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Housing Providers : Measuring Their Impact - More Questions Than Answers -. Larry Gold Finance Director (Curious Sceptic) Trafford Housing Trust June 2012. CONTEXT THT: STATISTICS. LSVT / RSL / RP Charity Company Ltd by Guarantee. TMBC Stock Transfer. 2005. Turnover £45m Homes 9,000
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Housing Providers : Measuring Their Impact- More Questions Than Answers - Larry Gold Finance Director (Curious Sceptic) Trafford Housing Trust June 2012
CONTEXTTHT: STATISTICS LSVT / RSL / RP Charity Company Ltd by Guarantee TMBC Stock Transfer 2005 Turnover £45m Homes 9,000 Staff 350 Loans £145m Assets £1bn Customers 14,500
CONTEXTTHT: THE INTERNAL DEBATE Q: Do we need impact assessment? A: Err…. Why?? March 2011 FD CEO Sceptic -10 Believer +10
CONTEXTTHT: THE INTERNAL DEBATE The Accountants: Like Dislike Fluffy Talk • Rules • Clarity • Precision • Objectivity • Quantitative Techniques • Empirical Evidence Ambiguity Qualitative Subjectivity Grey Areas
WHY THT IS INTERESTED IN MEASURING IMPACT Why now? Community Panels c.£750k investment p.a. (30 yrs = >£22m) Social Enterprises CleanStart: c.£50k pa loss Furniture: Recycling: £? pa loss Investment Capacity c.£22m available Regulation Focus on VfM Are we doing all we can with what we have?
WHY THT IS INTERESTED IN MEASURING IMPACT £22m Investment... • Property Development • Business Ventures • Community Investment • Other +ve ROI -ve FD View: Deliver overall ROI 7% CEO View: We have choices \ We need new Decision Tools
WHY THT IS INTERESTED IN MEASURING IMPACT Q: Do we need impact assessment? A: Err…. Probably! June 2012 FD: From Sceptic to Curious Sceptic CEO: From Believer to Evangelist Sceptic -10 Believer +10 “Share your scepticism ….. Absorb the enthusiasm!”
WHY THE SECTOR SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN MEASURING IMPACT • Strategic Imperative • A sound strategy in the absence of knowledge? • Regulation • Regulation >> Opportunity >> Diversity >>> RISK • Requirement to demonstrate VfM • Austerity & Choice • More choice with Same / Reducing resources • Pay By Results • The New Way
WHY THE SECTOR SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN MEASURING IMPACT • Funding & Investment • Compete / Attract / Assure / Retain • Customers • Compete / Attract / Assure / Retain • Sector Reputation • Opportunity to Improve • Responsibility • We have a Responsibility to ‘Tell The Story’ and be open to scrutiny
VALUE OF A COMMON APPROACH / LANGUAGE Forecast SROI Forecast SROI Single Project Project Optimisation Q: Go / No-Go? Multi Project Q: Which is the best investment? Internal Internal Evaluation SROI Evaluation SROI Whole Business Q: How valuable is this business? Single Project Q: What degree of success? Internal External Annual Index of Social Value Daily Index of Social Value
VALUE OF A COMMON APPROACH / LANGUAGE • Efficiency • Collective understanding • Synergy • No need to ‘reinvent the wheel’ • Provides short cuts in debate • Decision Making • Create debate / challenge • Assists funders / investors in making decisions • Allows those less involved / informed to participate in decision making • Responsibility • Meets values of openness / transparency
WHO ARE THE KEY AUDIENCES? It’s all about influencing Banks Institutions Commissioners ? Donors Board/ / Trustees Managers Staff ? Volunteers FUNDERS ORGANISATION Indirect Beneficiaries? STAKEHOLDERS Tenants / Residents Customers Partners Beneficiaries Regulators For the sector as a whole (CIH / NHF) - Government (local / central), large Investment Institutions and the Media are key
QUESTIONS / CHALLENGES FOR THE SCEPTIC • Ambition • Are we being too ambitious – aim high… • Is it possible to develop a simple, robust, accessible, lite approach? • How long will this take? • Funders are not ‘fluffy’ • How much stall will funders really put by the non-financials? • Communication • How do I sell the message into the business? • How do we sell the message to the external audiences?
QUESTIONS / CHALLENGES FOR THE SCEPTIC • Competing Views • How do we reconcile the many approaches being developed? • How will we regulate our approach? • Choices • Will the benefits outweigh the costs involved in measuring / reporting? • Would my time be better spent on other things?
THE SCEPTIC’S JOURNEY • The sector is very interested • The common language / approach makes sense • What would it look like??? • The key audiences - just about everyone! • And as for the sceptic…. As always…It’s better to be at ‘the party’ shaping it, rather than having it thrust upon us!