SOCIAL ENTREPRENEUR EMPOWERMENT
SCALE
HR&S is offering a management strategy, that helps entrepreneurs structure their daily work and measure progress or no progress. We offer tools to address challenges, expert advice, and business loans with 10 % annual interest.
SCALE is composed of
- ROPE management strategy
- ROPE coaching
- ActionInvest, access to loans
- RISE Support Centre, coordinating locally
- RISEtalks, knowledge sharing and support among RISEmembers (loan-takers). This is managed by the RISE Support Centre.
- Local experts that have capacity address the outcome challenges identified by the RISEmembers.
- ActionTalks, on-line platform for international knowledge sharing
- ActionAdvisers, a team of international senior experts managed by HR&S Sweden.
Eligibility criteria
The business has to show potential. We cannot train a non-business person to become a business person. The business has to be registered and the CEO has to be able to prove previous business capacity. One indicator is previous profit. Hence, when joining HR&S the CEO/business owner/management wants to 1. scale or 2. address (new) challenges.
Addressing challenges
If the business has potential but experience challenges then these challenges have to be well defined. We can offer hands-on support by experts in our country teams (f ex on-line marketing), and expert advice through our international team of senior advisers (f ex accreditation of analytical laboratory methods). The loan itself is seldom enough.
Evidence based decisions before engaging with a new loan-taker
Each Country Team must assess whether the Team has enough institutional capacity to support a potential RISEmember so that the entrepreneur is able to establish a profitable business.
This is the purpose with the ROPE parameters: Outcome challenges, Activities, Milestones and Progress Markers.
Note:
– The partner may not be willing to meet with the Team if the business is going down. The team must have the capacity to manage this challenge.
– Nothing related to the collaboration can be dependent on the partner. The Team must me able to manage all situations.This is an Outcome Challenge for the Country Branch itself to address in the Country Branch ROPE.
We establish Support Centres in Sub-Sahara Africa countries that empowers social entrepreneurs. We offer:
- Coaching and training on the development of business scaling road-maps.
- Training on accounting.
- Training on accountability.
- Knowledge sharing sessions between local entrepreneurs.
- African network of entrepreneurs.
- Business loans.
- Expert advise.
- (Access to internet, computer and co-working space)
Local support centres
We establish HR&S Research Innovations & Social Enterprising (RISE) Support Centres in Sub-Sahara Africa countries, that support social entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs that have registered/started a business are welcome to become members of our RISE Centres. The RISE centres are operated by our local HR&S branches.
Business loans and loans to procure scientific equipment
The purpose with the business loans and loans to procure scientific equipment, ActionInvest, is to offer investment capital to facilitate social enterprising start- and scale-up. The social entrepreneurs are offered loans with a 10 % annual interest, each project starts small and scales firmly, and secure accountability management programme is required.
Expert Advisers
Our expert advisers offer advice to HR&S Sweden and may as well act as advisers and occasionally also mentors for RISE Centre member social entrepreneurs. Our expert advisers also offer webinars.
Thematic networks
Participants in our training events and coaching programmes are welcome to become active members of the HR&S networks for researchers, technicians, social entrepreneurs and global developers, after having passed an exam. The networks are membe-driven; the members do not pay membership fee but invests work effort to operate the networks.
Partnership with resource centres and suppliers from Europe
We also partner with international resources centre and with suppliers from Europe with the purpose of sharing about the opportunities as well as, when possible, offer good deals for our clients.
Support Centres
The RISE (Research, Innovation & Social Enterprising) Support centres provide the conditions and the tools required for scientific researchers, innovators and entrepreneurs in Sub-Sahara African countries to implement their ideas through social enterprising. The RISE centres are physical buildings providing access to workspace, training, implementation coaching, networking, technical equipment, transportation, investment capital, and accountability measures. Each RISE Centre is unique, and a specific RISE centre may offer all, or some, of the services. The RISE centres invite researchers, innovators and social entrepreneurs to become members. The members pay a membership fee and cover the costs of services.
Investment Capital
The purpose with our ActionInvest programme is to offer investment capital to facilitate social enterprising start-up and scale-up. Our partners’ social enterprises shall offer products and services requested for by the customers, and if possible, provide employment opportunities. (Please note that RISE invest is NOT micro-credit programme and HR&S is neither a bank nor an aid institution.)
Conditions for loan takers
The loans are paid back with 10% annual interest. Periodical bank accounts statements and annual external auditing are used as evidence that the investment capital is managed and paid back according to the agreement. The first loan shall be small and the second, larger loan, as well as further loans, shall only be granted if the business is managed well. The loan takers contribute financially with 10% of the requested loan amount, which is paid back when the loan agreement has been cleared.
Accountability management
Our Accountability management targets both ethics and governance and financial management as well as programme outcome and impact.
Operations
1. Develop and implement the strategy for change that ensures:
i) social impact, ii) sustainable economy and iii) transparency and accountability.
2. Agree on and implement activities and milestones.
3. Agree on and implement measurable indicators.
4. Agree on and implement how to collect, compile and analyze monitoring data, when and by whom.
5. Agree on and implement how to generate and share reports, when and by whom.
Trust is more important than ever, and it concerns all relationships.
A relationship without trust is not really a relationship at all.
Trust is right at the foundation of the survival and success of any partnership and business.
A working relationship built on trust is an important sustainable competitive advantage,
because trust is so valuable and so rare.
Implementation coaching
HR&S coaches Research, Innovation & Social Enterprising (RISE) programmes in Sub-Sahara African countries, addressing:
1. Research management at scientific institutions
2. Laboratory management at scientific institutions
3. Production of goods for sale, such as clothes, food, drinks, sanitary pads, handicraft, shoes, etc.
4. Services, electricity from solar panels, milling, training in farming, tailoring, hairdressing, business management, trauma counseling, integration, education, etc.
5. Co-operatives in villages, rural cities, and slum areas
6. Saving structures
Impact assessment
The main purpose of programme evaluation is to determine whether a programme has an impact and to measure the effectiveness and the efficiency of implemented programmes that are aiming for change. Are we doing the right things, and are we doing things right? There are also many other types of evaluations that are relevant to our programmes.
The monitoring targets collecting information for testing a claim by investigating whether evidence exists to support or reject it. A claim is simply a statement about the role a programme may have played in bringing the change. We generate a set of quantitative measures combined with a qualitative measure in the form of a structured set of stories. TestE seeks the most powerful evidence. The ‘right questions’ are asked the ‘right people’ and the ‘right evidence’ is sought in the right places.
