NEW WORLD-CLASS MODEL BRINGS EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO MEASURING THE IMPACT OF CORPORATE SOCIAL INVESTMENT IN AFRICA

By GROW Educare Centres / 22/09/2020

Share this post:

Share on LinkedIn Share on WhatsApp

tracey.png

None of us could have ever predicted the onslaught of COVID-19 or imagined the devastation it would bring to 
our world, as well as the ever-lasting impact it will have on our daily lives. Now more than ever, we need to 
measure and manage the impact our businesses have on our communities, economy and society as a whole.  
 
Helping companies to do just that is Relativ    Impact, an impact solutions provider that supports purpose-driven 
organisations and investors on their journeys to achieve significant impact. Recognising the need and 
importance of impact management and measurement, the company decided adopt a revolutionary framework, 
developed by UK-based Impact    Management    Project (IMP), to its South African clients. The IMP was founded 
and facilitates relationships between more than 2000 leading investors including the Ford Foundation, W.K. 
Kellog Foundation, UBS, PWC, Bank of America, Barclays, BlackRock and, UK Aid. 
 
A first for Africa 
 
Relativ went one step further by identifying its first unique case study in local non-profit organisation, GROW 
Educare    Centres. This collaboration provided an opportunity to test the IMP framework tool for the first time in 
a social enterprise context in Africa. The tool was used to review the impact of the GROW model, which 
provides a comprehensive package of support to Early Childhood Development (ECD) centres in South Africa. 
 
This IMP framework is the product of a global consensus on a common language relating to impact that can be 
used to describe, communicate, measure and report on positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes 
derived from investments, in addition to financial returns. This IMP framework has grown in its influence and 
practice in recent years and is now used extensively with investors and investment managers in the US, Europe 
and UK. 
 
“Impact measurement and management is not a new concept for the South African business community. 
However, now, with the IMP framework, investors have an effective tool that allows them to compare 
companies’ impact, align their purpose, and give them the platform to report on how they are intentionally 
making a positive difference to people and and planet,” said Dr. Colin Habberton from Relativ Impact. 
 
Colin adds, “In addition to assisting enterprises to understand the impact they have on people and the planet, the 
framework is also a powerful decision-making tool that guides businesses to make conscious and compliant 
decisions towards sustainable impact, in unison with being profit-driven.” 
 
Unique collaboration for social enterprise sector 
 
Quality ECD is one of South Africa’s biggest challenges as many education centres in marginalised 
communities across the country are simply not sufficiently equipped, adequately resourced, professionally 
managed or supported to ensure that the young children in their care receive a quality education. Early learning 
is critical to a child’s educational, social and emotional development.  
 
GROW is setting a new standard for early learning in developing communities through its proven 
social-franchise model. The comprehensive programme equips female centre owners to run a financially 
sustainable small business that provides quality ECD services. The GROW network currently has 43 educare 
centres situated across Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and Pietermaritzburg that helps over 1720 children 
grow and learn every day while supporting more than 220 jobs in education. 
 
Knowing that no other case studies within the social enterprise sector existed outside of Europe, GROW was 
thrilled to partner with Relativ Impact on this journey. “Applying the IMP framework allowed us to stress-test 
our theory of change and evaluate our impact,” said Tracey Chambers, CEO of GROW with Educare Centres. 
 
​1 
 
 
Case study highlights and relevance 
 
By using the IMP framework’s comprehensive and qualitative measurement approach, which has not yet been 
used in the standard practice of Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), GROW was able to benefit from a thorough 
assessment of their current and historical data.  
 
The study revealed how GROW had impacted the ECD sector in the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and 
Gauteng provinces over the past five years (2014-2019) and how it balances economic outcomes (jobs and 
poverty eradication) with social outcomes (education and safety of children).  
 
The GROW model has proven distinctive impact and effectiveness and if scaled, will have even greater impact 
which is aligned with the organisation’s vision to become the largest chain of five-star ECD centres in the 
country serving disadvantaged communities. 
 
Using the IMP’s five dimensions, the framework also outlined specified outcomes that reflects how GROW has 
contributed towards solutions to the pre-existing systemic problems within South Africa’s ECD sector. Four 
impact areas were measured and reviewed in this instance, which included: (1) improved child learning 
outcomes, (2) quality ECD services and learning environments, (3) financially sustainable ECD centres and (4) 
increased income for ECD sector / decent pay. 
 
Significance for the African impact investment ecosystem 
 
“By participating in this case study, we have helped validate a toolkit that can help other organisations and 
industry representatives such as CSI and foundation managers review and evaluate performance. Impact 
reporting is crucial to assessing investment opportunities into social enterprises,” added Chambers. 
 
As the IMP framework requires intensive data analysis, the exercise also highlighted the importance of 
extensive accurate and timely data collection and reporting of project inputs, outputs and outcomes by social 
enterprises. GROW is well positioned to deliver on this requirement thanks to the recent launch of it’s 
comprehensive App suite which was developed by the advisory firm, The    Cobalt   Partners. The app suite allows 
ECD owners and teachers to manage their business and classrooms from the palm of their hand. Features 
include learner enrolment, attendance trackers, learner assessments, budgeting and bookkeeping, access to 
standard policies and procedures, and teacher training material.  
 
“Overall the GROW case study sets a new standard for the social enterprise industry within South Africa and 
the African continent on how to measure impact and report on the relevance of the work that they do in 
contributing to sustainable social change, as well as the progress that is being made to a business’s stakeholder 
ecosystem,” concluded Dr. Habberton. 

Brandstories Disclaimer:

Brandstories is not liable for the contents of the information published on this platform. The information which subscribers publish on this website is for general information purposes only and Brandstories facilitates the ability for viewers and subscribers to access this platform. Subscribers who publish their content on Brandstories are held responsible for their own content. This includes ensuring that it is factually accurate, grammatically correct, free of spelling errors, and does not contain unsavoury content that could result in legal action. In the case of linguistic translations, the onus is on the client to ensure that the translation is accurate. In no event does Brandstories make representations or warranties of any kind, expressed or implied about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the information supplied and published. This website includes links to other websites, including third party websites. Brandstories does not recommend, endorse or support any views that are held by subscribers publishing information, and within these links provided. Furthermore, Brandstories does not have control over the nature, contents and availability of information contained on these sites. Any form of reliance readers and consumers may place on information published on Brandstories is strictly at their own risk. Brandstories makes every effort to ensure that the website is up and running smoothly at all times, however Brandstories does not take responsibility for, and will not be held liable for times when the website is temporarily unavailable due to technical glitches that are beyond our control.

You may also like

GROW Educare Centres is a non-profit that establishes excellent, high-quality and affordable Early Childhood Development Centres in disadvantaged communities to help ensure children age 2-5 get an excellent education and that teachers have sustainable jobs.