Governance for sustainable services

Governance for Sustainable Services

Interrogating established systems of service delivery to enrich the way private and government organizations serve the planet.

Many of the factors contributing to global poverty and inequality are embedded deep within systems.

Often, ‘deep’ more accurately refers to ‘high’—with barriers to global development entrenched high up in the operational chains that bring political, economic and industrial systems to action.

The roadblocks are on the ground, but they are also in high-level donor trade policies, industrial regulations, aid restrictions, governmental strategies, sector-wide policy legislation, and service infrastructure.

Our work in Governance for Sustainable Services Ventures encourages new ways of operating and promotes change advocacy within these complex ecosystems. The ultimate goal is to refine corporate and governmental practice in Africa and Canada, to ensure local communities benefit from public and private initiatives.

3

Ventures

1

Fellow

1

Follow-on Investment

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The approach.

Through the Governance for Sustainable Service channel, we invest in ventures that have the potential to improve the way social services are governed, financed and delivered in sub-Saharan Africa.

Facilitating change of systemic magnitude is a challenge, but it is not impossible. It requires establishing networks, fostering innovation and embedding support.

We create and influence networks for large net gains.

Whether mining or water and sanitation, service delivery is often dictated by the influence of multiple stakeholders, regulatory bodies and industrial partners. A tiered approach to improvement is essential. GSS ventures seek to create vertically-linked networks at the district, institutional, national and global levels, collaborating with key people to incite palpable change.

For example:

  • Partnering with Federal Ministries to develop national reporting and operational standards. (Mining Shared Value)
  • Fostering management support and training at the local development level, to ensure the ongoing implementation of ventures. (WASH Coordination)
  • Supporting local government offices to develop stronger and more beneficial connections with national-level administrative bodies. (WASH Catalysts)
  • Connecting industry personnel with development practitioners to facilitate discussions and create collaborative partnerships. (Mining Shared Value)

We experiment to evolve.

GSS ventures promote an experimental mindset and a culture of progressive leadership within communities of partners and stakeholders. We bring a commitment to experiment with new behaviours and approaches, in an effort to shift governance dynamics that prevent people from accessing basic human rights.

This includes:

  • Designing and testing strategies for more sustainable service delivery. (WASH Catalysts/Mining Shared Value)
  • Developing and advocating for new policies in company structures, industry standards and governance models. (Mining Shared Value/WASH Catalysts)
  • Assisting organisations to implement processes for sector coordination, such as budgeting frameworks and operational recommendations. (WASH Catalysts)

We embed ongoing support.

We have refined our venture support services over the past 10+ years, taking valuable lessons from each investee and initiative along the way. We support Governance for Sustainable Services ventures through providing support and consultation from our embedded Fellows. They offer insight into:

  • Business development.
  • Financial modelling.
  • Talent acquisition.
  • Investor preparation.
  • Leadership training.

Learn more about our Fellows


Governance for Sustainable Services Ventures generate immediate benefit on-the-ground for local communities, while cultivating long term improvements to wider systems and services.

Regardless of the industry, sector or service, Governance for Sustainable Service Ventures can:

  • Facilitate skill and technology transfers from global and national entities to local communities.
  • Formalize and strengthen local communities.
  • Create employment opportunities in host economies.
  • Scale improved approaches to service delivery.
  • Create policy and institutional changes that influence corporate and government practices to unlock opportunities for sustainable growth.

Our Governance for Sustainable Services strategy focuses on achieving universal access to basic services by 2030.

We believe that goal can be achieved by operating with an awareness of the underlying systems that result in the current status quo. Governance for Sustainable Service ventures allow our Fellows to source data, catalogue challenges, and use the information to advocate for legislative, operational and industrial change.

Learn more about our change advocacy.

We work with Governance for Sustainable Service ventures to adopt a detailed perspective of established frameworks, pivot existing processes and develop entirely new blueprints for operation.

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