Community Sector Strategy

At Enterprising Partnerships, we are passionate about helping government, non-government and not-for-profit organisations find solutions to their organisational problems. Our specialised team is highly qualified and experienced to provide the following services:

Community Development, Youthwork and Crime Prevention Program Design and Mentoring

With senior staff regularly time poor, Enterprising Partnerships (EP) can step in to upskill new community development, youthwork and crime prevention staff.

By clearly designing and implementing programs, management and staff mentoring at the beginning of projects, EP can assist inexperienced staff to focus on creating long-term community change.

‘Beginning with the end in mind,’ external one-to-one and team mentoring is the best and most cost effective approach to achieving social impact.

Intercultural audit

Do your organisation ’s statistics and/or your intuition indicate that more effective relationships are required with people from diverse cultural, language and faith backgrounds? Programs designed for ‘multicultural’ service delivery may not create networks within, amongst and between people from diverse backgrounds, thereby missing the opportunity to improve understanding between people and promoting greater community cohesion.

Programs designed for ‘intercultural’ impact are purposefully developed to enhance relationships and create sustainable community impact by building bridges and relationships at the neighbourhood level which transcend what may otherwise be language, cultural and religious barriers.

Intercultural audits identify those areas within your organisation that may contribute to your organisation being unable connect well or maintain relationships with culturally diverse communities. The audit includes identifying and fostering positive relationships between council officers and multicultural community leaders.

Organisational, Program, Service and Facility Reviews

Within a cycle of continuous improvement, looking at what you do, when, for whom and why are critical questions for every organisation. EP has extensive experience in project, program, service, organisation and facility reviews in local and state governments, as well as the corporate and community sectors. We can assist you with all of your organisation’s review needs.

Strategy Development

Enterprising Partnerships believes that the greatest amount of social changes occurs at the neighbourhood level and greatly enjoys working with local governments to develop whole of Council/community strategies. Comprehensive internal Council staff and community engagement activities create integrated strategies to enhance social inclusion for all community members (with a particular focus on at-risk or marginalised groups or individuals).

Board and Organisational Development

There are many compliance requirements involved in managing a community-based organisation. We know that Boards (Management Committees) need to be active, aware and accountable, as well as fully engaged in working with staff, services users and other stakeholders to set the direction for the organisation.

We offer mentoring specifically for Board members and key staff to help better manage:

• Governance and financial matters
  
• Organisational structure
  
• Engagement with clients/community
  
• Creating strategic, operational and funding source plans
  
• Best practice program design

We also assist with strategic planning and strategy development to ensure funding bodies, staff and service users can be confident of the viability and practice quality of the organisation in which they are investing their time, reputation and/or money.

Social Business Development

With experience in the design and start up of social enterprises, Enterprising Partnerships can assist with feasibility and business planning processes for social businesses. We work in partnership with small businesses with expertise in providing accounting, marketing and advertising services to not-for-profit organisations to create value for people experiencing disadvantage.

Social Accounting and Auditing

Often community development programs are not undertaken with the end in mind – what is the community change anticipated as a result of the investment being made and how do we know if, and how well, the change has occurred?

To ensure an organisation is able to best describe and respond to its community impact, in 2010 we are gaining assurance (similar to accreditation) to undertake Social Accounting and Auditing. This process examines the social, environmental and economic performance and the impact of an organisation. Social Accounting and Auditing also establishes a framework for ongoing monitoring, evaluation and accountability to internal and external stakeholders.

Social Return on Investment

Social Return on Investment (SRoI) is one of a number of methods of articulating change. SRoI helps organisations understand and manage the social, environmental and economic benefits (or value) they are creating.

Developed from cost-benefit analysis, SRoI can identify the economic value of social benefits by translating social objectives into financial measures.

To ensure an organisation is able to best describe and respond to its community impact, in 2010 we are gaining assurance (similar to accreditation) to undertake Social Return on Investment analysis.

About Lynda Ford

Lynda Ford recently joined Enterprising Partnerships and brought with her many years of experience in the government and not-for-profit human services sector, in addition to outstanding qualifications in criminology, social science, business, human resource management and impact measurement. As an inventor and provisional patent holder, the area of social innovation is of specific interest to Lynda and imagining, designing and practising human services differently and for lasting impact is a feature of her work within Enterprising Partnerships.

Known for her ability to bring together ‘unusual’ partners in projects, activities and enterprises, Lynda encourages all community sector practitioners to work within a community development framework – to weave networks within, amongst and between individuals and communities. She encourages communities to identify their own needs, create their own solutions, engage stakeholders who can help them realise their dream, and act on the plan piece-by-piece until solutions become long-term and sustainable.

Lynda Ford heads the Enterprising Partnerships Community Sector Strategy team, holding outstanding qualifications in criminology, social science, business and impact measurement accreditation.