IAOP’s Center for Social Impact Focuses on 5 Ps to Make a Difference

By: IAOP

IAOP’S CENTER FOR SOCIAL IMPACT FOCUSES ON 5 Ps TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE 

As one of IAOP’s most dynamic centers with passionately involved leaders committed to making a difference, the Center for Social Impact has been active in furthering 5 Ps: Principles, Providers, Platforms, Partnerships, and Placement.

Let’s look at some key achievements by this influential group and upcoming plans to expand its mission to all IAOP members and professionals working in collaborative business models.  

“As impact sourcing matures, IAOP aims to be a central catalyst to foster global collaboration to create a more inclusive and sustainable outsourcing ecosystem,” said IAOP CEO Debi Hamill.

Principles

All sourcing contracts and partnerships can have positive social and environmental impact. However, contracts often lack common impact sourcing terminology and language, making it challenging for more providers to compete for business.

The leaders drafted the Guiding Principles for Impact Sourcing during The Center for Social Impact “Meeting of the Minds” in San Francisco last September. The principles build on the excellent work of the former Global Impact Sourcing Coalition to make available and manage a more accessible Impact Sourcing Standard for organizations to become accredited, regardless of their size, geography, location, or service area focus.

Establishing reasonable, universal standards raises the bar for service delivery and help lesser-known, and younger providers gain visibility while enabling large-scale buyers to contract with specialized providers.

The group will continue its work revising the standards in 2024.

Providers

At the end of December, the Center’s leadership launched a bold new initiative to develop a Multinational Provider Registry (MPR), filling a void in the market.

The registry will level the playing field and provide helpful non-financial information to potential buyers about all providers. It is not limited to providers who are IAOP members or members of any other paid association.

The registry will showcase the capabilities of impact sourcing providers, facilitate collaboration and partnerships, and save potential buyers countless hours of research and validation time.

It will also help providers sharpen their social impact message and assist smaller, single-location providers and specialty-focused providers in getting their message heard.

The steering committee includes two long-time social impact pioneers, Dan Lang, Senior Vice President at Sutherland, and Tim Hopper, Cloud Supply Chain Sustainability Manager at Microsoft.

Platform

With a full schedule of webinars and in-person events, the Center’s leadership team has built a vibrant platform to share insights, practices, and success stories related to social impact. The 2024 content series will explore the influence of Artificial Intelligence with the theme that while “thinking machines are essential, humanity has to win.” 

“The Intersection of AI and Social Impact” will be the topic of a one-day program on March 12 in Chicago presented by the IAOP Digital Technologies Center of Excellence. Social impact will also take center stage at OWS24 with presentations from thought leaders and the Global Impact Sourcing Award presentation. (see related stories on these upcoming events).

Partnerships

IAOP is pleased to partner and share knowledge with The Global Sourcing Association (GSA-UK), the Impact Sourcing Alliance, and the Global Mentorship Initiative, among other affiliations, to have one voice with multinational reach and common goals.

IAOP and GSA have launched FormIGA, (Formation of the Industry for Good Alliance), an alliance to develop sustainable sourcing standards. Organizations can align with these standards and become accredited.

Placement

The Center for Social Impact leadership is in the initial stages of discussing creating placement hubs that would play a significant role in efforts to make a lasting impact on communities. The primary purpose of these hubs would be to serve as focal points for connecting skilled individuals from underserved backgrounds with meaningful employment opportunities.

People

None of these 5Ps can be accomplished without people. IAOP is committed to bringing its buyer, provider, and advisory firm members together with highly relevant thought leaders, real-life practitioners, and industry powerhouses.  

“IAOP intends not only to be the industry vanguard but also a catalyzing factor in raising the bar for global delivery,” Hamill said. “IAOP’s role is to bring its members content and provide access to the best people when organizations need them. Social impact transcends individual brands and commercial competition.”