value in the community.

    Below is a brief Q&A with an employer that has been doing just that.

    Catch22 is an organisation that designs and delivers services that build resilience and aspiration in people of all ages within communities across the UK.

    What were the main reservations you had surrounding employing ex-offenders?

    The practicality of recruitment in certain settings, i.e., vetting being a barrier.

    Our biggest concern was that vetting may prevent us from hiring inclusively. However, it is about finding ways to work around this as opposed to automatically assuming people can’t be recruited due to the vetting procedures.

    Has hiring people with convictions helped you to reach a greater talent pool?

    Yes, for example we hired a former gang member to assist us with our Gangs and Violence Reduction Service. We found it beneficial to use their lived experience to engage with young people and encourage them to exit gangs. The person in question used their expertise and journey to help empower young people to turn their back on the lifestyle. Their experience meant they had a deeper understanding of the issues at hand, and they were personally requested to speak with certain young people by schools who had worked with the individual before and seen their impact.

    Have your customers/consumers responded well to this?

    In relation to gangs and violence reduction, yes very much so.

    What would you say to a company considering this more inclusive recruitment style? 

    Do it – People with lived experience bring so much value and dedication. The risks are low, people want to change their lives around and will dedicate themselves to the work.

    Learn more about Catch22 HERE

    If you’d like to be further involved with our Social Value In Perspective campaign, please email our Advocacy Lead, Matthew Mckew via matthew.mckew@socialvalueuk.org 

    Matt Eamer, founder of me&you said; “I’m excited that my creative agency can support Social Value UK in its mission to raise awareness and understanding of social value. We’ll be creating visuals and graphics to help bring Social Value in Perspective to life, making the themes accessible for new audiences.“ 

  • Congratulations to Allison Ricket – New Level 3 Advanced Practitioner

    Congratulations to Allison Ricket – New Level 3 Advanced Practitioner

    Social Value UK are proud to announce that Allison Ricket has achieved Level 3 Advanced Practitioner status.

    Allison is Visiting Professor and Executive in Residence for Impact Measurement and SROI at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service.

    Ahead of this announcement, we spoke to Allison about his experience with the assessment process…

    Why did you embark on the Social Value International Professional Pathway?

    SVI’s approach to accounting for social value is underscored by systems thinking and democratic principles of honouring the voice of those experiencing the change. Understanding the interconnectedness and complexity of impact is critical for a just and sustainable future. The SVI Professional Pathway increased my professional competencies in helping organizations measure, manage, and communicate their impact while increasing engagement with their stakeholders. Because SVI is a global network of experts, embarking on the professional pathway also allowed me to align our work in the United States at Ohio University to the global standard in measuring social value. It provided a platform for me to learn from leading experts in the field and engage with a global community of practitioners who share a common goal of creating a better world.  

    Overall, embarking on the Social Value International Professional Pathway aligned perfectly with my personal and professional goals of making a positive impact on society. By acquiring a deeper understanding of social value measurement and management, I aimed to become an advocate for social change, helping organizations and communities create sustainable and equitable outcomes.  

    What elements of the assessment were particularly useful for your learning?

    Overall, Social Value Practitioner Advanced Level 3 assessment’s peer review process provided the opportunity for consequential discussions around the data, valuation methods, and stakeholder communication process. Through the peer review process, I was able to connect to SVI’s global network of practitioners who have been working in the Impact field for decades. These individuals have not only worked in the space, they have shaped it. Talking through both successes and challenges in measuring social value for clients enabled me to refine and adopt new approaches to strengthen our methodology and engagement with clients. The peer review process also provided me with tailored professional development ideas for continuing to move our work forward. 

    How do you plan to utilise your newly acquired Level 3 Advanced practitioner skills?  

