A Conversation with the Dubai Association Centre Founders

In this lively discussion, we will hear directly from the two DAC founders on their perception of the bigger role that associations play in global society and how to position the association sector as a key driver of positive change. They will set the scene for a day and a half of intense exploration of core association strategies around societal impact, as well as how to position the association sector as a key driver of positive change. Key areas to be addressed also cover the following:

• Where is Dubai Association Centre today?
• What are the legacies of the Dubai Association Conference 2017?
• How the association scene in Dubai has evolved since then?

Pillar 1: Impact and Legacy – Key Concepts

Associations are facing growing pressure to attract and retain members and attendees, which has prompted them to question themselves on how they can improve their value proposition to fulfill evolving stakeholder expectations, how they can set themselves apart from competitive offers, and how they can better understand and measure the positive impact that their activities are generating. This session will explore the following questions:

• What is the case for understanding and evaluating the social impact of associations and their activities?
• What are the driving factors?
• Definition of key concepts around impact: mission-driven, purpose, social impacts, legacy, broader impacts – which is which and what do these concepts mean for associations?
• Introduction of the 4 Areas of impact: Community Well-Being / Knowledge and Research / Business and Opportunities / Creativity and Innovation.
• What is the link with sustainability?

Areas of impact:

Pillar 2: Designing an impact management and measurement program
(Plenary/Expert-briefing)

While impact measurement is necessary to communicate the value generated by one’s actions and justify ROI from partners (or members) investing time and money, it is mostly possible as a result of a well-planned and executed impact management strategy. But the sector of association meetings has struggled with coming up with a concerted and impactful methodology for impact assessment for several reasons:

• It lacks knowledge in the science of impact investment
• There are no clear indicators for the sector and virtually no benchmarks serving as reference points
• There are no frameworks and predictive models for use by the sector to help demonstrate the cause-to-effect relationships generating change
• There’s a lack of consensus on the merit of even tracking social impact for associations and their meetings

This session will explore what an impact management program is, what it looks like and how it can be supported through tools and techniques.

Areas of impact:

Pillar 1:

Session 1: The Theory of Change for Social Impact
(Interactive Session)

This session will explore how associations can initially formulate an intention of creating a positive impact, and how to go from intention to action in order to generate outcomes through the Theory of change. The main theme is further explored in four Areas of impact (based on their association subject matter) in interactive discussions (4 or 5 “discussion pods” in room) where they are asked to develop a broad theory of change per group:

• Community Well-Being
• Knowledge and Research
• Business and Opportunities
• Creativity and Innovation

Areas of impact:

Session 2:  What’s Your 2030 Strategy?
(Expert Briefing – 2 x 15-min TED-style presentations followed by Q&A)

In 2015 the UN launched one of its most ambitious goals: a 2030 blueprint for a better world. Created with massive input from business, not for profits, governments and civil society, the 2030 Agenda identifies 17 Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). But what does this mean for associations ? In this session, speakers will explain the philosophy behind the SDGs, how the goals can be integrated into an association strategy, and the benefits that they can bring to associations and their members.

Learning Outcomes:

• What are the SDGs and what do they mean for the association sector?
• Learn how the Sustainable Development Goals provide a path for greater impact, imagination & collaboration
• Understand how stakeholders in Dubai and other associations are integrating them into their strategy

Areas of impact:

Session 3: Impact as a Business Model
(Panel Discussion x 3 Panellists)

This session will be a discussion on the concept of “impact as a business model” for associations to unlock new opportunities of growth and value sharing. We will explore how associations can develop business models that are designed specifically to create positive societal impact beyond the basic operational delivery of services and products. When an organisation intentionally puts impact at the core of its business model, the focus is shifted from being activity-driven to being driven by the specific positive outcomes that are created for all their stakeholders. This elevates the organisation in the value chain and can unlock a plethora of new opportunities.

We will discuss this with panelists coming from the social enterprise world and associations who have successfully made this transition.

Areas of impact:

Pillar 2:

Session 1: The Metrics Conversation
(Interactive Session)

This session will focus on impact evaluation and indicators. We will explore how impact can be created by associations through their programs and activities for individuals; for the organisation; and for the broader community. We will work in small groups on identifying what we mean by “indicators of impact” (at various levels), discuss data collection that enables this impact to be evaluated, and brainstorm on possible metrics in a number of fields (grouped under the 4 Areas of impact). We will provide examples of how impact reports can be used to communicate positive outcomes.

Areas of impact:

Session 2: Applying Design for Greater Impact
(Interactive Session)

To design a program for impact that aligns with your association’s purpose and the changing needs of the members makes it a more complex process and almost impossible to predict the outcome from the beginning. Our roles are changing, we need to update our competencies with strategic thinking, and facilitative skills. In this session we will explore the fundamentals of Design Thinking techniques and take a hands-on dive into Storyboarding, one of the most powerful ways to co-create and prototype ideas. We will learn how to leverage design methods in order to maximize the impact of our programs and activities.

