BGA | BUSINESS IMPACT
to our own realities. In the case of the BGA Continuous Impact Model (CIM) we had full appreciation of the need to show what the School was doing and the impact it was having on stakeholders, but were not clear on how to present this holisitically and meaningfully. The CIM provided a structure that allowed us to place our mission at the centre and to identify the distance between actions of the School and impact to be achieved, allowing stakeholders to see their contribution to the impact goals and serving as an axle for collaboration. In terms of process, each Centre within the Business School identifies its projects or activities, the dimensions of impact expected, the metrics, inputs, outputs, outcomes, and the eventual impact. Data is then collected and analysed to provide a clear understanding of the stakeholders impacted, level of impact, and contribution to impact goals along with recommendations and suggestions for future activities. The School believes it has been successful in defining impact and creating a robust system to measure it. As we pilot the process, we have gained valuable insights, such as the difficulty of directly attributing positive or negative changes in the wider society to the Business School's efforts due to the number of external variables over which the School has no control. However, having an impact assessment system helps guide the overall improvement efforts and there is no intention to suggest causality. Impact assessment can be curtailed without top leadership support, as there are many competing priorities and resource constraints are a reality for most Schools. It is therefore important that top leadership drives the initiatve from conception through to institutionalisation. Data gathering can also be tedious and it's important to always assess the load with respect to the data to be gathered, kept and collated across the institution. Ultimately, sharing impact stories and creating excitement around impact can help to overcome all hurdles. Kamla Mungal is Director of Academic Development and Accreditation at the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business, UWI, in Trinidad and Tobago. Kamla is also Director of the School’s Leadership Institute and a lecturer in organisational behaviour and development. Jaidath Maharaj is Quality Assurance Manager at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, UWI.
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mindset of citizens from a culture of dependency, corruption and unproductivity to one of innovation, social responsibility, self-direction and responsible and authentic leadership. These are traits and competencies required for business and general success. Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index provides a measure of the country’s perceived corruption but it is important to understand and tackle actual corruption taking place in the local context. 4. Environmental sustainability Every sector of society must ensure the needs of today's population are met without jeopardising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This measurement can be evidenced by a more responsible use of resources, a cyclical or waste-to-wealth economy, and the preservation of historic elements. 5. Global insertion While companies in the Caribbean engage in regional trade, there are not many companies that are positioned competitively within global value chains. An emphasis on global insertion is necessary to ensure the region’s relatively small firms are developing global standards and building connections which would contribute to their sustainability. 6. Technological sophistication Technological sophistication refers to the extent to which technology is integrated into public and private sector processes. It moves technology from being incidental to sitting at the centre of the organisation’s value. The adoption of new technologies is important to achieve the efficiency, effectiveness and innovation required for all business activity.
Big-ticket areas of impact at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business
1. Social progress There was strong support for ensuring the country’s wealth was being used for
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the development of society. Social progress is measured by levels of crime, public health and a general correlation between GDP and the provision of social services that seek the sustained wellbeing of citizens. Harvard Business School’s Institute for Strategy and Competitiveness provides research in this area and produces the Social Progress Index as a measure of the relationship between a country’s GDP and its social services.
2. Economic revolution Stakeholders agreed that we need to stimulate an economic revolution
to transform the economy from its dependence on inherited resources (oil and gas) into a diversified and sustainable economic model. This includes a focus on economic growth and diversification through value-added activity and innovation.
3. Cultural evolution The School has accepted that it has a huge responsibility to shift the
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