Social Impact Measurement: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Directions

Leah Feor (), Amelia Clarke and Ilona Dougherty
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Leah Feor: School of Environment, Enterprise & Development, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Amelia Clarke: School of Environment, Enterprise & Development, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Ilona Dougherty: School of Environment, Enterprise & Development, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada

World, 2023, vol. 4, issue 4, 1-22

Abstract: This paper explores the current state of the social impact measurement (SIM) field to better understand common practices in measuring the post-intervention social impact of a program or project and to identify strategies to improve measurement in practice. This study employed a systematic literature review. Articles were manually coded deductively and inductively in NVivo to complete a descriptive and thematic analysis of the literature. The thematic analysis provided an in-depth understanding of the SIM field. We found that similarities existed across the definitions of social impact (e.g., environmental impact is part of social impact). Additionally, social return on investment (SROI) is the most common measurement model and theory of change was identified as a core concept across SIM literature. Strategies are presented for practitioners to consider when measuring social impact, including: (i) engage stakeholders throughout the process, (ii) mobilize existing operational data, (iii) increase measurement capacity, and (iv) use both qualitative and quantitative data. This study reveals the nuances of SIM based on academic literature published across the globe over the span of a decade. It places emphasis on the post-intervention stage and identifies strategies to improve the application of measurement models in practice. Lastly, it outlines future research directions.

Keywords: assessment; ESG; evaluation; indicators; sustainable development goals; SROI (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G15 G17 G18 L21 L22 L25 L26 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 R51 R52 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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