Mission Performance

Specific Environmental  Missions

Green Building, Landscaping and Urban Design
Changes in Practices
A social enterprise may want to track whether people and organizations are changing their practices and adopting different technolgies. A useful way is to set out the various options (technologies and practices) that a person or organization has to meet specific needs ('end-use'), and then monitor the change in the numbers of people using each option. This should includes a pre-intervention point to establish a baseline. Examples of end-uses include space heating, water heating, cooling, lighting, entertainment, transportation, green space).

Monitoring can be done by tracking sales of certain technologies or services, and follow-up to see how technologies are used and whether people adopt new practices. You may also be able to use statistics that are collected by other agencies. For instance, the Office of Energy Efficiency (Natural Resources Canada) regularly surveys technologies and practices in the commercial and resicential sectors.

Monitoring Changes in Materials Use
A social enterprise may want to monitor changes in the amount and type of materials used by community. Approaches include:

1. Monitoring to track material(s) used in building, landscaping and urban development. This can apply to a specific material of interest (e.g. materials produced locally, with recycled material content, hazardous or toxic content, etc.). You may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by other agencies, or develop your own data. The later could be done in conjunction with other organizations who may also be interested in the same data.

2. Extrapolation to estimate changes in material use (quantity and types) that occur from adopting green building, landscaping and urban design practices. This could be calculated based on information about changes in people's or organizational practices and technology uses. Some tools are being developed that estimate ‘life cycle" material use of different products and practices. One of the most comprehensive tools is Carnegie Melon's EIO-LCA model

Monitoring Changes in Energy Use

A social enterprise may want to monitor changes in the amount and type of energy use in a community. Approaches include:

1. Monitoring to track energy use in building, landscaping and/or urban development. This can apply to all energy use, or to a specific type of energy (e.g. energy from renewable sources). You may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by other agencies (for example Statistics Canada's Report on Energy Supply and Demand, Natural Resources Canada's National Energy Use Database , other levels of government, regional indicator projects, utility billing data), or develop your own data through surveying. The later could be done in conjunction with other organizations who may also be interested in the same data.

2. Extrapolation to estimate changes in energy use (type and quantity) that occur from adopting green building, landscaping and urban design practices. This could be calculated based on information about changes in people's or organizational practices. Some tools are being developed that estimate ‘life cycle' energy use of different products and practices. One of the most comprehensive tools is Carnegie Melon's EIO-LCA model

Monitoring Changes in Water Use

A social enterprise may want to monitor changes in the amount and type of water use in a community. Approaches include:

1. Monitoring to track water use in building, landscaping and/or urban development. You may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by other agencies, or develop your own data through surveying. The later could be done in conjunction with other organizations who may also be interested in the same data.

2. Extrapolation to estimate changes in water use in a community that occur from adopting green building, landscaping and urban design practices. This could be done based on data on changes in people's or organizational practices.

Monitoring Changes in Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A social enterprise may want to monitor changes in the amount and type of greenhouse gas emission produced by a community. Approaches include:

1. Monitoring to track the production of greenhouse gas emissions. This can apply to a specific greenhouse gas of interest (e.g. carbon dioxide) or all greenhouse gases, which are commonly expressed in terms of a carbon dioxide equivalent (different gases have different global warming potentials). You may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by other agencies by region (for example Environment Canada's National Greenhouse Gas Inventory ), or develop your own estimate based on applying emission factors to energy consumption data (and in some cases production data, for non-energy based emissions).

It is important to use emission factors for electricity use that are specific to your region, because the fuel (and resulting emissions)) for producing electricity is unique by region. A good resource for appropriate factors (including provincial electricity emission factors) is available on the Canadian Standards Association, Climate Change Services website.

2. Extrapolation to estimate changes in greenhouse gas emissions that occur from adopting green building, landscaping and urban design practices. This can include reductions in emissions and changes to ‘sinks' (vegetation, soils, water) that absorb emissions. Some tools are being developed that estimate ‘life cycle' emissions of products.

