Streetwize
Communications
and the
Social accounting and
audit process
Jo Taylor
General Manager
“ … the reality is there are too many small,
overlapping charities fighting for the same
donations, whose lack of size and skills makes the
sector inefficient.”
Tony Featherstone
Business Review Weekly
July 2006
“Invisibility of small organisations and lack of
understanding of their value and potential.”
The way forward:Tackling the issues confronting small
community organisations.
Voice for SONG
March 2006
“Government organisations, Foundations and donors
are expressing increasing concerns about the rapid
growth in the number of organisations operating in
similar program areas, … and the lack of
comparative information about organisations.”
Jane Schwager
Chief Executive
Non Profit Australia Newsletter
How can we communicate that we are
effective, efficient, professional organisations,
that achieve outcomes as well as outputs, and
can measure our social, environmental and financial
impact?
Streetwize
is a national
social
communications
agency.
We have been
operational for
over 20 years.
THE STREETWIZE PROCESS
THE STREETWIZE PROCESS
We equip
people for life.
Current projects:
Resources on
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
self harm
positive parenting
co morbidity
family violence
alcohol
performance and imaging
enhancing drugs
THE STREETWIZE PROCESS
THE STREETWIZE PROCESS
THE STREETWIZE PROCESS
THE STREETWIZE PROCESS
THE STREETWIZE PROCESS
THE STREETWIZE PROCESS
THE STREETWIZE PROCESS
Streetwize resources:-
1. enhance target groups knowledge of
particular issues
2. enhance target groups awareness of
Government, support services and
relevant information sources
3. reach people with low literacy skills
4. prompt target groups to think about
difficult issues
5. are highly regarded by many people who
work with young people
“Young people read Streetwize. They get to the
audience and have a good balance between
education and entertainment.”
Service Provider
“When people are waiting they pick up New Idea
and Streetwize comics, our people don’t read
anything else.”
Aboriginal Medical Service
Organisational Structure
•8 Directors
•7 Staff (3 full time and 4 part time)
•17 Consultants
•Work using a partnership model
•Turn over of approx just under $1 million
Challenges
ｷ
ｷ
No core funding
No deductible gift recipient status for 22
years
ｷ Survive on 3 months operating expenses
ｷ No reserves
ｷ Rely on passionate, highly skilled,
resourceful, resilient staff
Why Social Accounting?
How can we measure our progress?
Are our policies and procedures based on good
practice?
How effective are we as an organisation?
We are committed to a working environment of
collaboration and feedback.
A board member suggested the Social Accounting
process.
Questions?
Will it add value?
Will it be too much work?
No one else is doing it why should we take on something
else?
Will it cost money?
Can we build on outcomes rather than outputs?
Social Accounting and Audit
is a framework which allows an organisation to build on existing
documentation and reporting and develop a process whereby it
can:
•account for its social performance,
•report on that performance and draw up an action plan to
improve, and
•through which it can understand the impact on the community
and be accountable to its key stakeholders.
Social Accounting and Audit
The essence of social accounting and
audit therefore: accounting for what we do
and listening to what others have to say so
that we can improve our performance.
Social Audit Terms
•Social Book-Keeping
•Social Accounting
•Social Auditing
•Stakeholders
The Social Audit Cycle: Five Stages
•Introducing Social Accounting and Audit
•The Foundations
•The Nuts and Bolts - Social Book - keeping
•Preparing and Using the Social Accounts
•The Social Audit
Stage One: Introducing Social
Accounting and Audit
•What is it?
•Why do it?
•What are the key principles?
•Understanding the jargon
•What do we do already?
•What do others do?
•Managing the Social Audit
Stage Two: The Foundations
•Clarify the social objectives and activities undertaken
to achieve them
•State the values which underpin the organisation
•Prepare a stakeholder map of the organisation
•Identify the key stakeholders
•Determine the scope of the social audit
Stage Three: Social Book- keeping
•Agree the performance indicators
•Identify existing records and data to be used
•Decide on what new data will be collected and how
•Organise the resources needed
•Produce the Social Accounting Plan and timetable
•Implement the plan and monitor progress
Stage Four: Preparing and Using the
Social Accounts
•Draft the accounts
•Identify key issues
•Review the objectives, activities and values
•Set targets for the future
•Plan dialogue and discussion with stakeholders
•Review social accounting process and make changes
•Plan how to publish and disseminate summary of
audited accounts to stakeholders
Stage Five: The Social Audit
•Appoint the members of the social audit panel
•Present to the panel
•Panel verifies a sample of audit;
•Assesses interpretations and
•Comments on the quality of accounting and reporting.
•Social accounts are revised as requested by Panel
•The Social Audit Statement is issued
•Publish a summary of audited accounts
•Continue with next cycle
What are we measuring against?
•Values
•Vision
•Strategic plan and objectives
Key Stakeholders
Methodology 2003 - 2005
•One day workshop with staff and board
•Stakeholders identified
•Social Audit process managed and developed by General
Manager
•Policies reviewed and implemented by Human Resources sub
committee
•Two students on placement carried out stakeholder
consultations
•External facilitator ran workshops with staff and board on board
governance
•General Manager drafted accounts
•Social Audit panel review and recommendations for accounts
Social Audit Panel
•Panel reviews the draft accounts
•Makes recommendations for the accounts in
question and the next accounts
•The accounts are re submitted and audit is
written.
A Successful Audit?
Streetwize has completed a successful social
audit which contains quotes and feedback from
a number of key stakeholders and a set of
recommendations:
•on how we can conduct a more comprehensive
social audit in 18 months.
•on where the gaps are in Streetwize’s service
delivery and organisation.
Outcomes:
Consultation with key stakeholders on the nuts and bolts on the
organisation.
Comprehensive report documenting all aspects of Streetwize work for
marketing, fundraising and strategic planning.
Identification of strengths and areas for improvement.
Recommendations from key stakeholders and Social Audit panel on how
to make those improvements.
Framework for the next 18 months - 2 years.
Streetwize has undergone a period of change and the social audit has
documented the past three years enabling us to retain our corporate
history.
Social Audit now part of the strategic planning process, streamlining the
process.
Comments from Social Audit Panel
“The (Social Audit) process has positive implications
for the not for profit sector through, among others
things proving the sector’s worth. Streetwize
Communications is brave to be one of first to produce
these accounts.”
Libby Darlison,
Director,
The Miller Group.
Comments:
“It is critical for not for profits to make their
performance more widely known, and to be
transparent, congratulations Streetwize, on doing a
wonderful job.”
Dr Gianni Zappala, Director of Orfeus Research and
Westpac Foundation.
Where we are up to:
ﾐ
Adding value to core
business
ﾐ
Diversity of income streams
ﾐ
DGR – Harm Reduction
Register
ﾐ
Developing more long term
partnerships
ﾐ
International projects
Questions:
Do you account for your social performance?
Can you report on your performance?
Have you got an action plan to improve your performance?
Do you know what impact you have on your community?
Your internal and external stakeholders?
Are you accountable to your stakeholders?
Do you consult with your stakeholders and involve them both in your
projects, programs and within your organisation in a transparent and
rewarding way?
He who does not know how to communicate, or
communicates badly, in a code that belongs only to him
or a few others is unhappy, and spreads unhappiness
around him.
Primo Levi
On Obscure Writing
Jo Taylor
General Manager
www.streetwize.com.au
02 9319 0220