    • Leading Impact Measurement Initiatives: As the leader of the SROI and Impact Measurement team at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service, I will leverage my advanced practitioner skills to spearhead impact measurement initiatives for social enterprises, impact investors, non-profits, foundations, and impact funds in the United States. Especially in rural areas in the US, there is a need to measure outcomes to multiple systems in a way that can be communicated to often far-away state or national entities that could provide substantial funding opportunities to local communities. The use of SROI to measure and monetize sometimes intangible, relational outcomes is a step in the direction of honouring the diverse, strength-based contributions of rural stakeholders while giving voice to the outcomes those stakeholders prioritize as most important to their communities. The power of SROI lies in articulating a narrative counter to the stories of extraction and lack repeated about rural areas.
    • Advising and Influencing Policy: With my expertise in impact measurement and my role as an advisor to national organizations and federal policymakers, I will utilize my Level 3 Advanced practitioner skills to contribute to the development of impactful policies. By employing rigorous data analysis and evaluation techniques, I can provide evidence-based recommendations and advocate for the integration of social value principles into policy frameworks. This will help shape decisions at a systemic level, promoting the consideration of social and environmental outcomes alongside economic considerations.
    • Strengthening Collaborations and Networks: Collaboration plays a crucial role in driving social impact. With my Level 3 Advanced practitioner skills, I will actively engage in building and strengthening collaborations and networks within US social impact ecosystem. My goal is to partnerships that facilitate the exchange of knowledge, resources, and best practices. This will enable collective action and amplify the social value generated by organizations and initiatives.
    • Contributing to Research and Thought Leadership: Given my research interests in asset-based approaches to community building, social entrepreneurial ecosystems, and holistic community well-being, I plan to utilize my advanced practitioner skills to contribute to research and thought leadership in these areas. Through rigorous research methodologies and data analysis, I can generate insights that advance the understanding and implementation of social value principles. This will help shape the discourse around impact measurement and inform future practices and policies.  

    Are you embedding social value and SROI into any current projects? Can you tell us about them?

    At the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service at Ohio University, I lead a team of researchers in conducting SROIs and social value analyses for large and small clients. Most recently, we conducted an SROI study of the $10M Columbus & Franklin County Small Business Recovery Fund, aimed at assisting small businesses in the aftermath of the pandemic. We are also currently working on a number of projects that include an SROI for The Boys and Girls Clubs Ohio Alliance and an SROI for PassionWorks, a local social enterprise. Our university team is also partnering with Tim Goodspeed to complete a set of wellbeing valuations that will be available in the US

    What does it mean to you to be part of a global network? How can you contribute to the social value movement and what issues/areas do you intend to address?

    Being part of a global network allows me to share my expertise, experiences, and best practices with others while also learning from their insights. By engaging in knowledge sharing and collaboration, we can collectively advance the field of social value measurement and management. The current body of knowledge project, which I am facilitating with Social Value US, seeks to engage this global network in order to build a framework that outlines key concepts, theories, methodologies, and skills necessary for the practice of impact measurement and management. Through both the BOK work and my work in applied research at a university in the U.S., I hope to further engage the academic community in conversations and practice in social value, impact measurement and management, and the ecosystems that support social enterprises. As we engage the academic community, we therefore expand access to these concepts and practices to the next generation of entrepreneurs, researchers, thinkers, and leaders who are all hungry for ways to think differently about addressing social, environmental, and economic goals. 

    “Becoming the first Level 3 Advanced Practitioner in the United States is an honour and a privilege. This achievement speaks to Ohio University’s commitment to being at the vanguard of interdisciplinary work to create a more sustainable and just future not just for our region in the US but also for the world. In addition, becoming a Level 3 Advanced Practitioner will continue to help carry forward the conversation of measuring and managing impact in the US.” – Allison Ricket, Visiting Professor and Executive in Residence for Impact Measurement and SROI at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service

  • Alessandra Leach – Now a Level 1 Social Value Associate

    Alessandra Leach – Now a Level 1 Social Value Associate

    Social Value UK are proud to announce that Alessandra Leach has achieved Level 1 Social Value Associate Status.

    Alessandra is a Consultant in Healthcare Strategy & Planning at Lexica.

    Lexica is a multi-disciplinary specialist consultancy. They help public sector organisations deliver better outcomes through the unparalleled capability, commitment, and collaboration of their team.

