COURSE NUMBER: EWMBA292N.2

This course is cross-listed with the FTMBA program.

Please note that though the course is 2 units, it will meet for 2 hours the entire semester (15 weeks).

COURSE TITLE: Social Impact Metrics

UNITS OF CREDIT: 2.0

INSTRUCTORS: Colin Boyle

E-MAIL ADDRESSES: colin_boyle@haas.berkeley.edu

PREREQUISITE(S): None

COURSE MEETING DATES: Please note that though the course is 2 units, it will meet for 2 hours the entire semester (15 weeks).

CLASS FORMAT: A combination of lecture, case studies, student projects, guest speakers from the field, and discussion

REQUIRED READINGS: Course reader

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: Final grade will be based on a mixture of class attendance and participation, individual and small group assignments, and a project with a cancer nonprofit selected through a nationwide competition.

CAREER FIELD: The vast majority of MBA students will become involved in social sector activities over the course of their careers.  Even if they do not become a manager of a nonprofit or social enterprise, then they will likely become involved as a Board member, volunteer, or donor.  Others will serve as government officials or leader of businesses with corporate social responsibility investments.   The course is relevant to all who are interested in social impact and metrics.

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES:

The social sector of the economy exists primarily to produce positive change in individuals and society.  Yet, measuring what impact social sector organizations and programs (including those supported by nonprofits, government and the private sector) actually have is extremely difficult.  How can leaders and the social sector know “what works” and is worthy of continued investment to sustain and scale-up -- and what doesn’t work and therefore needs to stop?  This course provides an overview of the challenges in measuring impact in social programs, and highlights ways to use metrics to improve organizational performance in real-world settings.  It exposes students interested in social impact to a set of frameworks that can help social sector organizations track and improve their performance.  Through a unique partnership with Amgen/Onyx, several nonprofit organizations working in the cancer field will receive grants of $25,000 to work with student groups to implement improvements in their metrics systems recommended by project teams formed in the class.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:  

Colin Boyle is Deputy Director for the Global Health Sciences program at UCSF, where he is responsible for building the university’s research and educational footprint in global health.  Prior to joining UCSF, he was a Partner and Managing Director with The Boston Consulting Group, based in San Francisco.  He has almost 20 years of strategy and management consulting experience helping corporations and major non-profit organizations improve their performance.  At BCG, he has played a leadership role in the firm's Health Care and Social Impact practices, and has served as Topic Lead for Philanthropy in the Americas region.  In that capacity, he worked with leading foundations, international organizations, and non-profits on issues related to Global Health, Economic Development, and Education.   He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Masters in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, and an A.B. degree from Harvard College.