The most comprehensive tool is Carnegie Melon's EIO-LCA model. Other tools are available on line which estimate average emissions savings from various reduction actions, particularly for households. (For instance see Pembina's One Less Tonne tool). The results may not always be transferable to your jurisdiction (particularly if your action/product relates in some way to electricity use). An environmental consultant may also be of assistance in this type of analysis.

Monitoring Changes to Air and Water Quality, and Other Enviornmental Changes

A social enterprise may want to monitor changes that relate to air quality, water quality, water system health, land and soil quality, biodiversity and habitat. Indicators relating to these factors of ecological health may be collected in your community. A good place to look is the environment department of different levels of government. Being able to estimate changes in these factors based on changes in people's and organizational practices can be quite complex and may require modelling. Many environmental consulting companies specialize in this type of analysis.

An alternate way to consider environmental impact holistically is to estimate an "ecological footprint", which relates resources use (materials, energy, water) to the biocapacity of land. The concept has mainly been applied to compare geographical areas (municipalities, countries) and lifestyles.

Recycling, Reducing, Reusing
 

Monitoring Participation
A social enterprise may want to track participation rates in waste reduction, reuse and recycling programs. It may also be interested in monitoring the perceptions of participants regarding the programs. Monitoring and assessment approaches include:

1.Developing set-out and participation rates which are often used to determine what percent of the households with access to recycling programs are actually using the programs.
2.Using surveys at drop-off facilities to find out what people are dropping off, their demographics, distance traveled, convenience of the facility, etc.
3.Focus groups can be used to collect information from a cross section of the population on a specific topic, for instance perceptions of facilities.
Monitoring Solid Waste to Landfills
A social enterprise may want to track the amount of solid waste diverted from landfill. Approaches include:

1.Measuring and tracking the quantity of materials that would have otherwise gone to landfill (collected at recycling depots, composting facilities, and traded at re-use facilities).
2.Developing indicators that relate the quantity of recycled materials to the total amount that could be captured. This can be done with the following indicators: Recycling rate, which is calculated by dividing total tonnes of recyclables collected by total tonnes of recyclables and refuse from the same region. Capture rate analysis, which describes the potentially available recyclables that are being diverted through the recycling program.
Monitoring Changes in Materials use
A social enterprise may want to monitor changes in the amount and type of materials used by a community. Approaches include:

1.Monitoring to track material(s) used in the manufacture, transportation and disposal of goods and services. This can apply to a specific material of interest (e.g. materials produced locally, with recycled material content, hazardous content, etc.). You may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by other agencies, or develop your own data through surveying or through a waste audit. The later could be done in conjunction with other organizations who may also be interested in the same data.
2.Extrapolation to estimate changes in material use (quantity and types) for the manufacture, transportation and disposal of goods and services. This could be calculated based on information about waste diverted to landfill, or information about changes in people's or organizational practices. Some tools are being developed that estimate 'life cycle" material use of different products and practices. One of the most comprehensive tools is Carnegie Melon's EIO-LCA model
Monitoring Changes in Energy Use

A social enterprise may want to monitor changes in the amount and type of energy use in a community. Approaches include:

1.Monitoring to track energy use in the manufacture, transportation and disposal of goods and services. This can apply to all energy use, or to a specific type of energy (e.g. energy from renewable sources). You may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by other agencies (for example Statistics Canada's Report on Energy Supply and Demand, Natural Resources Canada's National Energy Use Database, other levels of government, regional indicator projects, utility billing data), or develop your own data through surveying. The later could be done in conjunction with other organizations who may also be interested in the same data.
2.Extrapolation to estimate changes in energy use (type and quantity) based on the amount of waste diverted to landfill, or information about changes in people's or organizational practices. Some tools are being developed that estimate ‘life cycle' energy use of different products and practices. One of the most comprehensive tools is Carnegie Melon's EIO-LCA model
Monitoring Changes in Water Use

A social enterprise may want to monitor changes in the amount and type of water use in a community. Approaches include:

