Local First Policies & Procedures
The Sunhaven Research Group (SRG) was founded by a few volunteers searching for ways to build a better future for all of us. We create opportunity for people and communities in need, then share how we achieved this with the world. This works on both personal and global levels. To operate effectively in the developing world the needs of local people and function of local systems must take priority – local first, then corporate and international interests. Our schools change the world from the bottom up, not the top down. This requires a clear system of governance and a commitment to ethics. From that origin our research and design work has produced the following set of Policies & Procedures (P&Ps):
Helping People
Academic Support: Local students pay zero tuition. We provided services, equipment, supplies and school uniforms as necessary. Eligible students must demonstrate economic need, be 18 years or older (the local age of majority), have functional English communication skills and commit themselves to our full time program (40 to 48 hours per week with quarterly academic review). Program participation and support is contingent on not using illegal drugs and maintaining a clean criminal record. Academic support applies to our full 5 year program provided students stay in good academic and legal standing.
Campus Childcare: At-cost childcare will be provided for staff and student families on our basecamp campus given a full Tala Center build out – both the cafe core and residence core must be upgraded for this capacity. Child care is not part of our academic support program. Future campus designs larger than basecamp will also offer at-cost childcare.
Foodplus – Campus Meals: Local staff and students are provided with healthy, delicious meals on campus at no cost. Extra daily portions and supplemental staples are provided for their families. Costs are controlled by limiting distribution – local farm to local table, bulk purchase of commodities, menu planning and using efficient renewable energy. Foodplus is also part of providing local food security, though our campuses and for anyone that emulates our open source systems.
Generational Innovation: The largest impact we can have on the future is helping young people with little opportunity for education to become innovators. With a network of small, efficient schools and online resources we can help the world innovate.
International Student Support: International students legally visiting a host nation will be assessed tuition rates based on their economic status, accomodations selected and the expense of the program elements they intend to complete.
Relief Center Campuses: Through offering emergency supplies, hosting nonprofit medical clinics, at-cost water refills, free wifi “LAN Library” wikipedia / resource servers and many other services each campus can serve as a community center. Campuses are not primary community centers due to their small size, but could operate at a neighbourhood scale. Each service must not interfere with operations except in case of disaster. Regular services must operate at a maximum of total cost and all services must not hazard legal liability. Access control to such services may or may not be warranted depending on specific site plans. A wide range of at-cost services will be tested at basecamp, our prototype campus.
Services & Systems
Appropriate Technology: In the developing world access to sophisticated tools, high tech equipment, quality repair parts, industrial supplies, etc. is often limited. Independence from international supply chains is vital to sustained operations. Using reliable, easily repaired equipment – technology appropriate to the local context – is a key to success.
Closed Loop Systems: Our program is geared towards the development of closed loop systems. Click here to learn more about this research.
Continuous Improvement: Our systems, including this set of P&P, are subject to a process of continuous improvement. The list presented here is not inclusive of all policy and procedures, they are statements of intent. During the course of operations we expect to expand and refine this list.
Local Source Consumables: Where feasible we will use found art supplies, local produce, construction materials and other consumable supplies sourced from the same region as a campus. Cost, supply and quality will be mitigating factors in this.
Media & Services: As a part of the SRG network, campuses are media content, publication and data vendors to SRG. Every project in the program generates content to self-document or as a product of that project as per SRG specifications. SRG and the Champions’ Club then compensates campuses for this content. SRG may purchase additional services from any given campus as required. This is key to the function of SRG as a social business, as our Champions’ Club members, supporters and partners will see the impact we are making together.
Renewable Resources: Every campus will make use of solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, biomass, rainwater harvesting and possibly other renewable resource technologies subject to local conditions and regulations.
Vertical Integration: One of our design goals is to incorporate as many on site value chains into a given campus as possible. This will always include a system for providing campus meals, with parallel restaurant fare and limited retail if the site allows. Media value chains are also integrated on every campus, as noted in Media & Services.
Strategy & Economics
Campus Self-Sufficiency: As a social business, SRG is dedicated to helping people rather than maximizing profit. Campuses, individually and as a network, are operated to be non-loss and non-dividend enterprises. Profits earned by the organization are reinvested for growth or to start other social businesses with the aim of increasing social impact. There are no owners or investors taking a share of the profit through drawings or dividends. All founders, executives, employees and contractors are limited to the local or international compensation caps and grades. The overall effect of this is a level of self-sufficiency and stability that many non-profits, charities, foundations, etc. cannot achieve. The specific effect is our ability to charge local SMART students zero tuition for long term (up to 5 year) programs. We invest in our students, staff and communities.
Directional Network Effects: Our aim is to distribute value to each campus in our network, rather than aggregate value in a central business entity. The developing world is often subjected to predatory investments, debt traps and business cycles that extract local wealth from regions and people that need it the most. Abusive credit schemes, excessive investment dividends and other detrimental financial practices are not permitted. Purchase agreements, group insurance coverage and more are optimized at the scale and / or scope of the network we envision.
As a program based on small experimental farms we are sensitive to the plight of farmers. Much of the wealth from a farmer’s harvest comes higher up the vertical when the crops are processed, then sold wholesale or retail. Chocolate, tea and coffee are expensive commodities, but farmers see little profit from them. Vertical integration in particular is where SMART schools can benefit, employing more local staff and helping more local students than otherwise possible by capturing value from wholesale and retail markets. We share our training materials, designs and related content so that small farmers around the world can avoid our errors and emulate our success.
Graded Salary (Philippines): In each host country SRG must find a local standard for fair compensation. In the Philippines, our first host nation, we use the government graded salary system. Local employees and contractors will be assessed based on the same standards approved for all government agencies in the nation. We will tend to favour performance and role responsibilities over other factors as program is results driven for staff and students.
International Compensation Limits: Employees of SRG living outside the jurisdiction of a given host country will be limited to a salary or total annual wage equal to the median household income for their area / nation, adjusted for inflation from the most recent available data. Contractors are also limited to individual compensation of these amounts. This policy also applies to non-citizen expats living within a host country. We recognize the need to hire talented individuals worldwide and feel that this salary plus negotiated options such as educational allowances and health insurance provides an ethical and attractive compensation package. As a social business SRG implements this policy for the benefit of local staff, students and communities served by our SMART schools.
We need Champions. We provide innovation education for students in need. We create opportunity for staff, students and communities in developing regions. Please join the Champions’ Club.