OBGP 3305 - Measuring and Managing Impact in the Social Economy

Measuring impact is of strategic importance in the social economy, key to assess if a given program or organisation is creating the meaningful change it is meant to create. It is not just a technical exercise, but a broader strategic, management and leadership imperative. The process is multifaceted and requires understanding and interacting with the whole ecosystem in which the organisation is operating, including beneficiaries, partners and funders. We will delve into various frameworks and metrics used to assess social value, explore case studies of relevant impact measurement, and discuss the challenges and opportunities in this field. By the end of this course, students will have studied a wide variety of examples in France and internationally and will be able to critically analyze and apply impact measurement techniques to enhance the effectiveness and accountability of social enterprises, non-profits, and other mission-driven organizations.

Learning Outcomes

• Develop an understanding of the importance of impact measurement for the actors involved in the Social Economy
• Map the different stakeholders involved in the work of a given organization
• Get an overview of the overall process of impact measurement and its management
• Be in capacity to step back and reason on stakes, strengths and weaknesses of the process

Professional Skills

Understanding and applying impact and performance measurement tools

Project management: intensive work on case studies where students will be asked to provide actionable recommendations to design an impact measurement plan

Oral and written communication, specifically using short formats of executive summaries and short oral presentations

None

Individual evaluation #1: grade and feedback given after session 5 for the written part of the individual evaluation.

All other grades given at the end of semester

• Oral participation 10%
• Individual evaluation #1 35% : Each student to write 1 executive summary to be submitted session 3 and present a 3 minute-pitch on a specific topic. Presentations will be done throughout the semester at the beginning of each class (split between 40% oral presentation and 60% final paper)
• Group research project 55% (split between 40% oral presentation and 60% final paper): Group project proposal with presentation during sessions 11 and 12

• Attendance: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 2,5 hours a week / 60 hours a semester
• Research and Preparation for Group Work: 40 hours a semester
• Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 24 hours a semester