Skilled Impact Analysis
As social and environmental impact reporting becomes more frequent, readers are required to dissect and interpret outcomes through the lens of the authors. Our Skilled Impact Analysis training provides the framework to assess impact reporting from the eyes of a sophisticated reader.
In this training, we provide an understanding of the four lenses through which to analyze a report. We will review a number of impact reports using the Impact Analysis Framework developed by Social Value US leaders. We also discuss the broader ecosystem and challenges within the current state of impact reporting. By the end of this course you will enhance your ability to judge the rigor by which an impact report is presented. Whether it be for impact investing or program evaluation, your increased confidence in impact analysis will provide a base for accurate interpretation of the reports witnessed throughout the public and private sector today.
Who should take this course: Any analyst, evaluator, investor or practitioner required to read impact reports and who wishes to improve their ability to judge true impact from these reports.
Format: 3 Virtual sessions over 1 week
Upcoming Session: January 25, 26 and 27, 2022 | Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday
Sessions occur from 12-2PM ET / 11-1PM CT / 10-12PM MT / 9AM-11AM PT
Contact us for details and to register: info@socialvalueus.org
SROI Accredited Practitioner Training (Live & Online with Individualized Coaching)
This live, virtual course is the official SVI-certified Social Value and SROI Practitioners Training. Course participants get hands-on experience applying the social value principles to create their own analysis, and receive individualized coaching from the expert trainers. Delivered by Social Value US and Social Value Canada trainers in conjunction with Social Value International. SV US members receive 16% off of the full price.
NOVEMBER 2021: 5 sessions over 1 week (Nov. 15, 16, 17, 18 & 20 at 10:00 am - 2:00 pm ET)
This course is a key part of Accredited Practitioner Pathway (APP Level 2) for social value professionals around the world. The five half-day sessions follow the established modules for Social Value International standards, as outlined in the SROI Guide. Click for additional details and to register. Note that prices listed are in Canadian dollars.
SROI Accredited Practitioner Training (Self-Paced & Online)
This self-paced, virtual course is the online accredited equivalent of the SVI-certified Social Value and SROI Practitioners Training. It offers less individualized coaching and practice applying the principles to your own case with feedback, but more scheduling flexibility serving many global time zones.
Social Value US members receive 10% off. Learn more and register.
Custom Social Value Training
Interested in a custom Social Value training? Give us some more information and we’ll reach out!
Skilled Impact Analysis Training
Purpose:
Participants in this course will receive an introduction to social and environmental impact analysis - that is, how to understand real impact through reported information about impact. Various fields - including accounting, economics, evaluation, finance, environmental science, social science and social entrepreneurship - have developed methods to help understand and account for the social and environmental impact of private business, investment, non-profit, and governmental activities. This course presents a framework for skilled impact analysis that contains practices and insights distilled from these fields.
Takeaways include:
Know what constitutes a sound analysis of impact
Understand, interpret, and critique information on the social and environmental impact of investments, grants and enterprises
Know what to ask for from providers of impact information
Benefits:
Gain confidence in decisions about how to align time and money with values
Avoid falling prey to “greenwashing”
Reduce impact risk
Prepare for the SVI Certificate Exam in Skilled Analysis
Details
Audience: The course is designed to help those who make investments, grants or donations assess reports on the social and environmental impact of the activities they fund.
Length:
When in person this is a one-day course with materials to review before and after. When virtual, the course occurs in three separate sessions over one week.
Upcoming Sessions:
Virtual Session: January 25, 26 and 27, 2022 | Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 12-2pm ET
For further information about the course framework and to register contact us at info@socialvalueus.org
Descriptions of Trainings
Purpose: The Impact Management Skills Training is for those who seek to enhance their ability to generate positive outcomes for people and systems. Participants will improve their ability to get and use insights from their work to maximize positive impact.
During the one-day training we present frameworks and examples, then work through their application using real field experience and participant-driven exercises and case studies of relevance to participants.
Participants will benefit both from international third-party standards relevant to impact management, such as the Impact Management Project's 5 dimensions of impact and investor matrix, Social Value International's Social Value Principles, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the GIIN’s IRIS+. Participants will also benefit from insights from the trainers’ world-class hands-on experience in impact management.
Learning objectives include:
Become familiar with the profession of impact management
Understand the 7 principles of social value and how they are used in impact management
Gain insights that can be used to maximize positive impact within complex systems that meaningfully affect peoples’ lives
Learn how to structure governance, funding and programmatic systems to focus on outcomes
Understand and benefit from lessons from existing pay-for-success projects
Learn what the Impact Management Project is, how and when to use its shared fundamentals of impact, and how to get involved
Who should attend:
Leaders and managers of enterprises working to create positive impact within complex systems
Funders
Policymakers
Aspiring professionals and students
Benefits:
Save time and avoid learning by trial-and-error by instead learning from those who have already found and overcome common pitfalls
Gain confidence around the governance structures that support the creation of intentional and positive impact
Improve your ability to navigate unintended and potentially negative impacts
Length: One-day course with materials to review after
Impact Management Skills Training
Skilled Impact Analysis
*The course is a prerequisite for the SVI Certificate in Impact Analysis
Purpose: Participants in this course will receive an introduction to social and environmental impact analysis - that is, how to understand real impact through reported information about impact. Various fields - including accounting, economics, evaluation, finance, environmental science, social science and social entrepreneurship - have developed methods to help understand and account for the social and environmental impact of private business, investment, non-profit, and governmental activities. This course presents a framework for skilled impact analysis that contains practices and insights distilled from these fields.
