We recently welcomed Ken and Eriko Ito of Social Value Japan to our offices, marking a valuable exchange between two social value networks committed to advancing the same outcomes in very different parts of the world.

Ken Ito, Founder and Executive Director of Social Value Japan, leads a consultancy practice built around embedding social value principles into organisational and community practice across Japan. He was joined by Eriko Ito for the visit, which began with a warm welcome from our team before moving into presentations from both organisations.

Social Value Japan shared how their consultancy approach applies social value measurement in the Japanese context while working with large scale corporations. The presentations set the stage for wider discussion. Covering shared challenges, differing practices and the role indigenous frameworks play in shaping how social value is defined and measured in each country.

A highlight of the visit was a reflection offered by Social Value International Independent Chair, John Tamihere, on what true impact looks like within partner networks.

"It's not about the size of your network. It's about the impact of your service. In partner networks, you draw on each other's strength to reach further. If you cherry-pick the projects with far-reaching results, a small organisation can carry the same impact as a large network. For us, it comes back to intergenerational obligations. What we do today is measured by what it achieves for our grandchildren."

The visit left us with a renewed appreciation for something we hold at the core. Social value work, wherever it happens, is ultimately about the reach and depth of impact not the scale of the network delivering it.