Welcome to the first newsletter of 2019. It has been an incredible start to the year for the team. Please find below a snapshot of our work for the last 3 months. If any of these stories resonate with your strategies for this year, and/or you would like to learn more about our services, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Also, please visit our website for more information about our team and services here: Social Scaffolding
Regards
Andrew Hamilton
Director
Outcomes Based Funding
Opportunities for Queensland - 2019 & Beyond
Social Scaffolding and Lattitude Network recently hosted a lively and informative lunch discussion about outcomes based funding. From their experience, Lattitude discussed the huge potential it has to improve the way services and programs are funded by Government.
The session brought together representatives from Government, not-for-profits and industry experts from a diversified cross section of service areas.
Much of the groups' interest was in working with Government to fund programs and services in a way that increases accountability to agreed outcomes and enables Not for Profit's (NFPs) to deliver services through a less prescriptive contract. In doing this, NFPs would be able to deliver the services or programs in a way they feel is appropriate to best meet the needs of the individuals while sharing the risks, outcomes and financial benefit with contracted parties.
Experience through worked examples was useful for participants as well sharing the methodology developed by Lattitude which was used to draw out the best outcomes framework. Using the following four pillars of the framework interchangeably helps determine how the service or program will be run for maximum impact.
defined cohort
effective intervention
measurement of outcomes
financial and risk sharing proposition
One of the key learnings shared by Lattitude was that where organisations start discussions is not always where they end up in terms of determining the best way to deliver outcomes and how to measure them.
We also discussed with increasing curiosity, place based and outcomes-based projects. Its application could be huge as is the concept of building or repurposing social infrastructure using an outcomes model. The motto, instead of building community infrastructure, ensure it delivers the best outcomes for the community by agreeing upfront the deliverables, measuring and reporting on them.
Social Scaffolding is working with Lattitude to help organisations consider outcomes based funding.
Project Update - ADE Growth Programs
We have worked with 2 large ADE’s over the past three months as they look to grow their business and service offerings to enable more employment pathways for their NDIS funded participants. Our work in this area has highlighted significant growth opportunities as well as the need for consolidation across some market areas. As more participants elect employment pathways as part of their goals, ADE’s, social enterprises and employers of choice need to be well positioned to offer suitable and appropriate employment pathways for people.
Strategic Planning
James from Social Scaffolding is supporting our client who is a major national disability service provider with a presence across the east coast states delivering a range of learning, lifestyle and employment opportunities. They recently undertook a strategic review of their ADE businesses to determine which categories and markets they should enter, divest or maintain. Social Scaffolding was engaged to perform an environmental scan of the market and customers to identify emerging trends, opportunities to enter new categories and collect feedback on their performance from customers.
The summary of the findings were presented in a 2x2 matrix format with the current and potential categories mapped to a quadrant characterised by size of opportunity, risk of operating within a category and the cost of entering / maintaining a presence in a category. The findings were then combined with internal financial data to add a profit / purpose dimension which enabled the client to develop a portfolio strategy and present the recommendations to the Board.
Impact Investment Ready Growth Grant
The Australian Government Department of Social Services has made available significant funding through the Impact Investment Ready Growth Grant to enable impact businesses and mission-driven organisations to secure investment from impact investors. Social Scaffolding worked with several organisations this round to determine their impact investment readiness and to apply for funding to support their evolution from validation to investment readiness.
NDIS Readiness Toolkit For NDIS service providers of note is the recently released toolkit available here:https://www.nds.org.au/images/resources/Business_Processes_Guide_final.pdf
As the government continues to provide funding support and consulting services for organisations as part of their NDIS readiness, we encourage people to look at this document as a very worthwhile tool to assist in business process design and review.
Social Scaffolding have worked with many organisations with both their NDIS readiness and then their NDIS service delivery. We can support you and your team to get the most from this tool and maximise your NDIS service delivery opportunities.
Event Update - Impact Boom Elevate + program Pitch Night - 6th June
We helped match seven mentors with social enterprises participating in the Impact Boom Elevate+ program . It was great working with Tom and his team and looking forward to the pitch night on June 6th. If you are interested in attending, details here:Elevate+ Social Enterprise Celebration and Pitch Night
Shared Value Summit Asia Pacific in Sydney Tuesday 18th - Wednesday 19th June 2019
I've been to this event the past 3 years, a fantastic networking and learning experience, and this year with Michael Porter as the keynote: https://svsummitapac.org/
Social Scaffolding Round Tables
In June Social Scaffolding will be hosting a number of Queensland and interstate experts on housing, housing affordability, and homelessness strategies.
Please let us know if you would like to be included in this RoundTable discussion.