The Sector

Effect research into the social value of IPSO walk-in houses – A Sinzer Case

Commissioned by the Dutch Cancer Society and in collaboration with IPSO (Institutes for Psychosocial Oncology) drop-in centers, we carried out a large-scale effects study into the social value of IPSO drop-in centers at the national level. The Netherlands currently has 75 drop-in houses that are affiliated with the sector organization IPSO. Everyone who is directly or indirectly affected by cancer can go to these drop-in centers. (Ex) cancer patients, relatives and surviving relatives will find low-threshold (psychosocial) support, contact with fellow sufferers, interpretation of quality of life and distraction. The study made a distinction between added value in the area of ​​contribution to the ‘positive health’ of visitors and broader social (financial) value creation in the area of ​​care and labor participation.

The research shows that IPSO walk-in houses create financial and social value through cost savings in the field of care and economic benefits in relation to labor participation. The research also shows that IPSO walk-in houses contribute to a greater degree of social participation (less loneliness), an improved quality of life and an improved mental well-being of the visitors. These are important outcomes in view of policy objectives (both national and local) in the area of ​​participation and welfare.

You can read the entire report here.

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The Sector

The Kent Impact Model: measuring impact for a Consortium of UK charities – EMMA VERHEIJKE

During the Social Value Members Exchange 2016 in Birmingham last November, Aleron and Sinzer jointly presented the Kent Impact Model (KIM), an impact framework developed on the Sinzer software platform to help a Consortium of 20 charities in Kent delivering services to the elderly, measure and manage the impact of their work.

The process of developing the Model started in early 2015, when the concept was brought together by a Consortium of independent local charities in Kent – a collaboration of 20 organisations, made up of local ‘Age UK Brand Partners’ (independent charities but using the Age UK brand) and ‘Age Concerns’, another set of independent charities. It was the Consortium that came up with the concept for the Framework and business/system requirements.

To enable this to progress funding was successfully found through the SIB ‘Social Investment Business’ (Central Government UK) and sourced through the ‘Impact Readiness Fund’. One of the  IRF and SIB grant conditions was collaborating to build the Impact Framework with an approved Impact consultancy – for which the Consortium partnererd with London-based consultancy Aleron.

Using the Sinzer software platform

A specific request of the Consortium was to operationalize the model by means of an IT system, in order to make data collection and measurement more consistent, as well as access aggregation and benchmarking options. Working with the Consortium Aleron co-developed the final Framework model, after which the system requirements matched to the Framework model, were taken to search a software developer. Sinzer, an Amsterdam based organisation offering software solutions for social impact measurement and management, was selected to develop the solution against its proven platform in early 2016. (Sinzer’s software platform can be used to develop bespoke impact frameworks, collect data via online surveys, view results in a dashboard and export impact reports.)

Currently, the Kent impact model has been “digitalized” on the Sinzer software platform and has been tested in several training sessions. Staff and other users have been trained and instruction materials have been delivered. Front line staff in each one of the Consortium’s member organisations will soon start using Sinzer to collect data by surveying elderly people that visit the locations, over three measurement points in time. Collected data can be analysed on individual client level as well as per each of the Consortium’s locations by using Sinzer’s dynamic dashboard and ‘slice and dice’ functionalities. Moreover, data collected from all locations can be analysed and visualised in an aggregation dashboard, which can also be used to benchmark the different locations of the Consortium.

Lessons learnt

The Kent Impact Model (KIM) provides the Kent’s Consortium with a better understanding of clients and service delivery through more robust evidence, as well as providing the ability to show something tangible: not just a process change, but a mindset change supported by a specific software tool.

Some of the immediate benefits include:

  • Real understanding of impact across the Network
  • Common guidelines/training standards
  • Having a county-wide view for the first time
  • Commissioners onboard
  • Data will feed into contract bids and research projects
  • Development process built consensus and started indirect conversations around service design and ‘what works’

Next steps for KIM

Recognizing that measuring impact is an iterative process, possible next steps for KIM could include:

  • Linking in control groups
  • Integration with CCG datasets, via NHS numbers
  • Data analytics capacity building
  • Introducing the tool to other Networks and organisations outside of the Consortium.

