Forces for Good: a brief review

Posted on October 8, 2009 by sse

Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High Impact Nonprofits
by Leslie Crutchfield & Heather McLeod Grant (Jossey-Bass)

[review originally in Social Enterprise Magazine with a strict word limit: hence the brevity…]

This book could not come more heavily garlanded with praise from the other side of the pond and, as the name might suggest, it is an American book written primarily for an American audience. And there is plenty to raise the hackles of a cynical Brit: from effusive acknowledgements (running to four pages) to occasionally alienating business school jargon (“bench strength” etc.). But if you can get past those, there is much here to inspire and inform.

The six practices are:
1) to serve and advocate;
2) to harness market forces;
3) to inspire evangelists;
4) to nurture nonprofit networks;
5) to master adaptation;
6) to share leadership.

Some of these may strike you as obvious, others as simplistic, but the book goes into each in depth, and draws out further useful principles and case studies under each heading. And there’s much else of interest on the way, as you would expect from a book based on four years of research. Such as the average length of tenure of the CEOs of these high-impact organisations (just under 21 years) and the average size of their boards (just under 24): a stark contrast to the turnover rate and size that is often recommended here.

Most crucially, the book focuses on the scale of impact, not scale of budget or scale of organisation, and on action. For those social entrepreneurs and social enterprises trying to achieve such impact in the current climate, the most relevant points are to cultivate a network mindset (partner, collaborate, share, empower) and to be adaptable. Then more of us might still be a force for good on the far side of the recession.

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[added today:]

Looking back, it's definitely the network mindset aspect of the book that has stayed with me, along with the length of tenure not necessarily being a bad thing (one feature of SSE at the moment is that a majority of the staff have been with the organisation for between 3 and 7 years). The network mindset seems so obvious, and yet inter-organisational competition is still a feature of many in the sector: genuine partnership based on trusted relationships is hard to find, but prospers wherever it does. But knowing that such successful organisations focus on a network mindset, and believe in a combined service + advocacy model (SSE remains delivery-centric but has increased its policy and advocacy work, again in partnership), definitely helps reinforce and affirm the approach we are taking.

Still worth a read…and, reading my own review, probably worth a revisit!

Wednesday round-up: induction, investment, inspiration

Posted on October 7, 2009 by sse

So much going on, and so little time. No time to stand around like these people smiling and joking (see left). Here is my attempt at a round-up of recent major news and events int he social entrepreneurship world etc.I have picked out some highlights but you can read more of what we've been reading on the Twitter feed as well: @SchSocEnt

– SSE has recently started work in Lewisham, in Yorkshire (official launch article, and photo above; massive thanks to Campbell Robb from OTS & Saeeda Ahmed, Social Enterprise Ambassador + SSE Fellow), and the Ontario feasibility study is motoring along…and we've hosted the induction of our new Australian CEO Benny Callaghan over the last fortnight, which has made for a busy, if enjoyable schedule…

.- Event-wise, it's a smorgasbord of choice for social entrepreneurs and social enterprises. The Social Enterprise World Forum is currently going on in Melbourne, complete with SSE Australia staff and students. Follow #sewf09 on Twitter for live updates (through the night….) or to catch up.

– Then there's some more crackers coming up, including Good Deals: the National Social Investment Conference , the Guardian-organised Social Enterprise conference (more of a commissioning / public services theme) and, of course, Voice 10 coming up in Wales….and the ClearlySo Social Business conference as well.

– Hopefully they will all take a leaf out of this year's amazing Shine unconference (yes, SSE is a co-founder of the event, along with Ashoka UK, the Hub and UnLtd); for a sense of this year's event in May, check out this recent video by BeInspired:

– On with the rest; the Times reports that the third sector is increasingly the choice for graduates; Peter Jones goes younger, aiming at schools: Children need to be taught entrepreneur skills
(to which, we would say, they can't be taught…but they can be learned and nurtured and developed)

– From one Social Enterprise Ambassador to anotherl Craig Dearden-Phillips welcomes Peter Holbrook as the new CEO at Social Enterprise Coalition

– Interesting article from Stephen Bubb on the need for capacity-building in the sector (and making the case for it in the current climate)

– Great piece on SSE in the Guardian's housing supplement: A School for Social Entrepreneurs: we're the boss

– Further Guardian piece on the first 'embedded' social entrepreneur in the NHS; not convinced they are one as such (more a facilitator, development officer) but it's an interesting experiment….

– Inspired to read about the Sheila McKechnie Award-winners (for campaigning) and especially delighted that Lea Misan, current SSE student, was a winner; and that Sam Akpabio (SSE Fellow) was a finalist. Well done all.

– And finally, best recent headline was definitely Social Enterprise Skyscraper; congrats to all those at Coin Street for showing perseverance, vision, and many other entrepreneurial qualities to get this done.

The trust society: squaring the public service delivery circle?

Posted on September 25, 2009 by sse

There’s inevitably more time for reflection during the
summer months, as people go on leave and take time out to review where things
have got to, organisationally and personally. One thing that’s come up in many
conversations for me is the challenge ahead given the inevitable cuts in public
spending (regardless of which party is in government), but the continuing (or
increasing) need to deliver services that reduce inequality and address social
problems and needs. This is particularly interesting in the context of the
Conservatives, given their clear support for localism and grassroots-led
change by individual social entrepreneurs and their wish to reduce the size of
the state and its associated bureaucracy.

Currently, this wish to reduce the size of the state (or,
more simply, to reduce costs) has tended to lead to bigger contracts, bigger
providers and a return to a simpler, output-based model (this much money in,
these outputs out) that may be less nuanced than is currently the case through
necessity. This is as true of the current government as it might be of a future
Tory one (see the consortia being created around the Future Jobs Fund, for
example) and, if you put yourself in those shoes, is pretty understandable and
supportable.

But, of course, the local, grassroots social
entrepreneur-led organisation may struggle in this context. Diversity, reach
and multiple outcomes will still figure, but will power and money go upward
into bigger contracts that are inaccessible? Or will there be enough devolution
and freedom at local, regional or sub-regional level to work with new
innovators and approaches that may change things for the better?

It’s an issue that we wrote about in Social Entrepreneurs
and Public Service Delivery (pdf download), and one that is becoming more and more
critical as time goes on, and the current outlook for public spending becomes
bleaker. So is there a way of encouraging and fostering more grassroots social
entrepreneurial activity, with new sustainable and bespoke solutions, whilst
also increasing value for money? The answer is yes, but may require a shift
from a trust-based to a contract-based society, and that shift may take much
longer than the current climate will take to clear. But the broader point is
worth raising now.

A recent provocation paper by SSE Chair Charlotte Young discusses the differences between a trust-based and a contract-based society and, more pertinently in this context, the potential roles for the social entrepreneur as initiators, intermediaries and role models & people developers. For those trying to square the circles in the public service delivery space, it's essential reading.

– Read Can Social Entrepreneurs Make This A Better Society? (pdf) on the SSE website.