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SEAM

Activity INa1

Objective

Social Justice Industry Innovation

Concept IN

Concept

Social Justice Innovation

Activity Type

Impact

Rating System Application

B+I:D B+I:O O+M:D O+M:O

Design and execute a social justice strategy, program, partnership, or initiative that elevates the commercial real estate industry

Scope

The Owner shall design, implement, and evaluate a social justice partnership or program that is centered around achieving a specific social justice goal identified by project impacted parties that elevates the industry's standards.

Requirements

Act to Avoid Harm

  1. 01.

    The program shall be guided by a defined logic model (see Guide to creating a logic model in Appendix E) outlining the intended outcomes and the steps needed to achieve them. Preference should be placed on leveraging existing resources and processes of the Owner to optimize opportunities to create positive impact.

  2. 02.

    Raise the commercial real estate industry standards, reputation, and overall quality through introducing innovative technologies and practices, upholding ethical and transparent operations, investing in the professional development of its workforce, and/or encouraging inclusivity and diversity, pushing the industry towards broader excellence and increased impact.

  3. 03.

    The program shall include the following criteria109:

    1. a.

      measurable and positive impact on the well-being of individuals or communities

    2. b.

      promotes fairness and equality, ensuring that marginalized or disadvantaged groups are not further marginalized or excluded

    3. c.

      respects the rights, culture, and dignity of the target community and should be culturally sensitive and appropriate, considering the cultural norms, values, and practices of the target community

    4. d.

      active participation and engagement of the target population, ensuring that their voices and perspectives are heard and considered

    5. e.

      collaboration and coordination with relevant impacted parties, such as community organizations, government agencies, and other key actors

    6. f.

      have mechanisms in place to ensure transparency, accountability, and the responsible use of resources

Benefit Impacted Parties

  1. 04.

    The program should use strategies and methods that are evidence-based and have been proven to work in similar contexts.

Contribute to Solutions

  1. 05.

    The program should aim to build the capacity of impacted parties and organizations to support and sustain the intervention.

Indicators

The performance indicator is the impacted party satisfaction rate (expressed as a percentage). The context indicators are the indicators identified (as outputs) in the logic model in Requirement #1.

Step 1

To calculate the performance indicator:

  1. Calculate the average score for each question by adding up all the encoded responses (where 1 = Very Dissatisfied/Not at all Relevant/Very Poor/Not at all/Very Unlikely/Strongly Disagree and 5 = Very Satisfied/Very Relevant/Very Good/Very Well/Very Likely/Strongly Agree) and divide by the total number of responses.
  2. Calculate the overall average score by adding up all the average scores for all the questions and dividing by the total number of questions.
  3. Calculate the impacted party satisfaction rate (%) by dividing the score by the maximum possible score (which is 5) and multiplying by 100.

This is expressed mathematically as:

Step 1

a# = R1 + R2 + R3 + … / N

Step 2

Step 2

A = a1 + a2 + a3 + … / Q

Step 3

Step 3

S = (A / 5) x 100

Scoring

Points assignment

Points Percentage Satisfaction Rate
2 points 40-59% satisfaction rate
4 points 60-79% satisfaction rate
6 points 80-100% satisfaction rate

Note:

  • Very Low Satisfaction (0-19%): a very small proportion of impacted parties are satisfied with the program. Immediate action is needed to identify and address the issues causing dissatisfaction. No SEAM points awarded.
  • Low Satisfaction (20-39%): less than half of impacted parties are satisfied with the program. There is significant room for improvement. No SEAM points awarded.
  • Moderate Satisfaction (40-59%): around half of impacted parties are satisfied with the program. While this is not bad, there is still considerable potential for improvement.
  • High Satisfaction (60-79%): a majority of impacted parties are satisfied. The program is generally effective, but there may still be areas to improve.
  • Very High Satisfaction (80-100%): a large majority of impacted parties are satisfied. This is an excellent result, suggesting that the program is very effective in meeting impacted party needs and expectations.

Additional points assignment

Points Additional Requirements Satisfied
+2 points Requirement #4 satisfied
+2 points Requirement #5 satisfied

Documentation

  1. 01.

    List of financial, human, and material resources utilized for this activity.

  2. 02.

    A detailed logic model that outlines the intended outcomes of the program and the steps needed to achieve them. This should include the top Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) identified as outputs.

  3. 03.

    Program Design and Implementation Plan detailing how the program meets the criteria of being impactful, equitable, ethical, participatory, collaborative, and accountable. It should include strategies and methods that are evidence-based and have been proven to work in similar contexts (if applicable).

  4. 04.

    Evaluation Reports that provide evidence of the positive impact on the well-being of individuals or communities, promotion of fairness and equality, respect for the rights, culture, and dignity of the target community, active participation and engagement of the target population, collaboration and coordination with relevant impacted parties, and transparency, accountability, and the responsible use of resources.

  5. 05.

    Capacity Building Plan that details how the program aims to build the capacity of local community members and organizations to support and sustain the intervention.

  6. 06.

    A copy of the Impacted Party Satisfaction Survey content.

  7. 07.

    Impacted Party Satisfaction Survey Results used to calculate the impacted party satisfaction rate. The results should include encoded responses that can be used to calculate the average score for each question, the overall average score, and the impacted party satisfaction rate.

Guidance

On leading edge examples of social justice industry innovation initiatives

  • Commercial affordability - Promote affordable rent and leasing options, especially for small and underrepresented individual-owned businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations that serve marginalized communities.
  • Community investment trust - A financial inclusion model that enables community members, particularly those in marginalized or underprivileged areas, to invest in and own a stake in local real estate or other business ventures.

On content of the impacted party engagement

A template for an impacted Party Satisfaction Survey can be found in Appendix D.

Referenced Source

  • ISO 26000:2010, Guidance on social responsibility (2021)
  • UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (2011)
SOCIAL JUSTICE

SEAM Standard v1.1

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