OASIIS: Opening Access to Sustainable Independent Income Streams
Social Capital is a critical resource and is the basic building blocks of society, including the economy. At Assist Social Capital (ASC) we put social capital first, and apply it's principles to the sustainable development solution: OASIIS.
OASIIS is an innovative online platform which aims to promote sustainable economies for the prosperity of people and planet.
Businesses run by social entrepreneurs hold huge potential for driving positive change in our global communities however those which have positive social and/or environmental impacts, struggle to report on their impact and access the capital needed to start, grow and expand their businesses.
By measuring and showcasing the socio-economic footprint of social businesses across protected areas and connecting social entrepreneurs with each other, and with social investors we aim to attract social investment into these areas and stimulate new responsible Protected Area markets and therefore resilience.
Context
Challenges addressed
Businesses run by social entrepreneurs hold huge potential for driving positive change in our global communities. However businesses which have positive social and/or environmental impacts, often social enterprises, struggle to report on their impact and struggle to access the capital needed to start, grow and expand their businesses. Social entrepreneurs are often isolated and lack access to networks, new markets, suppliers, learning resources, peer learning and dialogue.
There is a huge appetite for impact investment, with US$ 35 billion being invested during 2017, by just 225 respondents in the GIIN Annual Impact Investor Survey, 2018. However social investors find that businesses are often difficult to find and the impacts of their investment is often difficult to measure. This is especially true when considering rural SMEs within emerging economies.
OASIIS aims to bridge these gaps leading to sustainable economies which promote prosperity for people and planet.
Location
Process
Summary of the process
The Social Enterprise and Biosphere Reserve (SEBR) approach aims to engender an environment where enterprises with values in harmony with the aims and objectives of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BSs) and other protected areas can thrive; delivering sustainable economic development which benefits the community, invests in biodiversity and leads to financially independent BRs’.
The SEBR Approach is materialised in the SEBR Network, composed of individuals interested in the approach. The wider SEBR Network is then supported by the SEBR Network Working Group that meets quarterly and includes international representatives and experts.
The SEBR Network and its Working Group support cooperation across BRs to share opportunities and resources and demonstrate the socio-economic benefit of UNESCO designation in ways that will further the aims of the Lima Action Plan and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The SEBR Network is also supported by the OASIIS platform - an online tool which aims to connect social entrepreneurs with social investors as well as a whole host of other facilities including socio-economic impact assessments. OASIIS is a collective asset which shares the values and vision of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme.
Building Blocks
The Approach: Social Enterprise and Biosphere Reserve Development Framework
The Social Enterprise and Biosphere Reserve (SEBR) Development Framework can be applied to any protected area and aims to provide a living document that will be flexible and adaptable in different countries and contexts, within their own norms, values and approaches. As such the Framework is designed as a route map towards the emergence of social enterprise as a means to promote sustainable economic development, in harmony with social and environmental sustainability. For this reason we have developed a Framework that looks at the importance of four key Factors - Public Participation, Social Enterprise, Social Investment and Sustainable Public Procurement.
The Framework can be used to plot the current context in a protected area, highlighting local strengths and weakness in relation to 4 key Factors. Once this mapping process has been carried out an Action Plan can be designed, relevant to the particular country and BR. It is likely to take around 3 years to establish the momentum necessary for this approach to become self-organising and so sustainable into the future.
Enabling factors
Social capital underpins the whole Social Enterprise and Biosphere Reserve Development Framework (SEBR-DF). Social capital shapes the quantity and quality of our social interactions and how well we can act collectively to tackle issues in our lives.
It is therefore a critical resource for any intervention aiming to deliver lasting benefits.
The four factors which are key to the success of the SEBR-DF are: Social enterprise; Social investment; Sustainable public procurement; and Public participation.
Lesson learned
Often protected area management staff hold core skills in conservation research and when it comes to an approach which includes sustainable economic development, there can be barriers to gaining support for its implementation within these areas.
Assist Social Capital have built strong partnerships within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve community since initiating work in this sector in 2011. In order to accelerate this process ASC Co-leads and is Secretary of a MAB Thematic Network which is composed of experts in the field and meets quarterly to discuss progress and strategies to get social entrpreneurship on the MAB agenda.
ASC has also influenced the International Action Plan of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere Programme, the Lima Action Plan 2016-2025. The Lima Action Plan now includes supporting and including social entrepreneurs in the activities of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. This has allowed ASC to have an officially recognised remit within the UNESCO MAB Programme, however progress to be accepted into such work streams has remained slow.