1.Monitoring to track water use in the manufacture, transportation and disposal of goods and services. You may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by other agencies, or develop your own data through surveying. The later could be done in conjunction with other organizations who may also be interested in the same data.
2.Extrapolation to estimate changes in water use in a community (including in the manufacture, transportation and disposal of products) based on the amount of waste diverted to landfill, or information about the change in people's or organizational practices.
Monitoring Changes in Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A social enterprise may want to monitor changes in the amount and type of greenhouse gas emission produced by a community. Approaches include:

1.Monitoring to track the production of greenhouse gas emissions. This can apply to a specific greenhouse gas of interest (e.g. carbon dioxide) or all greenhouse gases, which are commonly expressed in terms of a carbon dioxide equivalent (different gases have different global warming potentials). You may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by other agencies by region (for example Environment Canada's National Greenhouse Gas Inventory,or develop your own estimate based on applying emission factors to energy consumption data (and in some cases production data, for non-energy based emissions).
It is important to use emission factors for electricity use that are specific to your region, because the fuel (and resulting emissions)) for producing electricity is unique by region. A good resource for appropriate factors (including provincial electricity emission factors) is available on the Canadian Standards Association, Climate Change Services website.
2.Extrapolation to estimate changes in greenhouse gas emissions produced through the manufacture, transportation and disposal of products, based on data on the amount and type of waste diverted to landfill, or information about changes in people's or organizational practices. This can include reductions in emissions and changes to ‘sinks' (vegetation, soils, water) that absorb emissions. Some tools are being developed that estimate ‘life cycle' emissions of products. The most comprehensive tool is Carnegie Melon's EIO-LCA model. Other tools are available on line which estimate average emissions savings from various reduction actions, particularly for households. (For instance see Pembina's One Less Tonne tool). The results may not always be transferable to your jurisdiction (particularly if your action/product relates in some way to electricity use). An environmental consultant may also be of assistance in this type of analysis.
Monitoring Changes to Air and Water Quality, and Other Environmental Changes.
1.A social enterprise may want to monitor changes that relate to air quality, water quality, water system health, land and soil quality, biodiversity and habitat protection. Indicators relating to these factors of ecological health may be currently collected in your community. A good place to look is the environment department of different levels of government. Being able to estimate changes in these factors based on changes in people's and organizational practices can be quite complex and may require modelling. . Many environmental consulting companies specialize in this type of analysis.
2.An alternate way to consider environmental impact holistically is to estimate an ‘ecological footprint', which relates resources use (materials, energy, water) to the biocapacity of land. The concept has mainly been applied to compare geographical areas (municipalities, countries) and lifestyles.

 

  • Sustainable Agriculture
  • Sustainable Energy Supply and Energy Use
  • Sustainable Fisheries
  • Sustainable Forestry
  • Sustainable Industrial Processes
  • Sustainable Transportation


Specific Social and Cultural Missions

Direct Income, Material and Food Support
Monitoring Support
A social enterprise may want to track who is being helped by direct income, material and food support activities. This could include tracking:

•The numbers of people who receive support (possibly categorized in terms of different demographic or needs);
•The kind of support they receive;
•The share of people who receive support in the population you are targeting.
Monitoring Food Security
A social enterprise may want to track whether food security is changing for the community they target with food (and other forms) of support. Approaches could include:

1.Asking the people you serve about their personal/family food security.
2.Monitoring indicators of food security. The following sites might be helpful for considering what indicators to track (and potential sources of information):
Simon Fraser University's Centre for Sustainable Community Development (CSCD) has a program on food security. As part of this program they conducted a Vancouver Food System Assessment, which identified food security indicators in the context of Lower Mainland food security issues. (See Appendix M of the project for a list of indicators).

Health Canada, Discussion Paper on Household and Individual Food Insecurity. This paper identifies direct and indirect indicators of food security as part of a strategy to monitor food security in Canada.

