Message from the Board
It is our pleasure to present the Amano Group 2018-2020 Strategic Plan.
Amano Group is a Canadian, not-for-profit organization committed to advancing social and economic integration. Our goal is to provide training and employment opportunities for people in our community, while promoting environmentally sustainable practices.
Established in 2016, Amano’s multi-faceted approach - offering direct employment and skills training, in addition to social and professional support - is showing results. We have grown considerably since our inception and our Gardens and Works social enterprises continue to grow every year.
This plan builds on past experiences and helps demonstrate how we integrate a results’ lens to our work, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Achieving our goals will require continued collaboration with our partners, including other social enterprises, community and sustainability groups, industry, consumers and workers.
Alisha Lagasi
Board President
Amano Group is a Canadian, not-for-profit organization committed to advancing social and economic integration. Our goal is to provide training and employment opportunities for people in our community, while promoting environmentally sustainable practices.
Established in 2016, Amano’s multi-faceted approach - offering direct employment and skills training, in addition to social and professional support - is showing results. We have grown considerably since our inception and our Gardens and Works social enterprises continue to grow every year.
This plan builds on past experiences and helps demonstrate how we integrate a results’ lens to our work, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Achieving our goals will require continued collaboration with our partners, including other social enterprises, community and sustainability groups, industry, consumers and workers.
Alisha Lagasi
Board President
Mission
Advance social and economic integration through enterprises committed to human, economic, social and environmental sustainability.
Vision
An equitable society that integrates sustainable practices while valuing and rewarding those who work toward this vision.
Goal 1 - Opportunity
Create opportunity for Amano Social Enterprises teams to advance the social objectives.
Objective 1.1: Sustainable Amano Social Enterprises (S.E.) work in spaces where businesses can have a direct social impact.
Strategies
1.1.1 Actively develop and maintain relationships with other social enterprises and community groups with a view to partnerships where objectives overlap.
1.1.2 Adapt business model to ensure the output is direct to consumers.
1.1.3 Ensure S.E. outputs serve either target populations or the general population with an explicit social outcome.
Objective 1.2: Amano S.E. lowers barriers to economic and social participation.
Strategies
1.2.1 Preferentially recruit project participants from target populations where barriers exist.
1.2.2 Structure participation to explicitly address the identified barrier(s).
1.2.3 Structure participation with appropriate flexibility empathetic to identified barriers.
Objective 1.3: Amano S.E. employees become more active participants in the economy and society.
Strategies
1.3.1 Include the Amano Group social enterprise message in participant orientation.
1.3.2 Create tiered participation to provide a development path, where sustainability of the S.E. allows.
1.3.3 Invite past participants to return to speak to current participants, share progress, and discuss how they graduated. For example, the annual general meeting may be a tactical opportunity for this.
Objective 1.1: Sustainable Amano Social Enterprises (S.E.) work in spaces where businesses can have a direct social impact.
Strategies
1.1.1 Actively develop and maintain relationships with other social enterprises and community groups with a view to partnerships where objectives overlap.
1.1.2 Adapt business model to ensure the output is direct to consumers.
1.1.3 Ensure S.E. outputs serve either target populations or the general population with an explicit social outcome.
Objective 1.2: Amano S.E. lowers barriers to economic and social participation.
Strategies
1.2.1 Preferentially recruit project participants from target populations where barriers exist.
1.2.2 Structure participation to explicitly address the identified barrier(s).
1.2.3 Structure participation with appropriate flexibility empathetic to identified barriers.
Objective 1.3: Amano S.E. employees become more active participants in the economy and society.
Strategies
1.3.1 Include the Amano Group social enterprise message in participant orientation.
1.3.2 Create tiered participation to provide a development path, where sustainability of the S.E. allows.
1.3.3 Invite past participants to return to speak to current participants, share progress, and discuss how they graduated. For example, the annual general meeting may be a tactical opportunity for this.
Goal 2 - Income:
Objective 2.1: Amano S.E. is structured for long term viability and an increasingly sustainable ability to employ participants.
Strategies
2.1.1 Seek periodic/seasonal projects which are complimentary, increasing the likelihood of cross-S.E. participation.
2.1.2 Seek projects with overlapping areas of expertise or training to optimise input and investment.
2.1.3 Seek mid- and long-term sources of revenues to allow for mid-long term financial planning.
Objective 2.2: Amano S.E. bases decisions on income generation for Amano Group (sustainability) and participants (social objective) rather than profit.
Strategies
2.2.1 Consider financial flexibility above approved sustain/grow operations projections for a 50/50 split between sustain/growth and social impact.
2.2.2 Allow pricing schedules which acknowledge (1) consumers over industry, (2) active social enterprise supporters who “spread the word”, (3) need and ability, and (4) loyalty.
Strategies
2.1.1 Seek periodic/seasonal projects which are complimentary, increasing the likelihood of cross-S.E. participation.
2.1.2 Seek projects with overlapping areas of expertise or training to optimise input and investment.
2.1.3 Seek mid- and long-term sources of revenues to allow for mid-long term financial planning.
Objective 2.2: Amano S.E. bases decisions on income generation for Amano Group (sustainability) and participants (social objective) rather than profit.
Strategies
2.2.1 Consider financial flexibility above approved sustain/grow operations projections for a 50/50 split between sustain/growth and social impact.
2.2.2 Allow pricing schedules which acknowledge (1) consumers over industry, (2) active social enterprise supporters who “spread the word”, (3) need and ability, and (4) loyalty.
Goal 3 - Education:
Objective 3.1: Participants of Amano Projects graduate with a strengthened education, training and marketable skills component.
Strategies
3.1.1 Assess participants’ experience, knowledge, and marketable skills at intake to determine priority training.
3.1.2 Provide on-the-job training and additional skill development training as necessary and within budget to enhance participants’ employment prospects.
3.1.3 Assess participants’ experience, knowledge, and marketable skills at exit to determine outcomes.
Objective 3.2: Amano S.E. raises awareness of the social enterprise with the project participants and explicitly integrates Amano Group objectives.
Strategies
3.2.1 Communicate Amano’s objectives clearly to participants and to project stakeholders.
Objective 3.3: Amano engages with the community and other key institutions/organizations/businesses to increase awareness of alternative employment models and to build bridges.
Strategies
3.3.1 Advocate for inclusive and barrier-free hiring practices in the community, both with profit and not-for-profit corporations.
3.3.2 Offer public presentations and speaking engagements in the community to promote the organization’s values and S.E. models.
Strategies
3.1.1 Assess participants’ experience, knowledge, and marketable skills at intake to determine priority training.
3.1.2 Provide on-the-job training and additional skill development training as necessary and within budget to enhance participants’ employment prospects.
3.1.3 Assess participants’ experience, knowledge, and marketable skills at exit to determine outcomes.
Objective 3.2: Amano S.E. raises awareness of the social enterprise with the project participants and explicitly integrates Amano Group objectives.
Strategies
3.2.1 Communicate Amano’s objectives clearly to participants and to project stakeholders.
Objective 3.3: Amano engages with the community and other key institutions/organizations/businesses to increase awareness of alternative employment models and to build bridges.
Strategies
3.3.1 Advocate for inclusive and barrier-free hiring practices in the community, both with profit and not-for-profit corporations.
3.3.2 Offer public presentations and speaking engagements in the community to promote the organization’s values and S.E. models.