Each time you use or cause access to the Social Enterprise Impact Lab website, you agree to be bound by the site's Terms of Use. If you use or access a particular service on or through this website, you will also be subject to any rules or guidelines applicable to that service. Please note if the service or website is a third party site, Swinburne has no control over that site.

2.1 Website Contents

The services on the Social Enterprise Impact Lab (SEIL) website include an online evaluation tool, which allows users to enter their own social impact indicators, and track these over time. SEIL is based on a longitudinal meta-evaluative research project conducted by CSI Swinburne over 2018 – 2020 funded by the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation and Family Life. The research investigated the approaches social enterprises take to measuring and reporting their social impacts, as well as the barriers they face, and opportunities to build evaluation capacity for the sector.
The SEIL system is an open-access platform and social enterprise users can register for an account free of charge.

2.2 Limitations of Services

While there are benefits to this service being available online, it is also acknowledged that there are limitations to the services provided on the SEIL website. The services available on the SEIL website are not intended to replace face-to-face or other traditional forms of support or advice you may receive for operating and reporting on your social enterprise as required by the relevant laws and regulatory requirements.

Therefore, if at any time you believe that the SEIL does not fully meet or address your needs, or if other concerns about your social enterprise operations or reporting arise, you should seek the services of an appropriate professional.

The services on the SEIL website will not be appropriate if:

• you do not have permission to enter your social enterprise data into the tool.
• you do not want the data you enter to be stored in the SEIL database.
• you need a professional to review or audit your social enterprise’s information in order to meet your enterprise’s required reporting compliance standards.

In these cases, you should seek the advice of a senior manager of your enterprise, or the services an appropriate professional.

2.3 Services Provided in Australia

The SEIL website is designed and delivered in accordance with Australian guidelines. The service is intended for use by social enterprises based and operating in Australia, and it is not implied or intended that the service complies with the laws or standards of other jurisdictions.

The SEIL website forms the central output of a longitudinal meta-evaluative research project conducted between 2018 and 2020, which explored the current approaches social enterprises take to measuring and report their impacts, as well as the challenges they face.

The main research project has now concluded, however the research team from CSI Swinburne will continue using the SEIL system to draw insights on the social enterprise impact measurement ecosystem. This involves comparing users’ data on their social enterprise demographics and structure, business and financial performance, and outcomes achieved in relation to the social purpose of their enterprise. It also includes exploring how the reported data compares across different social enterprises, as well as examining how reported data for a single social enterprise might change over time (i.e. a year-by-year comparison of business and social performance).

This research will be used to inform the development of publishable research outputs, including but not limited to peer-reviewed journal publications and public presentations of findings and their implications for creating social enterprise tools and developing social enterprise businesses. Publications and reports produced as a result of using SEIL data will either be made available for download through a link on the SEIL website, or further details provided where a publisher requires pay-for-access.

Swinburne exclusively reserves the right to, and may at any time and without notice and any liability, modify or discontinue this website and its services, whether temporarily or permanently.

In order to protect the privacy of consumers, the SEIL website uses and implements professional and industry standards for the security and protection of personal information.

Current strategies that promote the highest standards of data security include:

• The site is hosted in the US in compliance with International Standards ISO27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018 and SOC2 Type I Attestation. Our hosting platform employs strict access controls and best practice network layer security.
• Our application has been designed to validate all access and data inputs to protect both the application and database against malicious attacks.
• When using the SEIL, users connect to our site via HTTPS connections, which are more secure versions of the standard http protocol. Our site and the server it resides on are identified and authenticated by SSL certificates in order to use HTTPS, which means users can be assured they are always communicating with the real SEIL site.
• All personally identifiable data stored in our database is protected by encryption.
• Access to data through our application is governed by tightly defined role based access protocols.

It is noted that the provision of services through this website is subject to security risks inherent in any internet service. While the SEIL study team endeavours to ensure that your personal information is secure, it is not possible to safeguard against all possible breaches of security. You are advised to ensure that the computer terminal from which you send email and messages is secure, and to ensure that you log out of the SEIL website after you have finished a session.
The transmission of all information is at your own risk.

5.1 Privacy and Confidentiality

The SEIL website can be accessed by eligible users via a username and password. When you first register to use the website, you are asked to provide your email address. You will also be asked to provide your first name, so that contact with you can be personalised.

