Social Accounting is a broad term for a process that enables an organisation to systematically record those things it does that have an impact on society, to report that impact, and through counting them, improve their performance. Social accounts are in addition to the financial accounts and reports.
The purpose of this process is to maximise the positive impact on society by the organisation by improving its performance, together with its accountability, transparency, and sustainability.
Wikipedia has a page on Social Accounting which provides an overview of its many facets. Social accounting is mostly used by for-purpose organisations but is equally applicable to private businesses that wish to improve their positive impact on their community. Impact was described in the DBL Report thus: ‘by impact we mean the portion of the total outcome that happened as a result of the activity of an organisation, above and beyond what would have happened anyway.’
For more information on the role that social accounting can play in re-building social capital, see the Pro Bono News article on this topic published on 14 December 2016 by Mercury’s Alan Greig.
Webinar & Learning Event
Mercury partnered with Social Audit Network Limited of the UK, the University of New England (UNE) and the City of Parramatta to deliver a webinar and learning event on 9 May 2017.
The webinar is now available online on our PIA Webinar page.
Following the webinar delivered in May 2017, a new relationship has been developed with Swinburne University’s technology school for students there to develop – as coursework – an on-line social accounting ‘learning platform’.
This project – the Social Accounting Website Design Team – Prove Improve Account – will build and test as ‘proof of concept’ coursework for the students, a platform which will be accessible, interactive and user driven. If functionality is proven, Mercury Co-operative will undertaking work to develop it then into a member owned platform which will enable on-line learning to be easily accessed, as well as for peer-to-peer and collaborative involvements and supports to operate on-line to assist social accounting programs in organisations and communities.
If you wish to become involved in this and you haven’t registered interest already, please use the form below.
If you would like more information on Social Accounting, please use the form below. |