Assignment: Introduction to SDGs and Impact Measurement
Objective
This assignment helps startup founders align their business with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and develop a framework for measuring social impact. You will define your mission, impact strategy, and key metrics to track progress.
Instructions
- Answer each section in bullet points or short paragraphs (2–5 sentences each).
- Keep responses concise and focused on your startup.
- Apply the SDGs and impact measurement framework directly to your business model.
Assignment Questions
1. Identifying Your SDG Focus
(a) Which UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) is most relevant to your startup?
👉 Choose 1–2 SDGs that your business directly contributes to.
(b) How does your startup help achieve this goal?
👉 Describe your product/service’s impact on the SDG in 2–3 sentences.
(c) Are there any secondary SDGs your business supports?
👉 Example: A clean energy startup primarily supports SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) but also contributes to SDG 13 (Climate Action).
2. Understanding the Problem & Root Causes
(a) What specific social or environmental problem are you solving?
👉 Example: Lack of access to healthcare, food insecurity, financial exclusion, plastic waste.
(b) What are the key root causes of this problem?
👉 List 2–3 systemic issues contributing to the challenge.
(c) Who is most affected by this problem?
👉 Describe your target beneficiaries (e.g., rural farmers, low-income families, small businesses, underserved communities).
3. Defining Your Impact Strategy
(a) What is your startup’s mission statement (8 words or less)?
👉 Example: “Empowering women artisans through sustainable fashion markets.”
(b) How does your business create measurable impact?
👉 Explain how your product/service improves lives or the environment.
(c) What is your "Theory of Change" in one sentence?
👉 Example: “By providing affordable solar lanterns, we reduce reliance on harmful kerosene lamps, improving health, education, and income levels.”
4. Measuring Social Impact
(a) What are 2–3 key impact metrics you will track?
👉 Example:
- Number of people served (e.g., students educated, patients treated, farmers trained).
- Reduction in environmental footprint (e.g., CO2 emissions reduced, plastic waste prevented).
- Increase in economic opportunities (e.g., jobs created, income generated).(b) What tools or methods will you use to measure impact?
👉 Example: Customer surveys, mobile data collection, satellite tracking, UN SDG indicators.
(c) How will you use impact data to improve your startup?
👉 Example: Adjusting pricing for low-income customers, expanding services to high-impact regions.
5. Aligning with Global Standards
(a) Have you considered using any existing impact measurement frameworks?
👉 Example: IRIS+, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), Social Return on Investment (SROI), Theory of Change.
(b) What challenges do you foresee in measuring your impact?
👉 Example: Difficulty in collecting real-time data, quantifying social change, lack of funding for research.
(c) How will you ensure transparency and accountability in reporting impact?
👉 Example: Publishing impact reports, third-party verification, open data sharing.
6. Reflection & Next Steps
(a) What is one thing your startup is already doing well in impact creation?
👉 Example: Providing clean drinking water to 1,000 households per month.
(b) What is one improvement you need to make?
👉 Example: Enhancing data collection to track long-term social outcomes.
(c) What is your next action step in strengthening your impact measurement strategy?
👉 Example: Partnering with a research institution to validate impact data.
- Call to Action (Funding/Partnerships Needed)
Submission: Not required
Keep answer short and to the point
Due Date: None
