SEC’s strategy and Business Plan

SEC has developed from a start up 5 years ago and has helped to shape a rapidly changing environment for social enterprise. In 2004 the Board agreed a strategic framework for the organisation.

SEC is currently in the second year of a two year business plan from 2006 -2008. In that plan the Board agreed that SEC should concentrate on its mission to be the voice of social enterprise, focus our policy and campaigning work and place a greater emphasis on developing a credible evidence base to support SEC's key messages. It was also agreed that SEC would work to four high level guiding principles (in addition to the values and operating principles set out in the strategic framework. These are:

Having a high profile;
Working through networks;
Developing and using an evidence base;
Achieving independence – financial and political.

The plan acknowledged that SEC had achieved a huge amount in its first three years but was still a very young organisation and faced a number of challenges. It needed to develop capacity to meet the demands of a very diverse social enterprise sector and to capitalise on the window of opportunity it had. SEC also needed to build its membership to be credible. SEC needed to develop in a sustainable way so that it is able to deliver its long term goals. It had to develop ways of working that put into practice the values and principles set out in the strategic plan. SEC needed to continue to do a few things really well, demonstrating to our members and other stakeholders that we can make a positive impact and build sustainability through creating a diverse income base.

Given the limits to resources and especially staff time, the plan was explicit about what SE was not going to do. For example, SEC was not going to try to be the comprehensive information and sign posting point for all information on social enterprise or attempt to develop the capacity to provide direct advice/support to social enterprises.

The plan focused on strengthening SEC's membership, building on a portfolio of high profile events, a focussed policy and campaigning work to raise the profile of social enterprise and influence Government and other stakeholders to take it more seriously. SEC's two recent big campaigns have centred on promoting social enterprise as a business model and on the role of social enterprise in the reform and delivery of public services