Rob Paton – författare

Social Finance is a rapidly advancing area of practice, policy and research, with a lot of unanswered questions.What does it amount to? What is it to be 'social' in finance? How do you value assets that offer a social as well as a financial return? This book provides a collection of authoritative essays on these and related topics. The essays embrace the different manifestations of social finance, collate existing research, set out the controversies, offer theoretical insights, and advances, and draw together the ideas of the leading thinkers in the field. Contributors to this volume are leading exponents and practitioners of social finance and leading academics from the main relevant disciplines and fields of study. This book is the first serious and comprehensive treatment of social finance and as such, will be of interest to academics with research and teaching interests in finance, social enterprise/entrepreneurship, public policy, business economics and international development to name a few. If you want to understand and join in the academic and policy debates, or if you are working in one part of this field and want to understand how the landscape is being rapidly re-shaped, then this is an essential guidebook.

Social Finance is a rapidly advancing area of practice, policy and research, with alot of unanswered questions.What does it amount to? What is it to be 'social' in finance? How do you value assets that offer a social as well as a financial return?This book provides a collection of authoritative essays on these and related topics. The essays embrace the different manifestations of social finance, collate existing research, set out the controversies, offer theoretical insights, and advances, and draw together the ideas of the leading thinkers in the field. Contributors to this volume are leading exponents and practitioners of social finance and leading academics from the main relevant disciplines and fields of study.This book is the first serious and comprehensive treatment of social finance and as such, will be of interest to academics with research and teaching interests in finance, social enterprise/entrepreneurship, public policy, business economics and international deveopement to name a few. If you want to understand and join in the academic and policy debates, or if you are working in one part of this field and want to understand how the landscape is being rapidly re-shaped, then this is an essential guidebook.

Comprehensive and edited by leading names, this book takes a critical and discursive approach to the various forms and contexts of fundraising.Fundraising is a maturing profession, but one that is becoming increasingly controversial. Media reports of poor practice have contributed to concerns about the integrity of fundraisers and the uses which have been made of the resources they raise. As a result, a consensus now exists among senior figures in the industry about the changes that are required. Technique is no longer enough. Many more of the next generation of practitioners must be capable of considered reflection, organizational and inter-organizational strategic thinking and value-based leadership.Exploring new developments taking place in the area of fundraising, the specially commissioned articles, by experts in the field move the thinking in the profession beyond its familiar formulae and assumptions, opening up critical debate about the nature, contribution and limitations of fundraising.This volume is essential reading for anyone who aspires to work at senior levels in fundraising or is currently engaged in studying this challenging area.

Comprehensive and edited by leading names, this book takes a critical and discursive approach to the various forms and contexts of fundraising.Fundraising is a maturing profession, but one that is becoming increasingly controversial. Media reports of poor practice have contributed to concerns about the integrity of fundraisers and the uses which have been made of the resources they raise. As a result, a consensus now exists among senior figures in the industry about the changes that are required. Technique is no longer enough. Many more of the next generation of practitioners must be capable of considered reflection, organizational and inter-organizational strategic thinking and value-based leadership.Exploring new developments taking place in the area of fundraising, the specially commissioned articles, by experts in the field move the thinking in the profession beyond its familiar formulae and assumptions, opening up critical debate about the nature, contribution and limitations of fundraising.This volume is essential reading for anyone who aspires to work at senior levels in fundraising or is currently engaged in studying this challenging area.

‘Policy work’ is increasingly conducted by public managers at different levels of seniority, and in a variety of settings. This significant collection of readings focuses on the discussion of how policy work happens, whether that involves bringing a policy-making process to fruition or the implementation of policy. The ideas included here draw on many different academic disciplines including economics, political science, social policy, international relations, organizational behaviour and psychology. The book is divided into four key sections, each with an introduction by the editors, covering: understanding policy processesgovernance contextsinstruments and discoursesleadership in policy work. This key text equips the reader with the fundamental knowledge and the essential ability required to critically analyze the key theoretical, conceptual and operational approaches to the development and management of public policy. Containing timeless papers that are the building blocks of understanding public policy, this important volume allows the reader to analyze new issues in appropriate contexts and one’s own setting.

‘Policy work’ is increasingly conducted by public managers at different levels of seniority, and in a variety of settings. This significant collection of readings focuses on the discussion of how policy work happens, whether that involves bringing a policy-making process to fruition or the implementation of policy. The ideas included here draw on many different academic disciplines including economics, political science, social policy, international relations, organizational behaviour and psychology. The book is divided into four key sections, each with an introduction by the editors, covering: understanding policy processesgovernance contextsinstruments and discoursesleadership in policy work. This key text equips the reader with the fundamental knowledge and the essential ability required to critically analyze the key theoretical, conceptual and operational approaches to the development and management of public policy. Containing timeless papers that are the building blocks of understanding public policy, this important volume allows the reader to analyze new issues in appropriate contexts and one’s own setting.

`Its emphasis on performance measurement affords rare insights into some innovative techniques. Moreover, institutional and other theories are deployed to explore the reasons for innovation.... The book should be a prized resource for postgraduate students who seek a deeper understanding of social enterprise measurement and management practices. It covers extremely and topical issues, while the case studies offer a perspective on the complexities of real social enterprises' - Prometheus

`Recent years have seen the voluntary and social enterprise sectors embark on a tentative love affair with performance measurement. We should, it seems, be measuring, monitoring and reporting our performance for a variety of reasons - accountability, continuous improvement and self-motivation, to name a few. But has anyone stopped to consider the realities if implementing the range of tools on the market? Author Rob Paton does just this' - Voluntary Sector

Managing and Measuring Social Enterprises examines the question of what happens when performance improvement techniques originating in the private sector are applied to public and nonprofit organizations.

Managing and Measuring Social Enterprises looks critically at a range of performance measurements and improvement methods, including:

· Outcome measurement

· Using financial ratios for performance comparison

· Social audit

· Process benchmarking

· Externally accredited standards (like `Investors in People' and ISO 9000)

· Diagnostic models and other tools from the quality movements

· `Balanced scorecards'

Rob Paton offers a measured critique of the naïve realism and rhetorical excesses of the performance management movement but also shows why many of its critics are unduly pessimistic.

Through a combination of theory and research, the book provides practical guidance to the problem of performance management outside of the private sector.

This is an essential text for those interested in public and social enterprises, particularly MBA and Masters students in public administration/public management and non-profit management.