How to achieve social change at scale through multi-sector partnerships

1. Impact Partnerships
How to achieve social change at
scale through multi-sector partnerships

2. There is a growing consensus that to
tackle the most pressing problems the
world is facing, such as inequality and
the changing world of work, we need
to use the unique resources, skill sets
and power of multiple sectors.

3. Impact partnerships unlock a
significant untapped pool of resources
for social and environmental good.
They bring together the commitment,
resources and expertise from across
different sectors to tackle tough social
challenges more effectively.

4. Impact
Partnerships are
high impact
action based
partnerships

5. How do we improve
mental health at work?
Tackling some of the questions society is facing...
How do we ensure that
skilled people are matched
with the right jobs?
How can we improve
health outcomes in
communities?
How can we make sure
we are all contributing
to stop climate change?
How do we ensure that
all citizens can get good
work?
How can we make sure
workplaces are truly
diverse?
How can cities ensure
the positive economic
futures of their citizens?
How can we reduce
homelessness in our
communities?

6. Types of partner
Corporations and large businesses - with
huge resources, highly motivated staff and
often global reach.
Government - with convening power and
authority to incentivise participation with
funding, policy and regulation.
Civil society - with the expertise and depth
of knowledge on entrenched social issues
and funding resources to support the
partnership.
Social innovators and citizens - with ideas,
drive and expertise on the issues being
addressed.
Government
Social innovators
and citizens
Social
Innovators and
Citizens
Government
Corporations
and large
business
Civil Society

7. When do we use it?
To tackle entrenched
problems that aren’t
getting fixed
● Youth unemployment
● Homelessness
● Financial exclusion
Where we find existing
solutions that are not
fulfilling their potential
● Lack of expertise
● Lack of funding
● Competition for resources
● Lack of momentum
● Little action
Where there are
disparate and
conflicting efforts
● Dilution of funding
● Talent not working
together
● Inefficient duplication
● Unhealthy competition
Where there is a high
level of uncertainty
and organisations are
struggling to act alone
● Often disparate
understanding of the
problems
● Often no clear solution/new
solutions needed
● Multiple causes and
dependencies
● Socially complex and
unstable contexts

8. How do you do it?
Discovery and
design
Rapid research the problem,
drawing on existing expertise
Define the key challenges
through:
● Workshops
● Activities
● Mapping the system
● Understanding what works
Engage and
establish
Curate the right ecosystem
around the problem,including
business, civil society,
government and innovators
Bring in those best equipped to
drive scale through:
● Building a leadership group
● Having clear goals, targets
and learning processes
Deliver and
implement
Identify and activate high
potential, multi-sector partnerships
within the ecosystem
Realise scale and new solutions
through:
● Structured. Time bound
partnerships
● Shared learning and iternation
● Clear measurements
Amplify and
Learn
Amplify the best solutions
and opportunities. Learn
and share what works
Create a platform for
project legacy through:
● Event and activities
● Learning reports and
activities
● Celebrating success
Time- Bound - Clear Commitment - High Impact

9. Discovery and design
This includes rapidly researching the problem to be tackled, and defining the
key challenges. This involves key stakeholders from across sectors through
workshops and research, and mapping the current system.
● What is the problem that really needs solving?
● Where do existing solutions fall short?
● What funding or resources might be needed?
● What are the assets that each organisation might bring to the table?
In this stage there is a formal orchestration of evidence so everyone has a
shared understanding of what works.
Outputs:
● Thorough understanding of problem
● Prioritised set of challenges
● Clear understanding of what works

10. Engage and establish
This stage involves curating the right ecosystem around the problem, including
business, government, civil society, social innovators and citizens.
Outputs:
● Measurable activity towards solving the problems
● Sharing through a collaborative platform
● Agile partnerships focused on doing and learning

11. Deliver and implement
This is a time-bound period where projects are executed. The partners remain
engaged through structured collaboration platforms both online and offline
through working groups. Throughout this process when activities are not
working or need to iterate the group supports each other to do that.
Outputs:
● Thorough understanding of problem
● Prioritised set of challenges
● Clear understanding of what works

12. Amplify and learn
This stage involves demonstrating and amplifying the best projects and solutions
with a direct link to policy making. Lessons learnt are shared in an open way.
Events and activities highlight the success and learning in order to bring new
people into future partnerships.
Outputs:
● Success stories to share
● Learning culture developed
● Learning taken back to organisations and integrated
● Partnerships adapted based on learning
● Direct link with policy making
● Events and activities to share lessons learnt

13. Impact partnerships can lead to:
New or better solutions to
a problem having an
impact at scale
Measurable, defined and
replicable solutions to
large scale problems.
Government working more
effectively with civil
society, business and
citizens to address social
and environmental
problems
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14. Flying HighImpact
Partnership
Case
Run by Nesta’s Challenge Prize Centre, in partnership with
Innovate UK, our Flying High programme is a collaborative
effort to position the UK as a global leader in shaping
drone systems that place people’s needs first.
The programme has brought together city leaders,
technologists, researchers, regulators, government, public
services, businesses and citizens to shape the future of
urban drone use in the UK.

15. Inclusive Economy PartnershipImpact
Partnership
Case Nesta has worked with the UK Cabinet Office and the Department for
Digital, Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS) to develop the Inclusive
Economy Partnership (IEP). This unique partnership between business,
civil society and government is designed to take individual and
collective action towards three big societal challenges.
Nesta worked with 18 social innovators (selected via an open call) to
develop projects across our three challenge areas. Nesta developed a
six-month partnership accelerator - a bold new approach to
accelerating social innovation - to support new, but proven, social
innovators.
Throughout the programme, Nesta engaged with 150 corporate
partners, who offered varying levels of support.

16. Working towards the goalsThe Sustainable
Development
Goals
Use case
example
● Often disparate understanding of the problems
● Often no clear solution and new solutions needed
● Multiple organisations involved
● Multiple causes and dependencies
● Socially complex and unstable contexts
● Behaviour, political and institutional change often needed
as well as technical solutions
● Interventions may produce unforeseen consequences

17. Impact
partnerships
as a ‘how’ to
achieve the
SDGs
For example
SDG Target 6.2
Universal access
to sanitation
● Scaling effective local
solutions
● Supporting new a better
local solution generation
and local evidence
gathering
Top-down plans are needed for
enacting systems change, e.g.
the European Union’s Drinking
Water Directive aims to improve
drinking water across the region
National plans are adopted at a
subnational level, e.g. coordinating the
treatment of wastewater in major cities
Scaling of effective local solutions generates insights
which can inform subnational and national policies
Local evidence generation spurs bottom-up
innovations, e.g. Mikoko Pamoja, a community-based
initiative in Gazi Bay, southern Kenya, have invented a
carbon credits system improve access to clean water
which also protects the village’s mangrove forest

18. Get involved Nesta is looking for
governments,corporates,
Foundations, civil society
organisations and others to
collaborate and develop Impact
Partnerships in the United Kingdom
and globally.
Email kate.sutton@nesta.org.uk for more
information

19. nesta.org.uk
@nesta_uk
Email kate.sutton@nesta.org.uk for
more information