Last week, the Netherlands Advisory Board on Impact Investing (NAB) organized a seminar on IMM: impact measurement & management. Since StartGreen publishes an extensive Impact Report every year, NAB asked us to come and explain how we measure and report the impact of our more than 125 portfolio companies.
Knowledge sharing
Our Impact Lead Suzanne Groen and Managing Partner Laura Rooseboom shared their knowledge of and experience with measuring and recording impact that afternoon. The seminar, which was hosted by Triodos Investment Management, was attended by over 60 interested parties, including fund and asset managers, but also by non-financial parties, such as reporting platforms. They not only received a crash course in IMM, but could also address all their questions and dilemmas regarding impact investing and IMM strategies.
Impact in practice
Willem Vosmer of Steward Redqueen spoke about the basics of IMM application. He outlined the theoretical background using 5 building blocks that together form the impact framework:
- Strategy
- Procedure
- Governance
- Methods & tools
- Reporting
Experts from Triodos and StartGreen illustrated each step with examples from practice.
Challenges and examples
For instance, at step 3, Suzanne spoke about our sustainability policy: how we at StartGreen determine our KPIs based on the SDGs (the UN Sustainable Development Goals).
She also explained how we maintain the right balance between the various interests of all stakeholders: on the one hand, the Impact Lead wants reliable and measurable impact data. After all, good IMM is crucial for sound decision-making, accountability, and transparent communication. To achieve this, she must convince portfolio companies to provide impact figures (usually not their highest priority). However, impact measurement also creates value for them: it helps them distinguish themselves from the competition.
Nikkie Yamba-Pelzer and Adam Kybird of Triodos Investment Management explained, among other things, how a Theory of Change can provide guidance as a framework for measuring and managing impact.
Suzanne Groen, Impact Lead StartGreen Capital:
‘It was an interesting afternoon for all involved, in which the attendees were actively engaged and a lively debate about IMM arose. In this way, it became an interactive knowledge-sharing session, in which we could exchange best practices and truly learn from each other.’
Did you miss the seminar? You can find the presentation and a summary of the seminar on the NAB website.
