Despite the tempting summer alternatives on offer from the Festival of Perth and Fringe World Festival, over 50 people chose to spend an evening with Sydney-based Social Impact Analyst Emma Tomkinson, at SIMNA WA’s first ‘An evening with …’ guest speaker event. This Perth-based gathering was held on 17 February 2015.

With a fabulous view overlooking the Swan River in the Perth CBD, thanks to Deloitte’s Perth Office, we met and mingled with people from the not-for-profit, for profit and government sectors. We then kicked off our learning journey for 2015 with the topic ‘Ok! What is Social Impact Management?’

What Is Social Impact Measurement?

Based in Sydney and a member of SIMNA NSW, Emma Tomkinson has worked in the UK Cabinet Office helping establish the Centre for Social Impact Bonds and coordinated the Social Benefits Bonds concept for the New South Wales Government.

She provided us with a great list of principles to follow for conducting social impact measurement with her ‘Social Impact Measurement in 10 tweets’ and surprised us all by using zeetings with her presentation.

This software for presenters recently developed in NSW, had everyone interacting with Emma’s presentation from their mobile phones … instant monitoring of our understanding and preferences! More than one person made a mental note to check out zeetings! Thanks to everyone who came along to support us. The feedback received suggests 2015 is going to be a great year for SIMNA WA.

Future events and planned activities 

With a slow start over the past couple of years we now have an active Coordinating Committee for the WA Chapter and a plan for engaging WA’s social impact measurement practitioners with our “An evening with …’ series of events. This will be complimented by a monthly SIMNA WA Meetup starting on Monday, 20 April 2015. The details are below:

• Date: Monday, 20 April 2015
• Time: 17:30
• Place: Bar 399, 399 William st Northbridge, Perth (map)

We look forward to our lively social impact measurement conversations at our  Meetup drinking and eating sessions. All are welcome – please join us!