Landscape Mapping for Impact Measurement and Management in South Africa 

By Genesis Analytics and Impact Amplifier

Through the Catalyst Fund for Impact Measurement in Africa, supported by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) South Africa chapter commissioned Genesis Analytics and Impact Amplifier to conduct research into the impact measurement and management (IMM) landscape in South Africa. Mixed research methods were used to engage investors, intermediaries and investees in South Africa. The infographic presents key findings in an interactive format, accompanied by supplementary guide. These publications explore the current IMM landscape in South Africa, why and how impact is measured, the benefits and challenges of measurement and management, and how the data is used and reported. Through this publication, the authors and funders of this study aim to catalyse conversations and action, towards strengthening IMM practices in South Africa.

Click here for the supplementary guide

Click here for the infographic

Observing Acceleration: Uncovering the Effects of Accelerators on Impact-Oriented Entrepreneurs

by Peter W. Roberts and Saurabh A. Lall (Foreword by Randall Kempner)

This book summarizes five years of learning from data collected as part of the Global Accelerator Learning Initiative. The authors present data describing impact-oriented ventures and accelerators that operate in both high-income countries and in emerging markets. Blending survey data with insights from sector experts, their various analyses shed light on the basic structure of accelerators, showing where they are having their most promising results. Unlike previous studies, this book does not focus on a few high-profile accelerators (like TechStars and Y Combinator) and startups (like AirBnB and Uber). Instead, it compares a range of accelerator programs that target specific impact areas, challenging regions, and marginalized entrepreneurs. Therefore, it serves as a valuable tool for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners interested in the effectiveness of accelerator programs as tools that unleash the economic potential currently trapped in entrepreneurial dead spaces.

Amplify II: The Next Mile of Impact Investing for INGOs

Humentum and the International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) Impact Investing Network published their second impact investing report, Amplify Impact Investing 2: The Next Mile of Impacting Investing for INGOs, in December 2018. This report is the follow up to the original Amplify Impact Investing report released in 2016, Amplify Impact Investing: the INGO Value Proposition for Impact Investing.

In recent years, international non-governmental organizations, traditionally known for implementing donor-funded programs for social and environmental impact around the world, have begun to make a distinctive imprint on the impact investing ecosystem. The report updates our knowledge on the role of INGOs in impact investing, and discusses their evolution in the market. It concludes that INGOs are continuing to emerge as key players in impact investing. Learn more.

On the functioning of agricultural markets in Mali: Strategies for development

This study, commissioned by USAID's Economic Growth Office and implemented by CrossBoundary's Mali Investment Facilitation Platform, investigates constraints to Mali's agricultural markets. It identifies the obstacles that stand in the way of organizations and projects aiming to modernize the country's agricultural sector, and provides possible remedies. The report also presents evidence that sustained support for private sector actors can initiate a paradigm shift. Read the full report.

Sanitation Technology Funder Landscape Report

STeP released the Sanitation Technology Funder Landscape report in October 2018. Resources to validate new sanitation technologies and prepare for market entry – prerequisites for achieving sustainable, scaled solutions – tend to be quite scarce compared to those available to scale proven solutions. As such, a problematic ‘Pioneer Gap’ exists. This funder landscape seeks to both clarify the ‘Pioneer Gap’ and point readers to potential funding and other resources poised to help fill this problematic gap. Two promising forms of funding are explored in detail: catalytic philanthropy and blended finance leveraging impact investment.