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Working Groups

2012-13 WORKING GROUPS
SPTF is running three working groups in 2012-13 and providing administrative and content support to five others.  Summary descriptions of working group activities are below.  For further information or to join a group, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

WORKING GROUPS RUN BY SPTF:

    1. Indicators Working Group for the Universal Standards for SPM
      • Facilitator:  Cara Forster, SPTF
      • Activities:  A selected group of active SPTF members with expertise in developing and working with indicators will continue the preliminary work done in 2011-12 to build indicators for the Universal Standards for Social Performance Management.  This group will include representatives of both the MIX and the Social Investor sub-working group ALINUS (see below for further information on these working groups) to incorporate and align with the work of these groups.
    2. Emerging Practices Working Group
      • Facilitator:  Amelia Greenberg, SPTF.  Outreach to Latin America facilitated by Cara Forster, SPTF.
      • Activities:  This group will serve two primary functions: 1) identify and share new research relevant to social performance, and 2) assemble and document experiences of various stakeholders and working groups related to implementation of the essential practices listed in the Universal Standards document.  SPTF will use this information both to communicate learning from the field to other Task Force members and to inform the next review of the Universal Standards document.  All Task Force members are welcome to join.
    3. Balance Financial and Social Performance (BFSP) Working Group
      • Facilitator: Tony Sheldon, Advisor to SPTF.

WORKING GROUPS BACKSTOPPED BY SPTF:
The SPTF Secretariat will backstop the following five working groups, meaning it will allow these groups to use its technological platform, participate in the group discussions, and provide some organizational support.  These groups, however, are entirely autonomous and have leadership external to SPTF.

Investor Events:

December 2012 update for investors:  Below are the most recent versions of the Universal Standards for Social Performance Management communications documents, some of which are tailored for MIVs and investors.  At the investor meeting that took place at the SPTF annual meeting in Jordan in June 2012, we were asked to produce ‘straightforward’ ‘digestible’ communications documents related to the Universal Standards that you could use within your organizations to explain the Universal Standards as well as externally with clients and investees.  Thanks to funding from the Ford Foundation, SPTF hired Hattaway Communications to assist with the following communications work in Q4 2012:

      1. Investor Interviews. To inform our messages and strategy for communications, Hattaway interviewed 12 strategically selected individuals from the investor community—four each from MIVs, institutional investors and banks. They provided valuable insights and ideas for the most effective language, materials and outreach activities.
      2. Message Manual.  The interviews informed the development of ‘motivating messages’ designed to raise interest among this stakeholder group. Hattaway produced a Message Manual with content, guidelines and tips for champions to be effective messengers within their institutions and networks. We are interested in your feedback to this manual. We are in the process of conducting interviews now with MFIs and national networks to produce manuals for those stakeholders as well, and can share those with you if you are interested.
      3. USSPM Handout. To help investors spread the word, Hattaway also produced a two-sided flyer about the USSPM that can be distributed within your organization and to your clients.  The handout is available on our website in multiple languages.  
      4. Standards Manual.  Hattaway transformed the 25-page USSPM document into a user-friendly Standards Manual that guides users through the standards and practices.  This is also available on our website in multiple languages. 
      5. PowerPoint Presentation. A PowerPoint presentation was designed to help investors present the Standards to their colleagues. Hattaway used quotes from investors to create a persuasive and visually engaging presentation, with a script that can be adapted. This ppt will be finalized soon - we are waiting for confirmation from two MIVs to attribute their names to the quotes on slides 8 and 9. 

We are interested in your feedback about any/all of these materials and hope that you find them useful in your work.


2011-12 WORKING GROUPS
In 2011-12, SPTF ran or backstopped several working groups.  Minutes from those working group meetings are available below for download:

  1. Universal Standards for SPM Working Groups
  2. Social Investors Working Group
  3. Social Performance Working Group (SPWG) for Networks
    • Please see the SPWG page on the SEEP website for further details.
  4. Good Practices in Social Performance Management
  5. Gender