Case Study
Social Entrepreneurship
A social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being.
Introduction
As part of the interdisciplinary learning inspired by the grade 8 trip week, you will be conducting what designers call a case study. In this case study you will analyse the objectives, organization and impact of an existing social enterprise that is active in areas similar to the one you have visited during the grade 8 trip. You will go through the 'inquiring and analyzing' and the 'evaluating' stage of the design cycle only.
The main reason for conducting this case study is that our next unit - 'Phoenix Nest' - will challenge you to design a social enterprise of your own.
Quick links
Jump straight to the instructions:
Assessment criteria and checklists are available on Toddle.
Inquiring and Analyzing
Make sure you understand the context in which your social enterprise operates.
Ai The problem
Explain and justify the need for a solution to a problem.
Task-specific
Outline:
What exactly is the problem your social enterprise is trying to solve?
Who does the problem impact exactly?
Where exactly does the problem occur?
When exactly does the problem occur?
Present a photograph illustrating each of the Who, What, Where and When. Present a hyperlinked source in the caption of each photo (e.g. Photo: NY Times, 2010).
List at least two recent and relevant (to what, where, when, who) news articles in the form of MLA references.
Present one relevant (to what, where, when, who) statistic from an authoritative source (e.g. 25% of children in rural Vietnam do not go to school beyond the age of 13. - UNDP)
Aiii Existing Solutions
The ‘Competition’
Analyse a group of similar products that inspire a solution to the problem.
Task-specific
Identify three other existing social enterprises that tackle a similar problem as the one you are analyzing.
State the web address of their organization's website (homepage).
Present the logo or a relevant photograph of the organisation.
State the official mission statement of the organization.
List similarities and differences when comparing the organization with the social enterprise assigned to you.
Aiv Design Brief
Develop a design brief, which presents the analysis of relevant research.
Task-specific
Develop a factsheet about your chosen social enterprise in which you:
State and explain the mission statement
Present the logo
State at least three facts you learned about the problem that you did not know before.
State at least three questions you currently still have about the social enterprise.
Present evidence of the severity of the problem the social enterprise is trying to alleviate (statistics, photos, news articles etc.)
List MLA references to the top 3 sources that were most useful in your research
Evaluating
Evaluate the social enterprise against the judging criteria of Phoenix' Nest.
Di Testing Enterprises
Describe detailed and relevant testing methods, which generate accurate data, to measure the success of the solution.
Aii Diving Deeper
Construct a research plan, which states and prioritizes the primary and secondary research needed to develop a solution to the problem.
Task-specific
Select a minimum of 5 of the judging criteria for Phoenix Nest that you feel could be useful to judge your social enterprise. For each judging criterion:
Describe a 'test' that suggests how you would test/judge it. In other words: How would you gather the qualitative or quantitative data you would need to make an evidence-based judgement?
Observations: Can you go somewhere and observe?
Consultation: Are there experts you could interview?
Survey: Are there larger groups of people you could survey?
Secondary sources: Are there online or offline media you could consult? Stakeholder reports? Statistical information? Testimonials?
Prioritize the valuable each 'test' would be to come to a judgement about the quality of the social enterprise.
★☆☆☆ could give some data about the quality of the enterprise
★★☆☆ could give data about the quality of the enterprise
★★★☆ Will give some great data about the quality of the enterprise
★★★★ Will give great data about the quality of the enterprise
Dii Success of the Enterprise
Explain the success of the solution against the design specification
Task-Specific
For each of the 5 judging criteria for Phoenix Nest you identified before:
State your opinion on how well the organization is doing in relation to the judging criterion (pretend you are the judge):
★☆☆☆: Weakpoint
★★☆☆: They are doing ok
★★★☆: They are doing well
★★★★: Real strength
Explain your opinion with evidence from research. E.g. photographs, statistics, information from stakeholder reports, certification, partnerships, sponsorships, endorsement etc. Make sure you identify the sources of your evidence.
Diii Potential Growth and Improvement
Describe how the solution could be improved.
Task-Specific
Describe at least three opportunities for improvement or growth for the social enterprise.
For each, identify the 'area' of improvement: Technical, marketing, business strategy, innovation. These areas are related to the categorization of the judging criteria for Phoenix Nest.
Div Impact Analysis
Describe the impact of the solution on the client/target audience.
Task-specific
State the impact of the enterprise on the community it is trying to help.
Present photographic evidence of this impact
Describe why you would recommend investing in this enterprise
Describe one hesitation you might have when investing in this enterprise.