Impact Measurement & Management for the SDGs (Coursera)

Climate change, poverty, racial and gender equity, food, health, education, clean water -- the list of challenges faced by people and planet is too long. Business and investment have stepped in to help. But in a field of evolving acronyms, standards and systems, many are not exactly sure what is required to do this work well. Third party standards and certifications are also evolving quickly to verify and assure impact management practices. What do you need to know to align your work with impact on the SDGs in ways that meet evolving expectations?

Produced by the award winning team at CASE at Duke University, and developed in collaboration with advisors from around the world, this course consolidates several decades of work around impact management into a cutting-edge guide based on short videos and lessons with concrete practical examples. The course emphasizes ways to improving decision-making for impact on SDGs through changes enterprises and investors can make in strategy, management approach, transparency, and governance, which we have translated into 4 universal practices of impact measurement and management - SET STRATEGY, INTEGRATE, OPTIMIZE and REINFORCE. These steps are aligned with the UNDP's SDG Impact Standards as well as others, such as the IFC's Operating Principles for Impact Management. People who know how to apply these standards are increasingly in demand by institutions globally as they work to improve their performance and reporting around ESG and impact management.

If you work or wish to work within an enterprise, a corporation, a fund that manages assets or an asset owner or advisory that oversees investment assets, or if you just want to learn more about impact investing, ESG, social finance or corporate reporting, this course will help you master the core concepts and practices in impact management for the SDGs and other impacts from both an enterprise and investor perspective.

Syllabus

WEEK 1

Welcome to Impact Measurement and Management for the SDGs!

How can the private sector help fill the $2 trillion gap needed for sustainable development? By getting better at measuring and managing its impact on people and planet. This module introduces the 4 universal steps of impact measurement and management (SET STRATEGY, INTEGRATE, OPTIMIZE and REINFORCE), explores how they can be applied across the investment value chain to simplify ESG and impact practices. It also introduces the SDG Impact Standards and the 5 Dimensions of Impact.

WEEK 2

Set Strategy

Set Strategy equips you to understand the material issues most relevant to your stakeholders and then define your target SDG outcomes in ways that align with your overall business or investment objectives. You’ll create an impact thesis for each, and, if you’re an investor, a revised investment policy statement that integrates your SDG goals. You’ll also set ABC classification levels for your goals. Note that this week is divided into two parts: first, instruction, review materials, and resources for Enterprises, and second, the equivalent materials for Investors. The material is cumulative, and to complete the course, you will need to pass the quizzes for both roles.

WEEK 3

Integrate

Integrate teaches you how to put into place the resources, tools, and processes that will allow you to measure your SDG impact. If you’re an enterprise this includes setting performance targets, choosing indicators from across the 5 dimensions, and deciding how you’ll track those indicators. If you’re an investor, this involves integrating impact management processes into every step of your investment process, from due diligence through exit. Note that this week is divided into two parts: first, instruction, review materials, and resources for Enterprises, and second, the equivalent materials for Investors. The material is cumulative, and to complete the course, you will need to pass the quizzes for both roles.

WEEK 4

Optimize

Optimize is about what you do when the processes you have set up generate information about your impact. Importantly, this step goes beyond just collecting the data. This is where you use the data to create more impact. We show you how to analyze enterprise data to understand where performance deviated from the plan and why. Then we guide you to use that analysis to make decisions about the new actions you will take to improve impact performance. If you’re an investor, you’ll review the data coming from your investees and monitor their management of SDG impact. You’ll decide whether to hold and engage to increase impact, or exit, taking impact considerations into account. Note that this week is divided into two parts: first, instruction, review materials, and resources for Enterprises, and second, the equivalent materials for Investors. The material is cumulative, and to complete the course, you will need to pass the quizzes for both roles.

WEEK 5

Reinforce

In Reinforce, you deepen your governance and accountability for the impact you are creating. This includes disclosing to internal stakeholders or the public about your impact measurement and management performance. You’ll also learn about 3rd party verifications, how to get ready to undertake them, and how to use them to improve your work. Note that this week is divided into two parts: first, instruction, review materials, and resources for Enterprises, and second, the equivalent materials for Investors. The material is cumulative, and to complete the course, you will need to pass the quizzes for both roles.