 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
| Primary purpose Summary Potential benefits Who can use the tool? What resources are needed? Development, ownership and support Social enterprise examples Footnotes Co-operativesUK Co-operative, Environmental and Social Performance Indicators (CESPIs) In January 2001 the Co-operative Commission identified co-operative and social performance as being the key contributors to the future success of the Co-operative sector. Its virtuous circle model reminded the Movement that co-operative enterprises are in business to fulfil their co-operative purpose; by achieving commercial success they are able to invest in their co-operative and social goals, creating a co-operative advantage. The Co-operativesUK Key Social and Co-operative Performance Indicators (KSCPIs) were developed to help co-operatives to determine how they are living their co-operative principles and delivering on their social purpose. These were renamed in 2006 as the Co-operative, Environmental and Social Performance Indicators (CESPIs) A basket of quantitative indicators intended to capture the co-operative, social and environmental performance of a co-operative, based on the core values of co-operatives. Organisations can use the ten indicators one at a time in any order. These ten indicators are:
The indicators are provided to co-operatives for self-assessment and they are asked to report their findings back to Co-operativesUK. There is no brand or mark associated with the indicators.
Potential limitations
The indicators are aimed primarily at co-operatives, but any organisation who aspires to co-operative values and principles may find them useful. They are intended for use by all sizes of organisations, although they may require further development and refinement to achieve this degree of universality. Leadership The CESPIs can be used by anyone within the organisation that has access to the records and information needed for the particular indicator. It is recommended that the organisation make a commitment to using the indicators to inform ongoing management decisions and improvement, in order to make the process of measuring them most useful. Proficiencies or skills No specific skills or proficiencies are required. The indicators come with guidance on how each is measured. Staff time Staff time to implement the use of the indicators should be at the lower end of all of the tools, although a pilot of all ten indicators within the same organisation has not been undertaken at the time of this summary. Courses, support, and information The CESPIs guidance document is free to download from the Co-operativesUK website. Co-operativesUK provides introductory workshops and workshops on specific indicators beginning in early 2005. A telephone helpline and mentoring/peer learning schemes are underway. While outside consultants are not considered necessary, some co-operatives may choose to use them. Guidance is free via the Co-operativesUK website. It is expected that co-operatives will use the indicators annually as a way to report to Co-operativesUK , but indicators that are most essential to the business may be measured more regularly, for example, each quarter. Development, ownership and support The indicators were developed by Co-operativesUK with the help of the National Centre for Business & Sustainability. Co-operativesUK is happy for them to be used freely as long as the source is acknowledged.1
1 Some of the indicators, e.g. those measuring environmental impact, are widely-used standard measures. |
“Our members will be able to hold us to account for our stewardship of their business and the fulfilment of its social and cooperative purpose. They will have the satisfaction of associating with an organisation with demonstrable values and principles.” — Lincolnshire Co-operative
|