    As a social enterprise, wholly owned by an NHS Trust, they are unique in terms of our business ethics, their insights into the working of a major public sector providers and their access to visionary expertise. With over 100 specialists, Lexica includes world-renowned experts who laid the foundations in the subject areas in which they operate. Their reputation for continuous improvement is reflected in their ability to attract, develop and retain the brightest entrants to the market and in the remarkable stability and resilience of their team. This ensures that their clients receive the benefits, not only of experienced practitioners, but also the creativity and innovative thinking of the generation which will shape the future.

    Visit their website HERE

    Ahead of this announcement, we spoke to Alessandra about her experience with the assessment process…

    Why have you decided to undertake the Social Value International Professional Pathway?

    Working with clients in the NHS and wider Health sector, social impact is central to every project I work on. I hope that improving my understanding of impact management through the Social Value International Practitioner Pathway will allow me to better support clients in identifying, appraising and ultimately delivering value to their communities.

    What did you learn and find useful from this assessment process?

    Learning about SVI’s Principles has been incredibly helpful in framing the way I approach projects. The assessment process has given me a solid understanding of the theory that underpins impact management, which I hope to draw from and build upon as I continue my social value journey.

    Now that you are a Level 1 Social Value Associate what do you plan to do next to develop your practice? How do you plan to use your practitioner skills? 

    I continue to look for opportunities to embed social value principles in my work. I am excited to connect and share ideas with other SVI practitioners. Lexica is currently reviewing its own approach to social value. I hope to use the knowledge I have gained through the assessment process to support the development and implementation of Lexica’s Social Value strategy.

    Are there any other specific projects you are doing at the moment that are related to SROI and social value?

    I am currently refining our methodology for identifying and appraising the social benefits associated with health infrastructure investments, with a view to achieving SVI report assurance. A recent project I worked on using this methodology to demonstrate the SROI of a new hospital has been developed into a workshop case study by SVI.

    You have now joined a community of practice around the globe. What does this mean to you and why do you want to participate and contribute to the development of the methodology and overall social value movement?

    This is an incredibly exciting time for social value and I look forward to learning from the knowledge and experience of the international practitioner community. I am interested to hear about the work that other practitioners are involved in and explore opportunities to work together in the interest of furthering the social value movement.

    In particular, I am keen to engage in the conversation about social value within consultancy and how, as consultants, we can maximise the benefit we provide, both directly to our clients, and indirectly to the communities they serve.

    “I am thrilled to have gained Level 1 Social Value Associate status with Social Value International. I look forward to contributing to the growing practitioner community and using my knowledge of impact management to support the social value goals of Lexica’s clients.” – Alessandra Leach

  • Patricia Polvora Achieves Level 3 Advanced Practitioner Status

    Patricia Polvora Achieves Level 3 Advanced Practitioner Status

    Social Value UK are proud to announce that Patricia Polvora has achieved Level 3 Advanced Practitioner status.

    Patricia is and SROI Consultant and Co-funder of The Social Consulting Agency.

    The Social Consulting Agency is an impact managing and measurement agency that generates impact. The agency employees women with disabilities and young women from social economic vulnerable environment to support the reduction of unemployment in Spain and generate well-being.

    Ahead of this announcement, we spoke to Patricia about her experience with the assessment process…

    Why have you decided to undertake the Social Value International Professional Pathway?

    I want to make sure that the Spanish-speaking part of the world is not left out of the benefits of having access to stakeholder-informed date through and accredited process such as the one Social Value International offers through the SROI Methodology. Right now in Spain we are less than 8 persons accredited level 1 and I’m the second level 3 advanced practitioner. Thus, my plan is to continue our path with training as it cannot be accessed if you don’t speak English. I aim to be able to deliver training in Spanish to Spanish-speaking impact managers, and by doing so, expanding the community.

    What did you learn and find useful from this assessment process?

    I believe any assessment is an opportunity to learn. Being assessed is just another way of getting access to experts in the subject that feedbacks in a constructive way on the work you have accomplished, so that it can be improved. It’s a journey towards excellence and better practice.

    Now that you are a Level 3 Advanced Practitioner what do you plan to do next to develop your practice? How do you plan to use your practitioner skills? 

    I am currently taking the course to become a trainer and I am already involved in several SROI projects in Spain on Government level in order to “show by example” the value of working with stakeholder informed methodology and social value.

