[UgaBYTES] EATLF- Social enterprise and how tosustaintelecentres

[Kiringai Kamau]

Peter,
You may want to understand where Loic is coming from. The definition of
poverty on money basis, say a dollar a day, has made development workers in
poor economies wonder if the definition is right.

In some places, the richest do not need to spend money but they survive
through the local wealth. What it the business of telecentre is done through
exchanges might your cash definition need to change?

Kiringai

-----Original Message-----
From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org
[mailto:ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of Peter Burgess
Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2007 6:51 AM
To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] EATLF- Social enterprise and how
tosustaintelecentres

Dear Loic, Colleagues

Sorry ...

I like to be very clear that sustainability as an operation is not
much more than cash in must exceed cash out. If that is not achieved
then the operation is dead and finished. Its a simple definition and,
in my view, not much subject to debate.

The things in the list:
> - clear mission
> - strategic plan
> - qualified staff
> - strong leadership
> - effective programs
> - good relations with other sectors
> - valuable/useful impacts
> - accountability
> - flexibility
> - enabling legal, political and social environment
> - sufficient financial resources (that's where the money part comes in)
may or may not be important in achieving sustainability. In fact, I
think they are important as components of getting things done and
satisfying the client ... but they are not a definition of
sustainability. Try paying your bills with any of the items on the
list ... it won't work.

Sorry to be so blunt ... but mixing up my crude simple definition of
sustainability with these important, interesting operational aspects
does not help.

By the way, the "valuable/useful impact" element in the list has a
role in my broader definition of sustainability ... where one looks at
cost and value in the sustainability analysis. If there is, in fact,
added value from the operation, there is ground for financing that
enables survival in spite a short term cash deficit.

Sorry not to be in agreement this time ... but I must stick to my
principles.

Sincerely

Peter Burgess

On 10/30/07, Loic Comolli <lcomolli at nesst.org> wrote:
> Hi Peter,
>
> I'm not sure I agree with your definition of sustainability. As others
> have mentioned during this discussion, sustainability is multi-dimensional
> (and goes beyond money). It includes (per messages on this list, and also
> my additions):
> - clear mission
> - strategic plan
> - qualified staff
> - strong leadership
> - effective programs
> - good relations with other sectors
> - valuable/useful impacts
> - accountability
> - flexibility
> - enabling legal, political and social environment
> - sufficient financial resources (that's where the money part comes in)
>
> At NESsT we believe that if you don't have most of these elements in
> place, the organization won't be sustainable. For example, you can
> generate lots of profits (ie, cash in is greater than cash out), if you
> don't have a competent management to manage the cash, soon enough you'll
> run into difficulties.
>
> Loic
>

____________
Peter Burgess
The Transparency and Accountability Network: Tr-Ac-Net in New York
www.tr-ac-net.org
IMMC - The Integrated Malaria Management Consortium Inc.
www.IMMConsortium.org
917 432 1191 or 212 772 6918  peterbnyc at gmail.com

_______________________________________________
ugabytes mailing list
ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
http://lists.ugabytes.org/mailman/listinfo/ugabytes_lists.ugabytes.org



---------------------------------------------- 
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by Jambo MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.
---------------------------------------------
"easy access to the world"