C3 Partnership

Please choose a statement:

37. We can demonstrate that we are a socially and environmentally responsible organisation.

38. We have a range of methods to collect information about our social and environmental responsibility.

39. We can demonstrate that we contribute to promoting equality in the wider community.

40. We use this information to systematically improve the way we work.

41. We communicate achievements and improvements to appropriate stakeholders.

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We can demonstrate that we are a socially and environmentally responsible organisation.

Suggested Evidence

• We can demonstrate efforts to minimise our environmental impact, consider recycling, energy efficiency, transport, energy use, local purchasing, ethical purchasing, local employment, ethical investment.
• We can demonstrate that we seek to contribute actively to the quality of life of our stakeholders in the local community, by being involved in local community activity, employing local people, providing volunteer opportunities and supported employment opportunities.

Example

Social Enterprise Works developed an environment policy and has signed up to Green Bristol initiative. They have an action plan to meet the requirements of this initiative. Thet have got rid of individual waste bins to encourage use of recycling facilities in office and to monitor waste more closely.

Tips for advisors: Harness the ideas of staff and board members to develop an environmental policy and action plan. Put a flipchart on the wall near the coffee-making facilities, headed: “We’d be a greener organisation if…” Ask board members to add to it when they come in for a meeting. Ask staff where they buy the coffee and tea, and where they buy stamps and post letters. If they do this on the way to work or home from work, suggest they use local shops and the local post office instead so that local facilities are supported. Tips for funders: When you visit the organisation, look for recycling facilities, notices about switching off lights when not in use, fair-trade tea and coffee. Are their publicity materials printed on recycled paper? Are staff encouraged to use public transport to get to and from work?

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We have a range of methods to collect information about our social and environmental responsibility.

Suggested Evidence:

Social Return On Investment tools- impact assessment – benchmarking - sustainability report – action plan – SMART targets – outcomes focused

Example:

Bristol Farmers’ Market used a Local Multiplier 3 (LM3) impact assessment tool. Stallholders and other stakeholders took part in a survey with indicators based on their market values, which traced local spending across urban and rural areas.
This provided evidence of the enterprise’s local multiplying effect on money coming into the local economy; their support for local communities; and also some of the environmental benefits this brings. Additionally, it provided recommendations on how they could improve this further.
They are using this process to prove they are meeting their objectives, including their contribution to an accessible and active local food sector. It has also given them more evidence and impetus to promote and influence decisions in favour of their enterprise model.

Tips for advisors: Being more environmentally responsible can give individuals a significant feel-good factor, but it’s not easy to find hard evidence of the impact of an organisation’s environmental practices. Encourage organisations to collect statistics and to make links with any figures produced locally such as recycling percentages.Collecting information on an organisation’s impact on the local community may seem rather daunting. Try a mapping exercise rather than a list: ask questions such as “What links do we have with local schools, shops, businesses?” “Which staff, board members, volunteers live locally, and what do they gain from their involvement?” Tips for funders: Familiarise yourselves with the LM3 approach. Look for evidence of stakeholder involvement and commitment, e.g. taking an ‘outcomes focussed’ approach towards improving performance of their social and environmental responsibility.

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We can demonstrate that we contribute to promoting equality in the wider community.

Suggested Evidence

• Our core activities promote equality and we can demonstrate the outcomes of these activities
• We embrace equality and diversity in the way we work
• We have identified the needs of diversity groups identified by age, race, gender, sexuality, disability
• We ensure that all our products and services, buildings and activities are accessible to all audiences. (For example, relevant literature is translated into other languages)

Example

Voscur was commissioned by Bristol ChangeUp Consortium to deliver Equalities training to its members. The members comprise 5 infrastructure organisations in Bristol. The training encouraged the Consortium to develop a more coherent way of sharing equalities information and practice.

Tips for advisors: group training and learning can encourage benchmarking, information and good practice sharing, and ways of finding solutions to a range of issues. Tips for funders: be clear that organisations need to consider all equalities communities when delivering their work and how they can evidence that. Look for evidence of how equalities information is used to improve service provision.

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We use this information to systematically improve the way we work.

Suggested Evidence:

• We measure our results over time
• We seek to identify trends by comparing figures in distinct time periods
• We analyse our results to understand cause and effect
• Our results are benchmarked against our competitors/partners and national statistics

Example:

IAP Services is a worker-led co-operative providing ICT equipment and training. Following their C3Perform process and action planning, they analysed their service in terms of the input (time/resources/money) each project or contract required, and the income generated by each project. Using this data, they identified which projects they would continue with, and turned down other projects/contracts. They also considered the job satisfaction afforded by each piece of work and how it met their objectives. The outcome: lower turnover, higher profit margins and more work that is enjoyable, manageable and meets their objectives.

Tips for advisors: Encourage organisations to develop action plans for environmental and community impact policies: it’s much easier to review actions and measure any improvements as a result of them. Action plans should be time-limited: a year is realistic and allows for quarterly review. At the end of the year, a final review should identify areas for the subsequent action plan.Ensure that environmental and community impact action plans are integrated into the organisation’s overall development plan. Tips for funders: Organisations you are considering commissioning work from may feel under threat when asked if they are comparing results, trends etc. with their competitors. Promote this kind of learning and sharing as good practice and a way of collaborating on problems and solutions. Top

We communicate achievements and improvements to appropriate stakeholders.

Suggested Evidence

Examples of evidence and good practice may include:·

• We have identified key stakeholders to whom we want to communicate this information. These might include some customers (not necessarily all), staff and volunteers, funders, partners, suppliers
• We know what purpose communication serves for each stakeholder, to improve the relationship, manage expectations, improve the credibility of the organisation, meet expectations/requirements for reporting
• We communicate key results, feedback and information regarding responsible social and environmental behaviour but also improvements we have put in place as a result of info collected
• Communication channels can include, face-to-face, promotion literature, websites, newsletters, annual reports, reports to funders, a specific social impact report or sustainability report
• We promote our positive achievements with respect to social and environmental responsibility to others in order to encourage responsible behaviours in others

Example

HHEAG have implemented a process for systematically improving performance and communicate this on their web-site. Following identification in the self-assessment session of the need to formalise process of improving environmental performance and celebrate successes, improving environmental impacts is a fixed agenda item at all team meetings. At least one improvement action is identified and planned at each meeting and progress reported at the subsequent meeting. Actions completed include: offering 10p off the price of soup if customers bring their own mug in the food co-op, always using recycled wood, using biodegradable bags in food co-op, reduce unsolicited mail, staff board outlining key information to reduce paper use, office bicycle, This progress is published on HHEAG’s website and an article has been written promoting achievements for the Voscur newsletter.

Tips for advisors: Stakeholders frequently want to see that organisations behave in a responsible way. It is worth considering what kind of information stakeholders want to see and assessing whether to highlight corresponding achievements. Tip for funders: Encourage a range of evidence- case studies, real examples, as well as quantative data.

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