Event: GIBS: Social Entrepreneurship Certificate Programme

South Africa is ripe with opportunity for creating social change. To rise to this challenge, the social sector will need to shift traditional paradigms, consider new perspectives and approaches, and build a strong set of skills for the creation of sustainable and scalable initiatives.

The Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) Network for Social Entrepreneurs is conducting the Social Entrepreneurship Certificate Programme from 1 March to 30 November 2012 in Johannesburg.

This rigorous, year-long programme will explore how to create powerful, systemic change; how to build institutions that are effective and sustainable; and how to scale up initiatives for greater long-term impact.

Designed for those starting up new social initiatives and for those seeking to grow existing organisations, the programme will bring together theory and practical application, covering core strategic, operational and management skills, as well as issues around social innovation and entrepreneurship.

The programme will run for four modules of five days each, from March to November 2012, at the GIBS campus in Illovo, Johannesburg.

Creating Change

Social Innovation and Systemic Change

• Consider what type of change is needed in South Africa;
• Understand what constitutes systemic and long-lasting social change and how we can achieve it;
• Consider the role of social enterprise vis-a-vis business and government in southern Africa;
• Learn from particularly innovative solutions as case studies.

Leadership and strategy

• Evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses to become a more effective leader;
• Design and implement a leadership development process;
• Understand the strategic principles behind powerful initiatives;
• Develop your business model;
• Integrate leadership, governance and strategy into a purpose driven, contextually relevant organisational model.

Sustaining Change

Institutional Management

• Learn and implement the fundamentals of project management;
• Understand how to comply with government regulations, and how to legally structure your initiative;
• Gain conceptual tools to identify and address operational constraints;
• Manage conflict and effectively negotiate with relevant stakeholders;
• Increase the motivation and productivity of your staff, creating a culture of high performance;
• Plan for long-term operational and programmatic sustainability;
• Monitor the performance of your enterprise, and learn how to better allocate your time and money.

Financial Planning and Sustainability

• Develop a business approach to the financing of your activities;
• Gain the accounting & financial competencies critical to effective operations;
• Attract and retain donors, investors and key partners;
• Learn how to forecast & plan for sustainable growth.

Scaling Change

Marketing and Measuring Impact

• Harness the skills to successfully market and communicate your value proposition;
• Learn how to research, evaluate, and measure the impact of social initiatives.

Scaling Up Impact

• Assess various models for scaling impact, and consider if, when, and how you should scale up;
• Cultivate new partnerships and learn how to maximise their potential;
• Explore new models for financing expanded operations.

For more about Gordon Institute of Business Science, refer to www.gibs.co.za.