Areas of impact:

Session 3: Cases from the Field
(Case Studies – Panel Discussion x 3 Speakers)

In this session, we will showcase the experiences of associations currently developing impact projects. Our moderator will lead a conversation with 3 representatives of associations actively engaged in strategies aiming to create more social value for their members and the community they serve.

Areas of impact:

Pillar 3: Organizational resilience and foresighting

This session will discuss the context whereby associations face stronger than ever disruptions from all sides and make the case that there is an urgent need for these organizations to learn to navigate and embrace change as a core strategy for long-term strength and agility.  The concept of “Foresighting” will also be explained, illustrating how resilience can be achieved by developing a culture of foresight and related practices. This will imply that associations will learn to recognize the signals of change, look for threats and opportunities and understand where they lie, and plan for the expected but foresee the unexpected.

The panel will showcase how resilient organizations:

• Have a compelling vision of what they are and a clarity on their purpose and how this purpose connects to the rest of the world;
• Develop strong governance to drive impact on their mission (and embrace new governance types); and
• Build cross-functional teams who will be empowered to solve real problems through collaboration and innovation.

Areas of impact:

Pillar 3:

Session 1: Developing Agility
(Expert Briefing – 2 x 15-min TED-style presentations followed by Q&A)

Our speakers will provide a deeper dive into foresighting and agility. They will carry on a dynamic conversation focusing on how associations and their communities are adapting to new economies as part of their resilience strategy, such as the Sharing / Circular / Experience / Innovation / Platform / Knowledge economies. They will also demonstrate that “Learning organisations” are organisations who:

• Develop adaptability
• Implement local strategies that are scalable globally,
• Initiate sector-wide responses to external disruptions, and
• Implement swiftly and precisely while regularly gather and incorporate feedback from inside and outside.

Areas of impact:

Session 2: Hijacking Tech for Impact
(Case Studies – Panel Discussion x 3 Speakers)

In this session, Associations will present case studies which address the following questions:

• How various disruptive technologies can be used to increase the resilience of organizations and communities.
• How blockchain can help problem-solving (case-studies of business model projects driven by blockchain).
• How associations can and should be using data (big data, open data) to inform the process of resilience building, to learn to model the future and make the appropriate decisions.

Areas of impact:

Session 3: Leadership and Governance
(Panel Discussion x 3 Panellists)

Panelists will be discussing topics pertaining to the capacity of organisations to develop human resources policies enabling them to support innovation and transformation:

• How can we build capacity within the association structure to become more agile?
• How can emotional intelligence in leadership support employee health and happiness to create a thriving work environment?
• How can building a stronger organisational culture help associations increase their mission delivery and drive impact?

Areas of impact:

Pillar 4: The Art of Collaboration

To tackle global issues, associations must put partnership at the core of their strategy for resilience and growth – it should not be viewed as a means to an end, but as an end itself. This session featuring high-level experts on partnership building will focus on a) how the full potential of shared value in helping solve global issues can truly be unlocked through collaborating across sectors and crossing unconventional boundaries; and b) how, through a culture of distributed leadership and multi-disciplinary approaches, internal collaboration can challenge teams to move mountains.

Areas of impact:

Breakthrough business models are rippling through society in both the profit and not for profit worlds, allowing new avenues for innovation, research and intervention. In the spring of 2019, the Dubai Association Centre convened over 40 associations in 3 cities (London, Washington and Montreal) to participate in an interactive learning workshop to discuss how new collaborations across sectors are generating new opportunities for shared value. Participants in the workshop series will report back on their learnings and will discuss how their unique positioning allows associations to play a catalyst role in creating strategic partnerships with other sectors, namely: the business sector; governments; and the innovation ecosystem.

Areas of impact:

Pillar 4:

Session 1: Designing the Perfect Partnership Model
(Interactive Session)

In this session, participants will be encouraged to explore the essential ingredients that are needed to build successful, innovative, long-term partnerships: cross-sectoral with other associations; global-local engagement; with destinations; with third party businesses; and harnessing the communities of interest within your own association eco-systems.  The session will be designed to extract all the relevant experience and expertise in the room, and promises to give every participant new perspectives, insights and practical ideas that they can introduce into their association’s partnership plans.

Areas of impact:

Session 2: Case Studies of “Partnership for Purpose”
(Panel Discussion x 3 Panelists)

The United Nations have dedicated one of their sustainable development goals to partnership building (Goal 17: Partnership for the Goals), aiming to “Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development”.  In this session we will hear case-studies from different associations and foundations who, through global multi-stakeholder collaboration projects, have leveraged partnership-building as an overarching framework to shape, steer and implement their strategies, allowing them to maximize their impact and capitalize on a range of benefits.

Areas of impact:

Session 3: Roadmap to Agenda 2030
(Panel & Interactive Session)

This conversation is meant to bring together speakers from throughout the conference by involving them in a conversation on the following topics:

• What would be required for associations to come together to build a common roadmap to an association-sector approach to pursuing the SDGs?
• How can this sector maximise the value generated by collaboration towards the Sustainable Development Goals and position itself as a true driver for positive change?

Areas of impact: