svtgroup.net

Human rights abuse issues are complex, nonlinear and ever-changing problems; the problem definition derives from solution strategy; the key stakeholder groups have radically different world views and frames of the problem, and often the problem can only be “solved” by group effort. All of these characteristics describe what sociologist Horst Rittel (1973) called “wicked problems.” You know what some are: terrorism, poverty, peace in the Middle East… along with many of the human rights issues two great human rights organizations, Ella Baker Center (EBC) and WITNESS, work to change.

We were hired to work with these two partners to develop an analysis of the social returns attributable specifically to System Failure– a wicked problem challenge. So we used a wicked problem solution strategy to define an approach. We had to capture the different stakeholders observations about what change had taken place and what caused it. The key impact question was, “What impacts are because of the specific event, organization, or specific aspect of the campaign?”

To determine this three types of information are needed from stakeholders.

1. Information about Magnitude
How big was the change?
How difficult was it to effect?

2. Information about Linkage
How did the film play a role?
How much did the film have to do with causing the change?

3. Information about Confidence
How sure are we that our rating of the linkage between the film and the change is accurate?
Our approach to SROI Analysis for Wicked Problems is summarized in this pdf (scroll down to the section called “also available from SVT”). Have you grappled with measurement of change in a wicked problem situation? How did you do it?

Michael Edesess, Boardmember of International Development Enterprises (IDE), reports that “The Economist magazine has a highly favorable review this week of my friend and colleague Paul Polak’s book ‘Out of Poverty.’…The book describes the methods that Paul and International Development Enterprises (IDE), the organization he founded, use to help the poorest people in the developing world earn more income.” I’m delighted to see it’s for sale on Amazon, rather than only found on a foundation’s site!
IDE received a $13M grant about a year ago from the Gates Foundation to scale its work, which has allowed Paul, now 74, the time to write. It’s excellent to see a person with so much to teach have the time and opportunity to write up and disseminate his knowledge! I wish so many other social entrepreneurs with great wisdom had the time and resources to document their work. If I were a philanthropist I’d invest in such a library of books– this amazing moment in the transformation of the capital markets should not be lost to history.

For example I’d love to see Martin Fisher of Kickstart, which has been pursuing similar goals with excellence, do a book with Paul where they share and perhaps debate what the both have learned over decades about the nuances and issues of delivering sustainable tools to solve poverty; or Pati Ruiz Corzo of Sierra Gorda and Albina Ruiz of Ciudad Saludable document and debate the differences between their approaches to engaging community members in economically and culturally sustainable protection and restoration of ecosystems. I’m talking about the nitty gritty- how does this stuff really work and what are the hard-won entrepreneurial lessons for people working in the trenches.
Fortunately John Elkington (SustainAbility) and Pamela Hartigan (Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship) have also just written The Power of Unreasonable People capturing some of these lessons learned, but although I have only yet read the book jacket I suspect they’ve gone light on the nitty gritty of their own trench stories, which I think would be fascinating and useful to know– but perhaps I better read it and find out!