Hello all,
Forgive my periods of silence, as the originator of the question, as I'm
on leave at the moment, and trying to get some writing done too.
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the thoughtful debate going on
around this question, and to re-emphasise the original framing of the
challenge; that is measuring impact within the context of understandings
of the social definitions of disability. This, hopefully seeks to take us
beyond simple individual experience and a customer/consumer relationship
within a market. Yet in the current political situation the struggle is to
reconcile this with political drivers ---
It feels very hard to keep open an understanding of economics that is
beyond just the financial, and of capital that includes social and
physical capitals (Bordieu).
In the meantime I continue to seek to find ways to use narratives as a
starting point.
Thanks again for thinking aloud.
Best wishes,
Sue
Sue Porter
Research Fellow
Norah Fry Research Centre
University of Bristol
On Sat, April 2, 2011 7:22 am, erik leipoldt wrote:
> Dear Larry, Katie
>
> I agree with Larry that the 3rd sector is able to do things differently to
> government, and when becoming co-opted as a defacto government service is
> disabled by bureaucratic and regulatory demands. But my worries go deeper.
> It is in increasingly making the 3rd sector a part of the 'Market' that
> the
> nature of care and support is perverted, in meaning and practice. What the
> market counts as efficient and effective outcomes are often not congruent
> with meeting our needs.
>
> My further concern is that disability movements and services in
> significant
> part share a similar ideology to that of the market, i.e.: regard for
> individual consumer choice, autonomy and a belief that economics is a
> primary tool and can buy the care and support people with disabilities
> need.
> That convergence and a great deal of co-optation by government, including
> through endlessly reacting to government-set agendas, rather than chart
> one's own, gives marketisation in community services an easy run because
> the disabling context it brings is invisible in a consumerist world.
>
> Regards
>
> Erik Leipoldt
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Katherine Holmes" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>; "'Larry Arnold'"
> <[log in to unmask]>; "'erik leipoldt'" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2011 1:42 AM
> Subject: RE: Impact measurement tools
>
>
> Dear Larry, Erik,
> This is an opinion piece by Debra Allcock Tyler, the Chief Executive of
> the
> Directory of Social Change, a charity that stands up for the many
> thousands
> of smaller voluntary sector organisations that struggle to respond to
> these
> types of government initiatives. It's about social investment and the Big
> Society Bank that the UK government is currently establishing.
> http://bit.ly/fa7hPm
>
> Here is the response of Nick Hurd, the Minister for Civil Society:
> http://bit.ly/g8afz6
>
> I'm not aware of specific responses from disability organisations
> regarding
> social impact bonds.
>
> Speaking in a personal capacity as the trustee of a local charity (not
> Communication Matters which is the charity I work for) that aims to
> prevent/reduce family problems through early intervention I can't
> understand
> how the social investment bond would work for us. How do you measure the
> savings brought about by preventative work?
>
> Having said this I do think that many voluntary sector organisations
> undervalue what they do when describing themselves to potential funders
> and
> would benefit from thinking about the wider ways in which their work
> contributes to society (the "social capital" they create). For example,
> an
> organisation could record the ways in which volunteers have benefitted
> from
> working for them rather than just describing the benefits to the people
> they
> help: some volunteers go on to find jobs as a result of volunteering.
>
> These are my personal opinions rather than those of Communication Matters.
>
> Kind regards
> Katie
>
> Katie Holmes
> Research Manager
> Communication Matters (ISAAC UK)
>
> I work Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
> Tel.: 0115 8781305
>
> Communication Matters (ISAAC UK)
> Catchpell House, Carpet Lane, Edinburgh, EH6 6SP
> General Enquiries: Tel & Fax 0845 456 8211
> International: Tel & Fax +44 131 467 7487
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
> Come and browse our Web site!
> http://www.communicationmatters.org.uk
>
> Registered Charity No. 327500
> Registered Company in England & Wales No. 01965474
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: erik leipoldt [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 01 April 2011 10:47
> To: Katie Holmes; [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Impact measurement tools
>
> Dear Katie,
>
> I'd be interested to learn more about implementation of these social
> investment bonds and their impacts of people in need of support. It has
> been
> proposed for example by Mission Australia as a source of funding for the
> 'third sector.'
>
> SIB's do appear to further marketise care and support where the motivation
> to assist is of a monetary (involving effectiveness and efficiency) nature
> rather than one of social justice, rights or because assisting those in
> need
> is an inherently good thing, including as a vital buttress to a civil
> society. Is there much of a published critique of SIB's along those lines,
> or opposition on such grounds from disability groups in the UK?
>
> Cheers
>
> Erik Leipoldt
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Katie Holmes" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 4:20 PM
> Subject: Re: Impact measurement tools
>
>
> Dear Sue,
> Sorry for the belated reply. The Third Sector Research Centre is
> undertaking a review of tools and methods used to measure Social Return on
> Investment (SROI). Another useful contact might be Karl Wilding, Head of
> Research, at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. I don't
> think NCVO has conducted research in this area but he has a good knowledge
> of voluntary sector research.
>
> Demonstrating SROI is going to become even more important for voluntary
> sector organisations if the Government proceeds with its social investment
> bond concept.
>
> Kind regards
> Katie
>
> Katie Holmes
> Research Manager
> Communication Matters
> [log in to unmask]
>
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