Students will learn how to create a strategy that aligns a theory of social change with a sustainable business model that will provide the requisite resources; build a performance management system that measures social return and guides strategic decision-making; and scale impact through multiple strategies including growth collaboration and policy influence.
In addition to these core themes, the course touches on the nature of capital and funding markets, and on governance issues, examining leadership and management challenges from the perspective of investors, grant makers, and board members. The programme draws on cases from diverse industries, such as health, education, environment, youth services, and poverty alleviation, and impact investing, as a basis for identifying general leadership lessons that cut across industries. The course also includes conversations with social sector leaders at various stages of their careers, from start-up social entrepreneurs to leaders of established non-profit organisations. These conversations offer an opportunity to explore emerging issues, discuss career paths, and anticipate future directions.
Social enterprises are a new type of business, characterised by an entrepreneurial approach to deliver activities that are aligned with an explicit social mission, that  are becoming central to the global economic system. Their complex nature, together with their grow­ing number and influence around the world, makes understanding and measuring their social impact a priority for all stakeholders (i.e., public authori­ties, impact investors, service-users, and social enterprises themselves). This course enables students to understand that social impact measurement can help social enterprises set realistic objectives, monitor, and improve performance, prioritise decisions, and access capital markets more competitively.