First national policy forum building collaborative framework, shared vision for social enterprise sector

Delegates chose top priorities and design action plans

Monday November 30, 2009 -- Camille Jensen, Axiom News 

The first national policy forum on creating a supportive environment for social enterprise was successful at building a shared framework and vision for the sector, say several event organizers.

The two-day event that was part of the third Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise brought together social enterprise stakeholders ranging from sectors as diverse as non-profit, for-profit, finance, universities and government to co-create a policy agenda based on a framework established by the Social Enterprise Council (SEC) of Canada.

Held at the MaRS Discovery District, delegates were asked to decide the top priorities for each of the six pillars outlined by SEC that will lead to a supportive environment for social enterprise. The six pillars are:

• Enhancing enterprise skills

• Expand market opportunities

• Accessing capital and social investment

• Demonstrate the value of social enterprise

• Network the social enterprise sector

• Enabling infrastructure and supportive regulatory environment

The priorities were then submitted into an online survey tool and delegates were asked to vote on the top three priorities for each pillar.

The following day, delegates built action plans, consisting of three to four items, for each priority.

Anne Jamieson, a member of SEC and program manager of the Toronto Enterprise Fund, says they are still in the process of compiling the information from the Nov. 19-20 event, which will be used to build a one-year work plan for the sector.

She says SEC will be meeting this week (Nov. 30 - Dec.4) to look over a draft of the report and begin building a budget and connecting resources for tackling the policy agenda.

Jamieson says she was pleased by the amount of participation - many people offered to continue to help with certain priority areas - adding the first time event was "enormously successful."

"The amount of input and involvement that people showed last week and their willingness to continue to work on this was huge," she says.

"We haven't had quite that kind of uptake in our sector before, people putting their names forward and people coming together in a way they haven't come together before."

Creating a shared energy around a comprehensive agenda to build a supportive environment for the social enterprise sector is absolutely "critical," according to David LePage.

LePage, a SEC member and program manager for Enterprising Non-Profits, says Canada is diverse and the forum allows the movement to come together and adopt a long-term vision.

"Without a shared vision and without a shared framework we are going to be so scattered that the story doesn't add value," says LePage.

"If we have the same kind of story and framework to talk about what is social enterprise and why are we doing this and how you can support it - the more consistent we can be about that message across the country -the more powerful the message."

LePage adds the next challenge will be in ensuring there is a convergence between the different organizations moving the agenda forward.

"I think the challenge will be how do we implement this in many different ways and with many different actors but that's also the opportunity," says LePage.

Jamieson says SEC's goal is to continue to engage the movement using a variety of electronic tools such as video conferencing, at the local and regional level in the coming months.

The third Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise is an initiative of SEC.

Source: Axiom News. If you have feedback on this article, please contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 24, or e-mail camille(at)axiomnews.ca.