Interested in learning more, or want to know what the KIM looks like in the Sinzer software? Download the case study here.

Download the Case Study

Topics: Social impact management, Social impact measurement, social impact framework, Social impact management software, Social impact measurement software, Benchmarking, Social Impact Management Framework, Aggregation

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The Sector

Non-financial reporting: the new status quo? – MARLON VAN DIJK

From 1 January 2018 onwards, companies with more than 500 employees are required by EU rules to publish regular reports on the social and environmental impacts of their activities. This will help investors, consumers, policy makers and other stakeholders to evaluate non-financial performance of large private sector companies and in turn encourage these companies to develop a responsible business approach and hold them to account when social and environmental performance is under par.

The full EU directive that lays down the rules on disclosure of non-financial information can be downloaded here. These rules only apply to large public-interest companies with more than 500 employees, a categorisation that includes approximately 6,000 large companies (listed companies, banks and insurance companies) across the EU.

As these companies work across various sectors and offer a multitude of products and services, the directive gives companies significant flexibility in what information they disclose and how they do what. In publishing, companies may use international, European or national guidelines to help produce their reports. Moreover, the European Commission published their own guidelines to help companies disclose environmental and social information, for which the Commission has reviewed multiple existing frameworks. The European Commission underpins the following key principles when reporting on non-financial information:

  • Disclose material information
  • Fair, balanced and understandable
  • Comprehensive but concise
  • Strategic and forward-looking
  • Stakeholder oriented
  • Consistent and coherent

Companies have to publish reports on the material outcomes of the policies they implement in relation to environmental protection, social responsibility and treatment of employees, respect for human rights, anti-corruption and bribery and diversity on company boards (in terms or age, gender, educational and professional background). The analysis of the outcomes should include relevant non-financial KPIs. Companies are expected to disclose the KPIs that they consider most useful in monitoring and assessing progress and supporting comparability across companies and sectors. Where appropriate, companies may also consider presenting and explaining this information in relation to targets and benchmarks.

We celebrate the EU directive as an important milestone in widening the corporate lense to place as much emphasis on social and environmental value, as on financial value. Sinzer developed a publically available search engine to find relevant KPIs from existing databases, aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. Have a look at the Impact Standards by browsing to https://standards.sinzer.org. Once you have find your KPIs, start using our online solution to manage the environmental and social impact of your activities.

Interested? Request a free demo.

Topics: impact metrics, SDGs, framework

#socialinnovation #sdgs #csr #sustainability #mba #wba #consulting #strategy #uwo #love #peace #thesectorinc #bradfordturner #impactinvesting #socialfinance #fundraising

The Sector

Outcome Harvesting: for monitoring and evaluating complex programmes – VINCENT BELGRAVER

Conventional monitoring and evaluation

In ‘conventional’ monitoring and evaluation, we are used to measuring progress towards predetermined outcomes and ‘verify’ if a programme’s objectives were reached. After having developed a set of core-indicators for each of the outcomes, a baseline (‘snapshot’ of the situation at programme’s start) is typically established to create a benchmark against which the programme’s outcomes can be assessed. It is a great way of determining if and to what extent the objectives have been reached.

Complex programmes require a different approach

In complex environments, however, programmes often lead to a non-linear stream of difficult to predict outcomes. The results chain between activities and outcomes is typically unclear, multiple actors are involved in creating change, and activities often contribute only indirectly or partially to one or more outcomes. Think about lobbying and advocacy programmes for example. Assessing the results of such complex programmes through a linear, cause-effect approach in which progress towards predetermined outcomes is measured is not only challenging, but also unlikely to provide insight in a programme’s true outcomes. A different approach is therefore needed.