    Are there any other specific projects you are doing at the moment that are related to SROI and social value?

    I am currently developing an SROI report for a state-funded project driven by an NGO but financed by the Ministry of Social Welfare in Spain. The program is running intervention on 560 children all over Spain that are in risk of being institutionalized, something Spanish Government wants to avoid. I will provide stakeholder-informed data during the two years the program lasts and develop a report to be used in policy making strategic decisions in 2025. In parallel, I am also developing two SROI reports for Red Cross with the same purpose and financed by the same ministry, but this time related to avoiding institutionalisation of the elderly.

    Read more

    You have now joined a community of practice around the globe. What does this mean to you and why do you want to participate and contribute to the development of the methodology and overall social value movement?

    It means: Best practice, Knowledge sharing, Friends, Support

    Contribute: experience, errors, mistakes, friendship, report sharing, training

  • NEW Level 3 Advanced Practitioner: Jesusa I. Rebete

    NEW Level 3 Advanced Practitioner: Jesusa I. Rebete

    Social Value UK and Social Value International are proud to announce that Jesusa I. Rebete has achieved Level 3 Advanced Practitioner status.

    Jesusa is the Senior Manager for Program Governance at the Ayala Foundation

    As the social development arm of the Ayala group of companies, Ayala Foundation envisions communities where people are creative, productive, self-reliant, and proud to be Filipino. Ayala Foundation is committed to community development, working closely with communities in identifying compelling developmental needs and providing suitable solutions with measurable outcomes. It implements programs under the following themes: Education, Sustainable Livelihood, and Love of Country. Ayala Foundation welcomes partnerships to help improve lives of people in communities.

    Read more

    Why have you decided to undertake the Social Value International Professional Pathway?

    Different organisations and businesses in the Philippines, particularly Ayala Foundation and the rest of the Ayala group of companies, are doing so much to improve the lives of people they serve. While most organizations do very well in monitoring the progress of projects and businesses, sometimes the challenge is in measuring how much they have contributed to the changes in the lives of people.

    With the guidance of Ayala Foundation, I pursued the Social Value International Practitioner Pathway to help organisations measure the social value that they create. This will help them make better management decisions, with particular focus on producing higher outcomes for our partners.

    What did you learn and find useful from this assessment process?

    This assessment process has helped sharpen my practice on SROI measurement. The assurance process has made Social Value Principles and measurement methods clearer, its nuances more well delineated, making it easier to apply to an SROI analysis. I now appreciate sensitivity analysis better, especially in applying it several ways in a particular assessment.

    My assessor was very helpful in reviewing the best practices that were applied in SROI measurement, and in pointing out the areas where I needed to articulate more findings that were not included in an earlier draft of the report.

    Now that you are a Level 3 Advanced Practitioner what do you plan to do next to develop your practice? How do you plan to use your practitioner skills? 

    The Ayala Foundation team handling SROI would like to continue trailblazing in the field, both inside and outside the organization. This means conducting more SROI measurements for our programs, and more actively pursuing partnerships with the Ayala group and other non-profit organizations on accounting for the social values that they create with their stakeholders.

    Together with the rest of Ayala Foundation, we will work towards organizing a social value associate network in the Philippines to spearhead changing the way organizations account for value in our part of the globe.

    Are there any other specific projects you are doing at the moment that are related to SROI and social value?

    I am currently measuring the SROI of two Ayala Foundation programs—the CENTEX Training Institute and the ornamental plants and vegetable farming project under our sustainable livelihood programs in Calauan, Laguna.

    CENTEX Training Institute is a program that specifically targets primary school teachers from the public school system, providing training, books, gadgets, internet assistance, and parent-engagement support. Meanwhile, ornamental and vegetable farming project works with a group of farmers based in the municipality of Calauan, Laguna (about two hours away from Metro Manila), providing technology and management support, as well as market connection, including to the Ayala value chain.

    You have now joined a community of practice around the globe. What does this mean to you and why do you want to participate and contribute to the development of the methodology and overall social value movement?

