Baillie Gifford

Services: Impact Investing Strategy / Impact Measurement, Management & Evaluation
Client Type: Investment Management Firm
Geography: Global

The Objective

In 2017 and 2018, PCV InSight worked with the Positive Change Team at Baillie Gifford, a 100+ year old UK-based investment management firm with approximately £180B under management. They had just launched the Positive Change strategy, a global equity strategy aiming to deliver attractive long-term returns alongside positive social and environmental impact.

The Approach

The portfolio focuses on four key impact themes: Social Inclusion and Education, Environment and Resource Needs, Healthcare and Quality of Life, and Base of the Pyramid.

In Phase One of our work with Baillie Gifford, we provided a comprehensive review of the impact measurement and management of the Positive Change strategy. This evaluation included field research, extensive interviews, and the creation of a formal assessment memo with recommendations on Positive Change’s impact framework, investment process, and reporting of social and financial performance.

In Phase Two, we created logic models for the respective impact themes to help Baillie Gifford effectively communicate their portfolio strategy and unique value proposition to potential investors. We also helped shape the first Positive Change Impact Report, including providing input on the framework used to map investments to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Results

PCV InSight’s work with Baillie Gifford will enable them to:

• Implement best-in-class impact measurement systems to effectively align their investment strategy and management approach to their impact objectives and the SDGs
• Explicitly communicate their unique value proposition and impact to current and potential investors
• More effectively raise capital from investors seeking to address social and environmental issues, who increasingly require that investment managers have robust impact measurement and management systems