What does it mean for a business to have a social purpose? And how would you know if you were achieving it? In our second annual Social Impact report we’ve taken a hard look at our practice, our successes and the areas we need to work harder. We hope that by sharing our story we can be part of a wider conversation, and help our partners, clients and peers to learn and grow with us.
Check out the report for the full story, but here are some of the highlights and opportunities to be part of the conversation.
We ran our first inclusive practice workshop a year ago, and identified ten principles of good practice to ensure that our work was inclusive of the widest range of voices. Since then we’ve had some real successes in working with our clients to diversify event panels, and think about the needs of people living with mental health conditions. But we’ve also realised just how far we have to go to address the impacts of structural racism in our work. Join us at 09:30 am on the 22nd September to reflect on research and engagement practice in the context of societal inequality. To register email Hattie.Moyes@traverse.ltd
Good decision making relies on good evidence. In the context of huge public debate about the role of data in decisions from A-level results to local lockdowns, it’s more important than ever that we understand what ‘good’ means. Join us at 10am on the 22nd October for a discussion of how our definition of ‘rigour’ is evolving to encompass legitimacy, relevancy and whether or not evidence is compelling. To register sign up here or email Pete.Welsh@traverse.ltd
Several years of tightening budgets coupled with growing demand for services has posed a significant challenge to commissioners at all levels. Tough financial decisions at central government level have had implications across public services, and local authorities are struggling to meet local needs. The scarcity of public funds makes it more important than ever for commissioners to work closely with their beneficiaries to ensure that resources are maximised, that impact is generated, that knowledge is shared, and that innovation can be successfully replicated in other parts of the system. Developing the right performance metrics and evaluating impact plays a key role in this. This is a call for commissioners across central government departments, local authorities and trusts & foundations to join us at 10am on the 4th November to reflect on commissioning practices for social impact. To register, please email Barbara.lozito@traverse.ltd
Co-design, co-creation, co-production – we’ve seen an explosion of interest in participatory methodologies. But too often these methods have failed to live up to their potential to change the lives of service users, and the nature of service delivery. This year we’ve set ourselves a challenge of including people with lived experience as paid partners in at least 5% of our projects. Join us in November for a really challenging discussion of what researchers and commissioners need to do to achieve genuine co-production. To get involved contact Jessie.Cunnett@traverse.ltd
Seen something else that piqued your interest? Got learning to share on your own social impact journey? Contact lucy.farrow@traverse.ltd
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