After you log in to the site, you will be asked to complete an online questionnaire about your social enterprise. Responses to the questionnaire will be stored against your username, so that changes over time can be monitored.

The information that we collect from you as part of this research project will be stored securely at Swinburne for a minimum period of seven years. This includes identifying information such as names or email addresses, which you have provided in order to create and access your user account. Users can at any time request to access and securely delete their records, including user names, passwords, org details, data entered and Statements of Social Performance produced in the SEIL, by contacting the SEIL team in writing at seil@swin.edu.au.

By creating an account and using the SEIL website, you are indicating consent to have your questionnaire responses stored in our secure database and used for the following relevant purposes:

• The data you enter will be used to generate a report (dashboard) for you.
• Aggregated information from the SEIL system will be analysed to provide general insights about the social enterprise sector in Australia.
• Insights based on aggregated data may be published or communicated, but no individual organisation or user information will be identified in any public communications without the express permission of the relevant organisation and user.
• With the data collected by SEIL, the Swinburne research team will produce:
• Research reports on the findings from analysed SEIL data.
• A dataset – with identifying information removed – that can be used by others for non-commercial research and social enterprise development purposes.

In accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to access the information collected and stored by the researchers about you. You also have the right to request that any information with which you disagree, be corrected.
Please contact the SEIL research team by emailing seil@swin.edu.au if you would like to access your information.

Further information about the ways in which the privacy of your information is secured can be found on the Privacy Policy Statement for this site.

5.2 Limits to Confidentiality

The SEIL study team confirms that the information you provide in emails to the team, or in response to onlinequestionnaires, will not be revealed, disclosed, sold, distributed, rented, licensed, shared or otherwise passed on to any third party, unless: (1) we have your express permission to do so; (2) where required by law to provide information in response to a subpoena or warrant, or (3) in cases where the potential risk of harm, or threat to the safety of a consumer or another, requires such disclosure for the purpose of minimising or negating that risk.

5.3 Communication of Information to Others

Where information is used for the purposes of research and publication, the ‘Policy on the Conduct of Research’ will be strictly adhered to. If used for research or publication purposes, your information will be analysed in a de-identifiable form and disseminated results will not contain material capable of identifying you.

5.4 Feedback

Technical dificulties should be reported to the SEIL study team, Swinburne, by emailing: seil@swin.edu.au.

6.1 Age

Access and use of the SEIL website is only permitted to persons 18 years or older, who have permission to enter data about their social enterprise into the tool.

6.2 Registration

All users of the SEIL website must create an account via the registration process, and agree to provide truthful information when requested. When creating an account, you are required to acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms of Use.

6.3 Password

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password and shall be held responsible for all site access via your registration and/or login, whether authorised or unauthorised by you. You agree to immediately notify us of any unauthorised use of your registration, user account, or password by emailing seil@swin.edu.au.

6.4 Confidentiality of Your Data

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any data you download from the site onto your computer.

The SEIL study team may take steps, as necessary, to investigate any violation of these Terms of Use, including the recording, distribution, or publication of any site material or communications, and any misuse or unauthorised access to site material that occurs.

Swinburne reserves the right to cancel your registration and prevent your further use of the SEIL website if you are found to have contravened these Terms of Use.

Material contained on the SEIL website is the copyright of Swinburne University of Technology (except where otherwise indicated) or is used with permission or under licence of the copyright owner. You may embed, download, print and reproduce the indicator tracking charts/graphs that you create in the SEIL using your own data.
All other rights are reserved. Requests for further permission to use this material should be directed to: seil@swin.edu.au.

One of the key purposes of the SEIL website is to provide you with an online platform which enables you to enter data on the social impact indicators your social enterprise measures, and to monitor and track these impacts over time. Any benefit derived from your use of the website is entirely dependent on you.

Swinburne makes no representations or warranties in relation to your use of the website, or the potential benefits or outcomes that may result. Swinburne will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered or incurred in connection with your use of the website.

Please read the Terms of Use carefully. If you agree to the Terms of Use you may register and use the SEIL website. If you do not wish to be bound by the Terms of Use, you are not permitted to register for or use the services on this website.