Takeaways include:
Know what constitutes a sound analysis of impact
Understand, interpret, and critique information on the social and environmental impact of investments, grants and enterprises
Know what to ask for from providers of impact information
Audience: The course is designed to help those who make investments, grants or donations assess the social and environmental impact of the activities they fund through information about it that is reported to them.
Benefits:
Gain confidence in decisions about how to align time and money with values
Avoid falling prey to “greenwashing”
Reduce impact risk
Prepare for the SVI Certificate Exam in Skilled Analysis
Length: When in person this is a one-day course with materials to review before and after. When virtual, the course occurs in three separate sessions over one week.
For further information about the course framework, click here. To register, click here.
Impact Management Basics
Purpose: This workshop will teach you how to manage your social value. Even better; no matter the size of your organization and resources, or those of your beneficiaries, impact management can be both feasible and a real value-add for your organization and can drive great cost savings and organizational change. This workshop on impact management is designed to unveil the do’s and don’ts of impact measurement and to equip you with all you need to know about the implementation and management of social impact.
Takeaways include:
Learn how managers justify the up-front costs of sustainability and impact initiatives to higher-ups
Understand key terms and concepts used in measurement and management of impact
Know common risks and pitfalls in impact management, and how to avoid them
Audience: The training is designed for practitioners in the field of impact assessment, or with an understanding of the basics of impact measurement. Former participants ranged from grant officers, advisors in philanthropy (banking, family offices), investment managers, foundations and NGO staff, to academic institutions. This mix is a unique opportunity to connect and learn from each other in the pursuit of more effective societal impact.
Benefits: Gain confidence to implement your impact initiative, and connect with peers working to implement their own initiatives.
Intro to SROI
Purpose: Our Introduction to SROI courses are designed for people who would like to know more about Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis and how it can help them. The Intro course can act as good preparation for the 2-day SROI Practitioner course, or as a standalone piece for people interested to know more about SROI. There are three intro sessions outlined below.
Session 1 – What is SROI and why would you want to do it?
This session will cover topics including: Defining social value, measuring social impact, why we should account for social impact, what SROI is, managing activities and risk, pros and cons of SROI and social value.
Session 2 – Using the principles of SROI
This session will cover topics including: Judgement and truth, being proportionate, the Social Value Principles in action, purpose and audience, asking is your measurement good enough?
Session 3 – An introduction to how to do an SROI analysis
This session will cover topics including: Try answering the questions SROI poses – an exploration of the process with some exercises and a worked example, applying SROI, tools and resources.
Takeaways include: Understand the strengths, weaknesses, and best uses of SROI analysis.
Audience: Everyone. No prior experience is needed. The sessions will be delivered in English.
Benefits: Make decisions about social impact valuation with confidence.
SROI Accredited Practitioner Training
*This course is required for SROI Accreditation
**When this course is referred to as SROI Analysis Training (not “accredited”), it is delivered by a trainer who is not accredited by SVI and does not count toward SVI practitioner accreditation.
Purpose: The course itself gives you the knowledge and tools necessary to measure and maximize the social value of your activities. So whether you’re a nonprofit measuring your impact and improving your services or a private business looking at your triple bottom line, SROI training will help you. The course is accredited by the Institute of Leadership Management and is delivered by accredited trainers and SROI practitioners who have been involved in SROI for over a decade.
Takeaways:
Understand the principles of Social Value and how to apply them to real world cases
Learn the strengths, weaknesses and best uses of SROI analysis
Audience: The SROI Practitioner Course is designed for those new to sustainability and impact management as well as professionals seeking to add to their toolkit.
Benefits: Make headway on an analysis of SROI of your choosing; connect with like-minded peers in the impact management and sustainability world; and make progress toward accreditation as an SROI Practitioner.
Length: Two-day course
Impact Management Seminar
Purpose: This introductory two-hour Seminar provides an overview of how to measure and grow the social and environmental value of your company, initiative, or program. We cover a brief history of impact management and of forward-looking trends, as well as resources to build your impact management practice.
Audience: One version of the Seminar is specifically for for-profit companies, from start-ups to social enterprises; the other is tailored for non-profit organizations.
Benefits: This workshop is for those seeking to
assure investors you can deliver impact
differentiate yourself from your competitors
gain a recruiting advantage
build morale and improve team performance
improve mission-alignment across staff
learn about the history of and trends in social value accounting and impact management
and more!
Length: Two hours
Level 1: Social Value Associate
The Social Value Associate Status demonstrates your understanding of how to apply The Principles of Social Value, your theoretical competence in social value and impact management, and your passion for changing the way the world accounts for value. With the Social Value Associate Status, show that you have got what it takes to make a difference. Click here to learn more. If you are already a Social Value US or SVI member, you can apply for Level 1 accreditation here.
Level 2: Accredited Practitioner
The Social Value Accredited Practitioner Status is ideal for those who are looking to demonstrate a deeper knowledge of social value and impact management! Being a SVI Accredited Level 2: Accredited Practitioner helps you demonstrate your practical competence in the application of social impact and social value assessment in line with the international standards of best practice. Learn more here!
Level 3: Advanced Practitioner
Are you a Social Value Associate or Accredited Practitioner who is looking to demonstrate an advanced knowledge and expertise of social value and impact management? The Social Value Advanced Practitioner Status is ideal qualification to ensure global recognition of your skills! Being a SVI Accredited Level 3: Advanced Practitioner helps you demonstrate your advanced practical competence in the application of social impact, social value or SROI analysis in line with the international standards of best practice. Learn more about Level 3 requirements here!