Outcome harvesting

Unlike conventional methods, Outcome Harvesting collects evidence of what has been achieved. Evaluators first look for demonstrated, observable changes (‘outcomes’) and then work backward to determine if and how the programme contributed to those outcomes. Assessment is not limited to predefined results and change patterns. This way, both predicted and unpredicted, positive and negative, direct and indirect outcomes can be captured. A set of principles and techniques is used to answer questions such as:

  • What changed?
  • How did the change happen?
  • Who or what contributed to the change?
  • How do we know this? What evidence do we have?
  • What is the importance or significance of the change?

Why Outcome Harvesting?

Compared to conventional approaches, an outcome harvest provides a much broader and deeper understanding of a programme’s outcomes. It does not only help understand patterns of change in complex environments where relations of cause and effect are not fully understood, but also reveals a programme’s contribution to those changes. It is useful when outcomes are not (yet) specific enough or measurable when an intervention or programme is designed, making it well-suited for evaluations in dynamic and complex (often uncertain) environments.

Can we support you?

At Sinzer, we strongly believe in the potential of innovative approaches such as Outcome Harvesting. Would you like to learn more about it? Please get in touch with Vincent Belgraver (impact consultant) through vincent@sinzer.org / + 31 6 1484 3954.

Vincent Belgraver has been trained in Outcome Harvesting at the University of Bologna by Ricardo Wilson-Grau, the ‘founding father’ of this evaluation method.

#socialinnovation #socialenterprise #sinzer #thesectorinc #sdgs #csr #mba #wbs #impactinvesting #ESG #bradfordturner #peace #love #toronto #sustainability

The Sector

Towards SDG aligned impact measurement of a Fair and Transparent Value Chain – NELLINE ROEST

Truvalu.enterprises actively participates in local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Asia, Africa and Latin-America. Its mission is to create local jobs, global networks and a sustainable impact combined with economic returns. Truvalu.enterprises aims to achieve this by building fair and transparent value chains, in which all parties are equal partners: the producers in emerging countries, the impact investor (Truvalu.enterprises), the retailer and consumers have mutually inclusive interests and share profits equally. Truvalu.enterprises cooperates with WAAR, a retailer who sells fair trade-certified products from emerging countries in the Netherlands and other European countries and who shares the vision of transparency and equality.

Sinzer has supported Truvalu.enterprises in developing a Theory of Change (ToC) that reflects an equal share of growth for all partners as well as highlights some of the conditions that need to be in place in order to achieve this goal.

Theory of Change narrative and visual Truvalu.enterprises works as a co-entrepreneur with small and medium-sized enterprises (producers) in emerging countries and hence offers capital, access to markets and brand development. Through capital and training provided, producers will be able to increase the quantity and quality of the products, leading to sustained income growth through sales. Producers can either sell their products with profit to the local markets, or at cost price to WAAR.

Consequently, WAAR will sell the products to consumers in western markets, which is likely to generate a higher profit than selling at local markets. In order to ensure this value-add is equally and fairly distributed, the profit generated by selling through WAAR will be shared among all partners of the value chain in proportion to their contribution. The figure below illustrates the ToC.

Sustainable development goals

Truvalu.Enterprises and WAAR aim to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as is reflected in the Theory of Change where specific SDGs have been linked to certain activities or steps in the value chain. For example, the training provided by Truvalu.enterprises (or their partners) contributes to ‘ensuring sustainable food production system and implementing resilient agricultural practices (SDG 2; Target 2.4).

In order to be able to measure and maximize the envisioned impact, Sinzer has developed an operable SDG impact management framework with indicators that can be used to track performance and impact of each investee. The framework is geared towards providing management information related to each investee as well as the portfolio as a whole: where are we now and on which aspects can we improve?

Interested in how you can manage the impact of your investments related to the SDGs?

#socialimpact #sustainability #csr #ESG #sdgs #mba #wbs #thesectorinc #peace #love #toronto #uwo #impactinvesting #socialfinance #consulting #strategy #fundraising #sinzer