    This is a great opportunity for me to share my knowledge and skills on social value measurement and management for individuals and organizations around the globe. Despite the enormous work being done by different organisations to improve the global situation, gaps remain huge. While there are many factors that contribute to global poverty and environmental issues, one way to maximize the impact of current initiatives is to account for social values created, so we can manage them better and make an even greater impact in the lives of people.

    The current global standards are big on measuring output and short-term outcomes of businesses and organisations. Many focus on measuring the value of output—there remains that challenge of measuring outcomes, looking deeper at the impact and changes created in people’s lives. SROI and the social value movement can fill this gap in the current global practices by developing impact level metrics and measures. Together with Ayala Foundation, I am hoping to work with the global social value movement on this.

    “I am proud to be a Level 3 Advanced Practitioner with Social Value International. It’s a great leap from being Level 1 Practitioner last year. It means that Ayala Foundation is aligned with the international standard on social value measurement. The Level 3 Advanced Practitioner status will help me and the foundation trailblaze social value measurement in the Philippines.”

    Jesusa I. Rebete, DPA – Senior Manager for Program Governance at The Ayala Foundation
  • Social value is about changes to people’s lives, so we need to ask ‘have we made as much value as we can with the resources available?’

    Social value is about changes to people’s lives, so we need to ask ‘have we made as much value as we can with the resources available?’

    Measuring social value is important – but what we do with that information is even more important. Join our Maximising Value training course in Manchester on 25 May.

    So, as well as asking yourself the question of how to measure social value, we also need to be asking, why are measuring social value?

    The answer to this question is often that we need to prove or demonstrate our impacts to others such as investors or funders – this is and will remain important. But if this is the only reason why we are measuring, we are missing real opportunities for maximising value from measuring the results of our work.

    When we talk about social value, we are talking about how important changes are to people’s lives. And when we have this focus, the question we should be asking is not just ‘how much value has been created?’ We need to be asking ‘how we can make even more value?’

    Remember, this is about changes to people’s lives – so we need to ask if we have made as much value as we can with the resources we have available?

    Social Value UK (SVUK) have been working with leading organisations in the UK and around the world, and we recognise that this approach has helped organisations to identify opportunities to improve the value they create.

    By involving stakeholders to understand the value of changes to their lives – and without increasing the money required, organisations have made changes to their work and targeted their efforts to change the lives of people even more effectively than before.

    Using social value evidence does not replace the expertise and knowledge of people within an organisation, but it does help to provide more information to inform the decisions they take.

    Social Value UK (SVUK) can help you with this way of thinking – we have a one day practical course on Maximising Social Value that will take you through the steps required to design, collect, and analyse data.

    Designed for data analysts and decision makers this is an interactive course that will help you to identify insights to help maximise the changes you help create in people’s lives.

    —–

    Maximising Value training course details:

    £175 + VAT
    25 May, 9.30am – 4.30pm.
    Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount St, Manchester, M2 5NS
    Book online: https://sv-test.wp-support.team/social-value-training/maximising-social-value-training/

    • Are you a Social Impact manager, Finance Director, Senior Manager, or Commissioner?
    • Do you work in an organisation looking at how social value evidence can help you to make decisions?

    Social Value UK can provide you with the practical skills to maximise the value you deliver through your work.

    Our expert trainer Dr Adam Richards will facilitate practical, hands on training.

    Have any questions? Email us. info@sv-test.wp-support.team

  • Impact Management: A chance to put the reindeer before the sleigh?

    Impact Management: A chance to put the reindeer before the sleigh?

    This is a blog by Social Value UK’s Operations Manager, Ben Carpenter.

    They will look back on 2017 and they will say “Ah, the year of ‘impact management” – well, maybe, or maybe it will only be me that says that (to an empty room)! In all seriousness, it has been a real privilege this year to lead Social Value UK’s role in the Impact Management Project; an ambitious social sector collaboration funded by Access Foundation aiming to help organisations get better at impact management. Why? So that they can create more social impact and help diversify their income (so says the theory of change!).

    There has been a clear journey for the impact management revellers this year and as cheesy as that sounds let me tear you away from your yule time festivities to talk you through it!

    What’s the point of all this measurement?

