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SESSION D.1 (a) : HANDOUT

SOCIAL AUDITS (THE MISSION STATEMENT)

Any organisation wishing to operate within the market system must pay heed to certain economic factors if they are to remain viable. However, those entities that have a social rationale also need to devise 'Social and Ethical Auditing' strategies.

There are currently no widely agreed standards for such evaluation. Nevertheless, many organisations engaged in the social sector have developed ways to evaluate, understand and improve on, the social behaviour of groups within the Social Sector.

… Given that organisations operating within the Social Sector have social, community and/or environmental objectives as well as financial objectives, community broadcasters might consider the definition along the following lines. Social Auditing is best understood as a 'systematic and objective accounting procedure that enables organisations to measure a range of internal and external factors not covered by financial auditing'.

… Using this approach, community media people can ask themselves if their social objectives are being achieved or are in fact achievable.

… Firstly, community media groups need to establish that they consider themselves part of this third Social Sector between that of the Private Sector and Public Sector. The Social Sector is that part of the economy, which engages in economic activity in order to meet social objectives, and which functions through independent democratic organisations.

… If this serves, as a description of democratically owned, community development, not-for-profit, community media, then Social Auditing will prove a useful tool for ongoing evaluation.

The best base for this continuous monitoring is an agreed Mission Statement. Through dialogue, the group can capture their fundamental reasons for existence. Social Auditing ensures, through all the busy days of organisational effort, that these key aims are not forgotten.

This is particularly true if the group is required to provide regular quantitative information to funders. There is a danger that the qualitative, social objectives can become obscured.

If a group decides that its place is in the Social Sector, then such evaluation is of critical importance. It allows an organisation to assess its social impact, can assist in improving overall performance, strengthen the commitment of the volunteers and staff, be used to manage change and ensure that key objectives of the original Mission Statement are being met.

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