Monitoring Economic Security

A social enterprise may want to track changes in an individual"s access to the resources, benefits and financial supports necessary to participate fully and with dignity in community activities. Approaches include:

1. Tracking income levels of those you support against the relative cost of living in a region (poverty index).

2. Tracking personal economic assets of those you target.

3. Tracking increased knowledge and access to community supports, and knowledge and these of supports.

4. Reviewing economic indicators at a community level. Click here to see examples of indicators which can create a picture of economic security. Statistics Canada has Census Tract (CT) Profiles which provide 2006 Census data for small geographic areas (including city neighbourhoods)

Community Revitalization and Economic Development
Monitoring Community Safety

A social enterprise may want to monitor changes in community safety, including changes in the incidences of crime and perceptions of community safety as it is experienced by community members. Approaches include:

Reviewing changes in crime statistics and other data that relate to community safety. The following websites monitor indicators relating to crime and safety (among others) as part of tracking various community indicators. These sources are useful for their information, and in understanding what indicators may be possible to develop, as well as data sources to use to develop your own indicators.

•Vital Signs (Community Foundations)
•Genuine Progress Indicators ( Alberta , Atlantic) 
Two key sources of information are: Statistics Canada and local police department statistics.

Developing your own data through surveying. The later could be done in conjunction with other organizations who may also be interested in the same data. For questions (and indicators) that relate to surveying perceptions of crime in the community Click here

Monitoring Community Inclusion
A social enterprise may want to monitor factors associated with community inclusion. This could include monitoring:

•The degree of participation of marginalized groups and individuals in community facilities and services.
•Number, types and perceived effectiveness of public participation processes based on shared decision-making versus simply consultation.
•Number, types and perceived effectiveness of culturally sensitive policies/programs/ strategies of community service organizations.
•Measures of the quality of community resources.
Monitoring Social Cohesion ('Social Capital')
A social enterprise may want to track aspects of social cohesion in a community. (This is also known as ‘social capital"). This refers to the sense of belonging, inclusion, trust, hope and reciprocity among community members. Approaches include monitoring aspects of social cohesion through indicators (including survey methods), and mapping out relationshipsbetween individuals and groups in a community (social networks). For more information about methods and possible indicators, see:

Canadian Council on Social Development (2000) Social Cohesion in Canada: Possible Indicators.
Policy Research Initiative (2005), Measurement of Social Capital: Reference Document for Public Policy Research, Development, and Evaluation. (The appendix of this document contains indicator frameworks and sample surveys).

Economic Development
A social enterprise may want to track economic development variables in a neighbourhood. Approaches include:

1.Reviewing statistics that relate to economic development in a community. For instance, employment and income opportunities, retail space and mix, commercial space and mix, housing, public and private community resources (# doctors, dentists community centres, etc.). Statistics Canada has Census Tract (CT) Profiles which provide 2006 Census data for small geographic areas (including city neighbourhoods)
2.Estimating the economic impacts associated with an activity. This type of analysis can be specialized to undertake; many consultants work in this area. Studies typically model the relationships between spending in the community and economic activity (usually described in terms of jobs and income generated). A resources developed for community organizations that work in community development is available from the New Economics Foundation Tool: Plugging the Leaks 

Promotion and Preservation of History, Culture and Language
Monitoring Cultural Empowerment
A social enterprise may want to monitor how it influencing cultural empowerment. This could include:

1. Tracking the number of community members employed (or meaningfully engaged) by the enterprise.

2. Surveying those directly involved within the cultural enterprise to establish the extent (if any) of changes in perceptions of themselves as members of the cultural group (cultural pride)

3. Surveying the cultural community more broadly to establish to what extent:

•community members interact with the enterprise (number and in what capacities.
•the perceptions of community members of the enterprise and their self perceptions vis a vis the cultural enterprise.
4. Monitoring indicators that represent the strength and practice of culture in a community. For more information on indicator sources, click here.

Monitoring Cultural Awareness
A social enterprise may want to monitor the cultural awareness of others outside of your cultural group. This could include:

1. Monitoring the rate of participation in each of the services or program areas offered by the enterprise.

2. Tracking the number of cultural goods and services (art, workshops, events) sold or transferred.

3. Surveying members of the general public to assess:

•public awareness surrounding the history, language, art, etc. of the cultural group,
•public perception of the significance of the cultural group to the particular place and to society in general,
•level of support for promote/preserve the culture of particular cultural group.

Supportive Employment
Monitoring Positions
A social enterprise can track information relating to the employment and/or training positions that it offers. Specific monitoring could include tracking the types of positions, the number of people employed in them, their duration, and information about who fills them.