    We began the year running ‘roadshow’ events – rolling in to town and talking about the new ‘term’ on the block; “forget impact measurement, that’s so 2016 – it’s all about impact management now, don’t you know?” Cue, frantic discussions about the differences between measurement and management; “don’t you need to measure in order to manage?”, “Do we really need a new science?” and “Haven’t we all got enough to be doing?”  Yes, no and yes.

    Putting our healthy scepticism to one side, this was an important phase: conversations began to move beyond measurement. Rather than worrying too much about the how, we were addressing the why and challenging ourselves; “why do we measure that if we don’t do anything with the data?”. The conversations dared to consider “what if we had no funder to report to? – would we still collect data?”. Thankfully the answers were largely yes! In data terms we might no longer have the cart before the horse (or the sleigh before the reindeers?). We talked passionately about accountability, and how being accountable to your beneficiaries means relentlessly innovating to create the most impact you can (with the resources you have). I wrote a blog that wondered if impact management is a ‘state of mind’. It was a great time to be alive.

    Yeah, yeah but how do we do it?

    Heady stuff indeed. But once we sobered up we still had some of the old questions; “how do we do impact management?” and “what does it look like?”. Together with Social Enterprise UK we ran co-design workshops that drilled into the detail a bit more. New Philanthropy Capital led an exercise to distil this feedback and turn it into a structure. Impact management does require a specific type of organisational ‘culture’ but it also requires ‘data’ and some ‘planning/systems’. These are the three building blocks of the programme and they’ve proved to be useful areas for organisations to consider as they grapple with impact management.

    We continued to hold ‘co-design workshops’ and develop a cohort of organisations across six regions of England. These sessions were passionate and productive. Discussions around ‘data’ led to the identification of five types of data and whilst this may seem like a relatively simple categorisation of ‘data’ it’s provided many eureka moments so far. At SVUK we believe the value of outcomes is an extremely important and powerful subset of the outcome data set. If you are lucky enough to have more than one present under the tree this year, will you be considering the relative importance (or value) of each?

    When discussing ‘data’ we’ve forced the questions; “why do you collect this data”? or “what decisions can you make with this data (or information)? We made a rule: “Imagine you have no funder – you only collected information to help you improve your services and make changes”.

    Are we already doing impact management?

    The organisations we have worked with have all been at the beginning of their thinking about impact management. Whilst many are small, all of them enter this subject with an air of trepidation – as you might approach a long overdue check-up with the dentist. However, it’s been great to turn this trepidation into an optimism and even a confidence about impact management. It might not be so painful after all… Turns out we’re kind of doing it already?

    I firmly believe that all of the organisations we have engaged with are continuously making changes to their services. “It’s just what we do” is the common response. Of course, it is, these are people who care, who want to provide a good service so they are already in the habit of continuous improvement. In our most recent round of events we’ve been collecting examples of these changes and then asking what data (or information) they’ve used before making that change. This is impact management and maybe we’re already doing it? I wrote a blog about this too and suggested that all we need to do is recognise it, do more of it, in a systematic way and use more data to support these decisions.

    What does the future hold?

    There is still lots to do. Whilst it turns out organisations are (sometimes) good at collecting:

    1. user data
    2. engagement data
    3. feedback data and are using this to make changes

    They are not so good at the other types of data:

    1. outcomes data
    2. impact data.

    We can help organisations with this; NPC are creating some online resources and we have established a network of peer learning groups.

    But you cannot keep the white elephant, in our case the ‘funder’, out of the room for long. Despite our best efforts to imagine a world where funders don’t dictate data requirements, it never lasts. Unfortunately, in the real world, it is far too common to hear that organisations are prioritising data that their funder wants before considering what data would be useful for them.

    I do not want to have a go at funders (they deserve a good Christmas too) – after all, their demands are motivated by accountability. So, rather than get angry with funders this Christmas, let’s turn this into a positive. The organisations that are successful are the ones that set the data agenda with their funders. Organisations that can show they are in control of their data will soon earn the respect and trust of a funder.

