The Shared Value Project is delivering a Forum Masterclass on Thursday 27 April to coincide with the Shared Value Forum.

The Masterclass will be led by Hugh Foley.

Shared value relies on the ability of organisations to do things differently. For companies, differentiation is critical to achieving (and maintaining) advantage over competitors. For many community organisations, finding different ways to maintain corporate partnerships is essential to achieving impact. Innovation – the ability to discover and apply new and different ways to solve problems – is at the heart of the shared value idea.

Innovation is a popular concept. For those of us passionate about the potential for companies to do more to solve social and environmental challenges, we are excited by the notion that new solutions are within reach, awaiting discovery. However, while we often hear about the promise of ‘innovation’, we hear less about what is required to make it happen.

As shared value practitioners, we need to understand how to promote and support innovation within our organisations. This is about more than understanding the importance of innovation in achieving shared value. Rather, it is about how we can create the conditions for innovation to succeed. Our challenge is to enable our organisations to do things differently.

The session will focus on 3 elements:

• Driving competition: understanding how addressing social and environmental issues can be a powerful tool to drive competitive advantage
• Organising for innovation: creating the structures and processes to foster innovation within your organisation
• Partnering for innovation: using partnerships as a source of insight and inspiration for new approaches to old problems

This session is suitable for anyone who wants to learn more about the role of innovation in the shared value approach. Participants will briefly cover foundation shared value theory, with the majority of the session focusing on practical skills and approaches.

About Hugh Foley

Hugh Foley is an expert in corporate responsibility, shared value, multi-sector partnerships, and philanthropic strategy. Hugh has advised corporate and philanthropic leaders around the world on programs and investments that deliver measureable results for both business and society. Before returning to Australia, Hugh worked in the U.S. for FSG – a consulting firm founded by Harvard academics, Mark Kramer and Professor Michael E Porter, creators of the ‘shared value’ concept. Hugh collaborated with some of the leading global thinkers on the intersection of business and society, advising multinational companies and global non-profits on how to achieve better social outcomes, profitably. He is now an independent advisor, based in Melbourne.

COSTS, LOCATION AND TIME

The half day forum masterclass, will run from 08.00am to 12.00pm at, IAG,181 William Street, Melbourne.

The total cost for the masterclass, when purchased by itself, is $500 + GST.

If you purchase the forum masterclass with a forum pass, you can save $150 and get two days of shared value education for $1,045 + GST.

Numbers are strictly limited, so secure your place early.