Mapping out the impact sector in malta

As part of this year’s For Impact Event and Fair, Melanie Vella and Alex Vella from Tides Rising delivered an interactive workshop to an audience of various backgrounds, namely Voluntary Organisations, activists, companies, and individuals from the public sector.

The focus fell on the impact sector in Malta, mapping it out to seeing who’s who and who’s doing what, and identifying how different players can support each other.  

As a starting point, Alex picked on Miles Webber’s presentation from the Conference held in the morning, highlighting the difficulty in using many different terms and definitions to refer to the Impact Sector. ‍

“The Impact Sector – he then clarified – encapsulates any individual or organisation that as a direct objective or as a collateral make people healthier, make people smarter, make people safer, improve the environment or helps to empower people.”

During the workshop, participants were instructed about the many ways of mapping the Impact Sector. However, the segmentation chosen for this workshop was based on the Systems

Change Approach. Such system encompasses four main sectors:

1. Active Citizens and Philanthropists (grouped together from an individual actions perspective)
2. Not For Profits
3. For Profits/Corporates
4. Public Sector

On these premises, participants were asked to brainstorm their own map of the Impact Sector, according to the different categories. What emerged from this exercise was a shared awareness of the fact that environmental, social and cultural issues seem to be slowly but steadily deteriorating in Malta. Problems of lack of education, unnecessary bureaucracy, a lack of political willingness and short- sighted planning seemed to emerge as main reasons of the current failing condition of the Impact Sector.  

This gave rise to a debate on how to finally improve the Impact Sector in Malta.

Since it was noted how a population that is poorly educated will naturally lack in awareness on matters concerning the environment, social issues and their impact on current and future generations, a more holistic education is required across all demographics and all schools and learning institutions. This would hopefully result in more awareness and sensitivity to social, cultural and environmental topics, leading to an increased engagement.

In addition, a more practical approach is needed. Collaboration between different actors and a mindful and critical attitude were deemed keys to a functioning Impact Sector.  

Nonetheless, credit was given when due: participants acknowledged the incredible work that many Organizations are already carrying on in the Impact Sector, and the Academy of Givers was mentioned as a great way to foster the collaboration between and across sectors, in order to have the impact needed and the scale and speed to make change happen.