    My wish for 2018 is that organisations prioritise the data they need to improve their programmes. That means creating a system that works for them. A system that collects all types of data and tracks how it informs decision making. The system needs to be proportionate and by that I mean the data collected is good enough for the decision it informs. An organisation that can do this has put the data sleigh firmly in place and the reindeers are dashing merrily through the snow, and I didn’t even mention the man with the white beard.

    Equally, we have more reasons to be cheerful;

    • SVUK have published an incredibly useful and timely guide called Maximise your Impact, which you can download here
    • SVUK have been involved in developing Impact Management from an investors perspective taking shape in the form of this project
    • This blog is also posted on the Impact Management Project blog

     

  • Arabic Translation of Guide to SROI

    Arabic Translation of Guide to SROI

    The Arabic translation of the Social Return on Investment (SROI) Guide is up! Completed as a partnership between Social Value International and Sustainable Square, the translation aims to serve as a guiding reference for Arab practitioners to further promote the concept of calculating social value within the region.

    “It’s fantastic that The Guide to SROI is now available in Arabic. We have seen increased interest in this area over the last couple of years and this will really help people engage. I would especially like to thank Eric and his team for all their work getting this out.”
    Jeremy Nicholls, CEO, Social Value

    “Based on our interactions with organizations in the Middle East over the last 3 years, we have seen increasing appetite for having tools that can help monitor, evaluate and
    measure the impact of their contributions to the society. Producing the Arabic version of the SROI guideline will help spreading the practice amongst Arabic speakers, players that
    are designing and managing programs in developing communities.”
    Monaem Ben Lellahom, Global Founding Partner, Sustainable Square.

    Organisations within the region are continuing to shift from the Ad-hoc approach towards CSR practices to strategic design of programs to optimise value. However, the region still has room to grow in the monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the programs and in sharing resources in order to grow the social sector. Considering social impact and understanding what really changes in an initiative, is still a new technical approach for organisations to formally embrace. With the newly translated text, we look forward to seeing more Arab practitioners integrating SROI into their monitoring and evaluations, developing localised case practices relevant to the region, and promote the concepts of social investment and social value.

     

    Download Guide in Arabic

     

    Press Contacts

    Fatima Alattar
    falattar@sustainablesquare.com

  • Behind Closed Doors become organisational members!

    Behind Closed Doors become organisational members!

    Behind Closed Doors (BCD) have joined Social Value UK as organisational members.  BCD supports people affected by domestic violence and abuse to enable them to live safely, free from fear and harm, make informed choices and manage their own lives. BCD staff and volunteers support people to identify their experiences and problems, develop and implement their own plans, develop life skills, and build stronger familial and support networks.

    BCD systematically monitor all of their work to learn how to improve the support they offer, using data and stakeholder feedback to identify gaps in services and develop new projects. Monitoring, recording and evaluating the impact of their services was embedded from the outset. Collating evidence of change, both statistical and narrative, has demonstrated the positive effect of their interventions but it is only recently that they have considered what ‘value’ these changes reflect. Tudor Trust funded them to research and produce their first Social Return on Investment Report for 2015-16 in January 2017. This report highlighted a £7.32 return on every £1.00 invested and perhaps more importantly, provided an exciting opportunity to really explore exactly what they do, how they do it and what it is about their services that clients and colleagues need and value. We have recently produced an in-depth case study on the social value work by BCD, you can download it and learn more here.

    By joining Social Value UK, BCD hope to share and gain knowledge and learning. They also hope to collaborate with other like-minded organisations and gain the confidence to reflect on their own internal value and belief system.

     

    “Elvis Presley once said ‘Values are like fingerprints. Nobody’s are the same, but you leave them all over everything you do.’ Joining Social Value UK is an exciting opportunity to be part of a network which recognises value, not just pounds; people, not just numbers; change, not just snapshots in time and legacy, not just impact.”

    Louise, Director, Behind Closed Doors

     

    Behind Closed Doors

    Louise Tyne, Director, Behind Closed Doors

    E: louise@behind-closed-doors.org.uk                      T: 0113 391 1918

    Social Value UK

    Christina Berry-Moorcroft, Membership and Communications Coordinator, Social Value UK

    E: christina.moorcroft@sv-test.wp-support.team                       T: 0151 703 9229

    About Behind Closed Doors

    Behind Closed Doors works with both women and men throughout the Leeds district whose lives have been, or are affected by domestic abuse and violence. Behind Closed Doors has a dedicated and professional team who will aim to assist anyone who is, or has, suffered from domestic abuse.

