A multi-disciplinary training programme that equips participants with the necessary skills to run a business savvy, socially conscious organisation.
This flagship programme of the GIBS Entrepreneurship Development Academy is designed to provide social change-makers and entrepreneurs with the skills, creative thinking and networks needed to tackle the complex social and economic realities of the communities within which they work. Classes have a reputation for passionate debate as theories, experience and the diverse worlds of entrepreneurs, NGOs, business and government meet. The programme brings together the best practices in civil society with the best practices in business from around the world.
Programme content:
Learners can expect an interactive, challenging programme with:
- Theory delivered in lectures and reading material
- Analysis of socio-economic context using robust case studies and guest speakers who are leading industry authorities
- Knowledge application through assignments, syndicate work and projects
The programme has a constant assessment with pre-reading, pre-block assessments and two post-block assignments per block. The grading of the assessments follows the rigorous scrutiny and marking process as with any other GIBS programme.
Subjects include:
Action Learning Research Project; The context of Social Entrepreneurship in SA; Systems Thinking; Strategy for Social Enterprises; Monitoring & Evaluation; Design Thinking & Effectuation; Financial Management; Project Management; Marketing Social Entrepreneurs Branding; Scaling Up; Measuring Impact; Managing Change; Personal Resilience; Managing People; Stakeholder Engagement; Funding Panel and Legal Framework for Social Entrepreneurs.
The programme is divided into three training blocks along with the following themes:
I. Creating Change: Understanding Systemic Change, Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship
Social Entrepreneurship and Systemic Change
- Consider the role of a social entrepreneur vis-à-vis business and government in southern Africa
- Understand what constitutes a systemic and long-lasting social change, and how we can achieve it
- Learn from particularly innovative solutions as case studies
Leadership and Strategic Planning
- Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses to become a more effective leader
- Design and implement a leadership development process
- Understand the strategic principles behind powerful initiatives
- Introduction to monitoring and evaluation
- Integrate leadership, governance and strategy into a purpose-driven, contextually relevant organisational model
II. Sustaining Change Operationally:
Institutional and Project Management
- Increase the motivation and productivity of your staff, creating a culture of high performance
- Learn and implement the fundamentals of project management
- Gain conceptual tools to identify and address operational constraints
- Understand how to comply with government regulations and how to legally structure your initiative
- Plan for long-term operational and programmatic sustainability
- Monitor the performance of your enterprise and learn how to better allocate your resources
III. Scaling Change: Organisational Growth, Monitoring & Evaluation and Marketing Principles
Marketing and Measuring Impact
- Harness the skills to successfully market and communicate your value proposition
- Learn how to research, evaluate and measure the impact of social initiatives.
Scaling Up Impact
- Explore organisational stages of growth and what is needed institutionally as your initiative develops
- Consider if, when and how you should scale-up
- Assess various models for scaling impact
- Analyse case studies on growth patterns of social initiatives
- Cultivate new partnerships and learn how to maximise their potential
Programme dates for 2020:
Programme dates have been emailed to those that have enquired. In addition to these dates, syndicate group work is done throughout the year which requires you to regularly meet with your group to work on assignments and attend ALP feedback sessions.
Please note these are excluded from the actual programme dates.
Graduation:
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100% Attendance is required to graduate from the programme.
- You will receive a certificate of completion.
- Graduation takes place the following year in March / April.
Application criteria:
Successful candidates will have:
- minimum of five years' work experience, including at management level
- demonstrated motivation, conceptual skills, and drive
- tertiary qualification an advantage
*Applicants who are highly qualified but lack sufficient work or academic experience may be considered by exception.
Applications will be reviewed and evaluated on a rolling basis. The course does fill quickly, so the earlier your application is submitted, the higher your chance of being accepted.
Closing date for acceptance confirmation and submission of debit order form will be covered.
We have 10 full Social Entrepreneurship Programme scholarships available. Once accepted for the programme you can apply for the scholarship. The scholarship is for individuals in the Creative and Green economies, within ECD, Basic Education, Post School Education, and the World of Work.
In 2018, we published the first-ever national survey of social enterprises in South Africa. The aim of this, the first and largest study of its kind, was to understand social enterprises in South Africa – WHO they are, WHERE they are, WHAT they do and HOW they operate. Click here for the full report.