The Tool: OASIIS - Opening Access to Sustainable Independent Income Streams
OASIIS is an online platform which collates data on the socio-economic activity within and beyond protected areas. By collating disperse, and often informal information, OASIIS builds a strong case for social entrepreneurship as a driver of sustainable development.
By showcasing the socio-economic impact as well as the stories behind the organisations, OASIIS aims to funnel social investment in order to accellerate and grow the positive social, environmental and economic impacts of businesses which have values in harmony with that of protected areas.
Enabling factors
Mobile internet traffic accounts for 51.2% of the total global online traffic. OASIIS must be accessible and easy to use, the platform is being designed to be mobile first, in order for it to be inclusive and accessible.
OASIIS will also be a modular tool, in order for complementary tools to be added and partnerships to be integrated.
It is therefore key that OASIIS is flexible to satisfy individual needs and build clear case studies and stories of its application, e.g. the first OASIIS Biennial Report 2018 outlines such case studies and data.
Lesson learned
The current platform is a minimum viable produce (MVP) and we are currently developing a new iteration with enhancements based on user feedback.
Engaging with users and potential users has been a key process in development.
We have conducted a pilot within UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and after the launch of the first OASIIS Biennial Report, we have decided to expand the approach to other protected areas and beyond.
Impacts
We have piloted the approach in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves (BRs) and found that US$11 million is circulating within just 2% of the worlds UNESCO BRs, and organisations are providing 522 employment and training opportunities as well as delivering on 395 direct actions towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Just scratching the surface of the contribution that social entrepreneurs make to protected areas globally.
OASIIS weaves networks, which then are used to expose OASIIS members to an increased number of opportunities, both in terms of financing and resourcing. E.g. The Honey Enterprise Cluster hosted by OASIIS has shared knowledge between honey producers in Italy and Ghanaian BRs, and has also applied for EU funding to expand it’s network throughout the Mediterranean. Agri-businesses in Bia BR were connected with markets and business development training via OASIIS and key partners. OASIIS hosts What If…Girvan a social investment programme, and is establishing an OASIIS Investment Forum to better channel financing to high impact and investment ready social businesses.
OASIIS provides a transparent and globally visible platform for investors to locate social entrepreneurs and track the impact made from their investment.
These are methods rarely applied to investment and impact platforms. www.oasiis-br.org
Beneficiaries
1. Social entrepreneurs
2. Social businesses (social/environmental principles)
3. Social investors
4. Local communities (increased employment/opportunities and services for vulnerable groups)
5. Protected area management
Sustainable Development Goals
Story
OASIIS aims to connect entrepreneurs with a network of opportunity which can take many forms.
This includes new connections, resources, markets, and a chance to measure and learn from their own socio-economic footprint, and see how they fit into their local Protected Area (PA) context as well as the global context.
One such example of this in action was a series of fortunate events brought on by our social capital principles, the more genuinely connected one is, the more likely one is to be exposed to opportunities.
Assist Social Capital CIC cohosted an event with Italian partners (Appennino Tosco Emiliano Biosphere Reserve) which brought OASIIS social entrepreneur members together from across Europe. From this event several social entrepreneurs established partnerships and plan to forge new products between protected areas.
During this event and based on OASIIS member needs we established several sectoral Enterprise Clusters, including the Honey Enterprise Cluster. The Honey Enterprise Cluster unifies business which tangibly depend so closely on a globally important genus and healthy ecosystems. The first Honey Enterprise Cluster activity was the symbolic exchange of honey from Italy to Sweden and several activities have followed.
One such inspiring activity resulted from our partnership with Challenges Worldwide with whom we conducted work to support social entrepreneurs in Bia Biosphere Reserve to learn business skills and penetrate new markets. We were able to connect an Italian honey producer from an ecological business in Italy who promotes environmnetal stewardship through agroecology and tourism, to honey producers in Ghana's Bia Biosphere Reserve. As a result of the project we were able to facilitate the introduction of the Ghana Honey producers group with a buyer for export to Australia. The feedback from this project and the connections made was very positive and we hope to facilitate many more connections and opportunities.
It is this cross-border, inclusive connection which when coupled with social investment to help grow the approach taken by these incredible businesses we can help deliver prosperity for people and planet.