    About Social Value UK

    Social Value UK is the national network for anyone interested in social value and social impact. We work with our members to increase the accounting, measuring and maximising of social value from the perspective of those affected by an organisation’s activities, through our Social Value Principles. We believe in a world where a broader definition of value will change decision making and ultimately decrease inequality and environmental degradation. To achieve our mission, Social Value UK provides training and assurance services, as well as hosting regular meetings and events, creating new tools and resources, and running campaigns. Through supporting and working with our members, and as a National Member Network of Social Value International, we are creating an international movement for change.

  • Impact Wizard: magic for your impact assessment

    Impact Wizard: magic for your impact assessment

    At last: an accessible toolkit that guides you step by step to assess your social impact. This hands-on tool considers your available time and what you and your stakeholders really want to know about your impact. www.impactwizard.eu

    Curbing poverty. Increasing resilience. Fostering environment-friendly behaviour.

    For social entrepreneurs, making a social impact is their main drive. Are you working for a better world? Do you find it difficult to explain how your project contributes to societal change? Impact Wizard is a brand new online tool that helps you to do just that.

    Impact Wizard helps you reflect on, assess and increase your impact. Challenging assignments bring you new insights and a clear view on your social impact.   

    The tool combines knowledge, data and experiences of a two year action research, coordinated by the Social Innovation Factory. Although it offers a large selection of impact indicators and assessment methods, it helps you to focus and choose an approach that’s relevant for you. The icing on the cake? Impact Wizard puts you on track to communicate and to increase your impact.

    Do not expect a complex handbook. Impact Wizard is a flexible and hands-on tool. It considers your actual evaluation questions and your available time.

    Impact Wizard can be used by everyone. Create your account for free on www.impactwizard.eu and explore the tool for a week. A licence key (90€ excl. VAT) gives you access for a year. Try it out now!

    Feel free to introduce this tool in your network. If you’d like a licence key or more information on special offers for umbrella organisations, please contact info@impactnetwerk.be

     

     

  • SAMETRICA Renews Software Assurance

    SAMETRICA Renews Software Assurance

    SAMETRICA (Incorporated as Social Asset Measurements Inc.) and Social Value International announce the renewal of SAMETRICA’s software compliance certification from Social Value International. SAMETRICA is a Software-as-a-Service platform founded in 2011 that enables enterprises to demonstrate the value of their social spend. Based out of Toronto, Canada, SAMETRICA meets the needs of large-scale clients, working with public sector clients including at all levels.  

    SAMETRICA was the first to complete compliance testing of its product with Social Value International (formerly The SROI Network) in 2013. This third party compliance testing ensures that SAMETRICA enables a user to capture the information required to complete a Social Value analysis in line with the framework for accounting for value (Value Map) which is used to facilitate the application of the Principles of Social Value.

    The accreditation process seeks to assess whether or not software demonstrates a satisfactory understanding of, and is consistent with, the Principles of Social Value. Software is reviewed by Social Value UK on behalf of Social Value International and must demonstrate compliance with the Social Value Software assessment criteria in order to be certified. The Social Value Software assessment criteria document can be downloaded from the website here and a full list of software can be found here.

     

    Press Contacts

    Social Value UK

    Christina Berry-Moorcroft, Membership and Communications Coordinator, Social Value UK

    E: christina.moorcroft@sv-test.wp-support.team                       T: 0151 703 9229

     

    Social Value UK is the national network for anyone interested in social value and social impact. We work with our members to increase the accounting, measuring and maximising of social value from the perspective of those affected by an organisation’s activities, through our Social Value Principles. We believe in a world where a broader definition of value will change decision making and ultimately decrease inequality and environmental degradation. To achieve our mission, Social Value UK provides training and assurance services, as well as hosting regular meetings and events, creating new tools and resources, and running campaigns. Through supporting and working with our members, and as a National Member Network of Social Value International, we are creating an international movement for change.