Position Classification:

•Clearly define and track unique positions in the social enterprise. A useful source for occupational classifications is Statistics Canada's standard occupational classifications (National Occupational Classification - Statistics (NOC-S) 2006).Using these classification can make it easier for you to relate employment in the social enterprise to labour force studies, that typically use these classifications.
Details of what you could track:

•Track the number of employees entering, changing and leaving positions in the social enterprise. This would include the number of hours worked (part-time / full-time status), how long they are employed in those positions and their reasons for departure.You will also want to track the number of employees that meet your social mandate (by position), and information that can create picture of the demographic and risk characteristics of these employees.Information may include such areas as: gender, age, member of ethnic minority, educational attainment, mental health issues, disabilities, shelter (homeless or at-risk of homelessness), criminal conviction,# dependents.
 Monitoring Skills Development
A social enterprise can monitor how a position enhances the personal and work-related skills of an employee or trainee. Specific monitoring approaches could include:

1.Observing the person in action at regular intervals.
2.Asking them what they are able to do or what they are passionate about.
3.Periodically testing how an employee has progressed over a period of training or work experience.
Contact can be maintained with employees after they have left the social enterprise to monitor their career and personal development path.  

Further resources:

•The Prove and Improve website provides a list of skill development areas that could be reviewed using any of these methods.
Monitoring Personal Growth and Well-Being

A social enterprise can monitor how an individual may grow and improve their well-being through the course of their work experience. Monitoring and assessment approaches include:

1.Conducting a 'personal well-being survey'
2.Assessing changes in ‘high-risk' behaviour
3.Keeping track of how a person's circumstances may be changing and improving through a Sustainable Livelihoods framework that looks at how people's assets may be growing in different areas. It can help to show where an individual is now, where they want to go, and how they want to get there. Note: Many of the other monitoring areas described in this guidance documentation are also intrinsically connected to personal growth and well-being.
Further resources:

•The Prove and Improve website provides a list of skill development areas that could be reviewed using any of these methods.
•The Sustainable Livelihoods website  has information about the Sustainable Livelihoods framework. Social enterprises supported by Social Capital Partners and the Toronto Enterprise Fund have used this framework.
Monitoring Access to Shelter
A social enterprise can monitor how a person's access to secure and affordable housing may be changing as a result of their work experience. This can be done by observing or directly asking an individual about their housing situation. Click here for areas that can be measured in assessing changes in housing or living conditions.

Further resources:

•The Prove and Improve website provides a survey related to shelter.
Monitoring Economic Security
A social enterprise may want to understand changes in an individual's access to the resources, benefits and financial supports necessary to participate fully and with dignity in community activities. Approaches include:

1.Tracking income levels of target employees (from social enterprise employment + other supports) against the relative cost of living in a region (poverty index).
2.Tracking personal economic assets of target employees.
3.Tracking knowledge and access to community supports, and knowledge and use of supports offered through the social enterprise.
4. Reviewing economic indicators at a community level. Click here to see examples of indicators which can create a picture of economic security. Statistics Canada has Census Tract (CT) Profiles which provide 2006 Census data for small geographic areas (including city neighbourhoods)
Monitoring Changes in Health
A social enterprise may want to track changes in the status of physical and mental health, health conditions and activity limitations of specific employees. It may also want to review changes in health at a community-level. Approaches could include:

1.Self-reported and directly observed indicators may provide a picture of a person's physical or mental health. .
2.Monitoring indicators of community health. You can may be able to use statistics that are currently collected by various agencies (for example Statistics Canada, other levels of government, regional indicator projects), or develop your own data through surveying. The later could be done in conjunction with other organizations who may also be interested in the same data.
Further resources:

•The Prove and Improve website provides a survey related to healh.
Monitoring Relationships and Supports (Social Capital)
A social enterprise may want to track an individual's development of healthy social networks that may include personal and family relationships, as well as community supports. This can be done using a variety of approaches.

1.Surveying individuals about their supports.
2.Using a mapping exercises to monitor changes in personal and community relationships and behaviour.