Achieving Excellence: an interview with Wendy Braeken, our newest Advanced Practitioner
We are thrilled to introduce our newest Level 3 Advanced Practitioner, Wendy Braeken!
Achieving Level 3 status is no small feat, as this prestigious certification represents the pinnacle of SVI’s Professional Pathway and is held by only about two dozen practitioners worldwide.
It reflects Wendy’s practical competence in applying all aspects of the SVI Framework as well as her expertise in impact analysis, managing non-financial impacts, SROI (Social Return on Investment) analysis, and social impact reporting.
In this interview, we delve into Wendy’s work coaching and mentoring SMEs and impact funds, as well as her collaboration with Shaping Impact Group, Impact Finance Belgium, and Efiko Academy to facilitate SROI analyses and strengthen IMM (impact measurement and management) capabilities within organizations. And Wendy, who is based in Belgium, tells us what this achievement means and why being part of an international practitioner community is so important to her.
If you’d like to get accredited and join the community of experts like Wendy who are changing the way the world accounts for value, visit our Professional Pathway page.
Why did you embark on the SVI Professional Pathway?
My journey began with a quest for a comprehensive methodology to measure and enhance impact effectively. Ultimately, it was the principles upheld by Social Value International that persuaded me to adopt the SROI approach. Values such as 'engaging stakeholders,' 'incorporating only material factors,' and 'understanding the dynamics of change' resonate deeply with my vision for and how to address social impact.
What elements of the assessment were particularly useful to your learning?
I found firsthand experience invaluable, having undertaken an SROI assessment myself (about a a programme supporting people with debts) and received feedback on the applied approach and report. While descriptions provide an outline of the process, true understanding comes from active participation. Engaging with an expert not only deepened my knowledge but also provided valuable insights into areas where improvements could be made.
How do you plan to utilise your newly acquired Level 3 Advanced Practitioner skills?
I am committed to persisting in my current activities of coaching and mentoring SMEs and impact funds, in enhancing their Impact Measurement and Management skills, both through existing partnerships and by forging new ones. By doing so, I hope to inspire more actors within the impact scene of the possibilities of social impact measurement and management.
Ultimately, I hope that in the near future enhancing social impact become mainstream, and that the focus will shift from measuring and steering on social results towards social outcomes and lasting impact.
Are you embedding social value and SROI into any current projects? Can you tell us about them?
Currently, I am collaborating with Shaping Impact Group, Efiko Academy and others to facilitate SROI analyses for SMEs, impact organisations and funds. Through the application of a coaching and mentoring approach, my aim is to strengthen Impact Measurement and Management capabilities within organizations and to facilitate wider adoption of valuable tools, methodologies, and principles.
In addition, within Impact Finance Belgium (which is Belgium’s National Advisory Body within the Global Steering Group on impact investment), we're delving into the different approaches of impact assessments and monetization. One of our goal is to explore how these approaches can potentially address challenges faced by impact investors and contribute to more effective (social) impact assessment and decision-making processes.
Congratulations on joining our social value practice community. What does it mean to you to be part of a global network? How can you contribute to the social value movement and what issues/areas do you intend to address?
Being part of the international community affords me the chance to exchange best practices and lessons learned with fellow practitioners across the globe who share similar interests. I aspire for the mentoring approach I've implemented to serve as inspiration for others in the field.
Through my collaborative efforts with impact investors, I aim to not only disseminate our approach and principles but also to collectively tackle the challenges faced within the impact sector. Together, we can seek answers and drive positive change.
And what does becoming an Advanced Practitioner mean to you personally?
Achieving Level 3 Advanced Practitioner status signifies to me that not only can we measure and navigate social impact, but we can also elevate the impact of organizations and institutions.
As Nelson Mandela famously said, "It always seems impossible until it's done." I frequently encounter scepticism regarding the feasibility of measuring social impact. However, through the SROI methodology, we demonstrate that it's not only possible but also that it can be done on a pragmatic, useful, and standardized way. While we can limit the costs, the benefits are substantial and great.
More info about Wendy’s work:
“I am a Social Impact Coach and Impact Expert with Impact Finance Belgium.
Under the banner of 'Maakt Beter!’ (‘Makes better!’), I develop a range of services aimed at supporting organisations and enterprises to enhance their social impact. Collaborating with various partners, I strive to provide different answers, to support organisations/enterprises to make the difference they aim to achieve.
The services I provide as a coach, include :
Providing tools and templates to help you start
Delivering training sessions (in situ, online)
Offering coaching (personalized or in group)
Extending consultancy services (although I prefer that organizations can do it themselves !)
Conducting thorough analysis and conceptualization (writing notes, reports, developing frameworks, etc).
At Maakt Beter, we are specialized in:
Conceptualizing a Theory of Change;
Implementing impact measurement methodologies (including monetization);
Crafting comprehensive impact reporting;
Leveraging gathered insights to develop tailored impact strategies.
And for Impact Finance Belgium, we provide technical support to the network as an impact expert, notably by providing in-depth analysis, carrying out needs assessment, and developing webinars.