社會影響評估在本港越來越受到重視，去年十二月，一些關心社企及公益事業發展的朋友們走在一起，成立了香港社會效益分析師學會，共同推動社會影響評估在本港的實踐。

在這段時間，每每遇到很多社企及公益業界的朋友，詢問有關如何量度社會效益的問題。從這些討論中，我發現目前業界對社會影響評估有著各式各樣的想法。

有相當多朋友會將社會影響評估想得過於複雜，認為社會效益並不可能有客觀及富認受性的方法去量度，他們對社會影響評估抱持著極度懷疑的態度，認為一切對服務成果的評估都只是玩數字遊戲，為的只是要滿足資助方的要求，對接受服務的群眾而言毫無益處。

而在另一個極端，也有相當多業界的朋友把社會影響評估想像得過於簡單，他們將社會效益分析的實踐，理解成安裝電腦軟件一樣，只要找到合適的評估工具，運作程式就能自動為社企或公益機構計算好項目的社會回報。他們最喜歡問的問題是：「那一套評估工具是最好的工具？」

其實不同的評估工具，是要用來處理不同的問題，所以並沒有所謂單一最好的工具；而社會影響評估應如何做、要做到有多嚴謹，完全是取決於做評估的目的，以及最終的使用者是誰。評估工具固然有幫助，但最重要是管理者對效益評估的工作有深切的理解和反省。

總的來說，不管管理者要使用什麼方法或評估工具，其實他們均要回答以下九個問題（註二）：

1. What are the outcomes?

    項目的成果是什麼？

2. How can we measure the outcome?

    我們可如何量度成果？

3. How much of the outcome happened?

    這些成果發生的程度有多大？

4. Which outcomes are important enough for us to manage (be accountable for)?

    在眾多成果中，有哪些是有足夠的重要性，須要我們落力去管理（並且須要問責）？

5. To what extent were the outcomes caused by our activities?

    該些項目成果有多大程度上是由我們的活動所引致？

6. Do we need to choose between different activities creating different outcomes?

    我們是否需要在產生不同成果的不同行動中作出選擇？

7. Who answered these questions?

    應由誰來回答以上這些問題？

8. How accurate do we need to be?

    我們要做到有多準確？

9. Are the results credible so that we can use them?

    評估的結果是否可靠，以使決策者可以安心使用？

實際上，效益評估不一定要做到非常嚴謹，例如，在作為機構內部使用的管理輔助工具時，評估的工作可以不用斟酌太多細節或追求太高的準確度，而在給公眾使用或用於政府的決策報告時，項目評估則需要做到非常嚴謹，比如可能需要用到隨機控制試驗（Randomized Control Trial）等方法來證明成果的發生。在大部分情況下，最後計算得來有關於社會效益的數據，其實並不是最重要的結果，更重要的是在分析的過程中，機構能夠發現問題，改善服務設計，繼而持續不斷提升服務的社會效益。

目前坊間談論的很多評估工具，其實只能用來回答上列一個至數個問題，而並不能幫助使用者去全面考量所有九個問題；對社企及公益機構的管理者而言，更重要的是要全面去理解及以策略思維去考慮為什麼要做及如何去做社會影響評估，而不是盲目地去追求數據化和準確度。

註一：香港社會效益分析師學會的創辦人及行政總裁，學會是The SROI Network International的附屬成員，目前在本港及國內推動社會效益分析及SROI的發展

註二：這九個問題是由The SROI Network International的行政總裁Jeremy Nicholls跟據SROI的理論框架所提出

(11 September 2014) Two of the most established and respected social impact organisations are joining forces to create the largest international social value network in the world.

Social Value International is the result of a merger between the international activities of The SROI Network and the Social Impact Analysts Association (SIAA).

The SROI Network in the UK will become Social Value UK and the SIAA will become Social Value International. Both the international and UK organisations will continue to be member-led and to offer training, accreditation and assurance on SROI and impact measurement.

Social Value International will provide a clear and unified message about the importance of accounting for value, within and beyond its membership. It will have more than 900 individual and organisational members, across 49 countries.

The restructuring makes Social Value International the largest international network representing those working to better understand, account for, measure, analyse, and manage the wider value created and destroyed by organisational activity.

Jeremy Nicholls, CEO of The SROI Network and Chair of the SIAA, will remain as CEO of Social Value UK and also take on the role of CEO of Social Value International.

Nicholls said: “Bringing our two networks together is a natural step that puts us in a far stronger position to achieve our shared mission – to change the way society accounts for value.

“We have created a clear set of principles which will lead to the inclusion of social, environmental and economic value in decision making across different organisations and sectors, and we will develop guidance and tools to put these into practice.

“We will develop our already strong network of like-minded people across government, civil society, business and education, and build a movement to change the way society accounts for value.”

Richard Kennedy, Chair of The SROI Network, said: “I look forward to the day when the future of impact reporting is as well accepted as the way we account for financial value. The creation of Social Value International and Social Value UK is a significant step forward in our efforts to achieve this aim.

“It’s important to add that both organisations will continue to be led by their members, whilst also offering a key set of services including assurance, SROI practitioner training and accreditation, alongside impact measurement training, and our ongoing delivery of webinars, events and conferences.”

Ruth Whateley, Manager of the SIAA, said: “The opportunity for our two networks to combine international activities is invaluable. I am excited to be working with such a talented and committed group of members to build strong and influential national networks worldwide.”

Social Value International will have constituted national network members and The SROI Network in the UK, as Social Value UK, will become one of those members.

Terence Yuen, from The Hong Kong Institute of Social Impact Analysts, said: “The Hong Kong Institute of Social Impact Analysts is thrilled to become a member of the extended network through Social Value International. We hope to collectively promote impact evaluation and social accounting that are based on a clear set of principles and will lead to the inclusion of social, environmental and economic value in decision making across different organisations and sectors. The Institute will continue to serve as a knowledge hub to develop guidance and tools to put these accepted principles into practice.”

The SIAA’s existing Country Impact Groups will have the opportunity to become constituted national network members of Social Value International and have a role in the governance of the international network.

Tris Lumley, Trustee of the SIAA, said: “At this crucial stage in the development of the social impact field, I'm delighted that two such important networks are coming together to speak with one voice. As a field we need common principles, clarity on approaches, and shared learning. This development will help us get there much faster.”

- ENDS -

Further information please contact sarah.bailey@siaassociation.org, +44 (0) 20 3111 0735 or helen.campbell@thesroinetwork.org, +44 (0)151 703 9229.

Notes: 

1. The Social Impact Analysts Association or SIAA is an international professional body for social impact analysts. SIAA supports and represents its members and the wider social impact analysis field on a global scale. SIAA believes that by building an active international community of social impact analysts social purpose organisations will have access to the support they need to create positive social impact.

SIAA has six Country Impact Groups in Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Hungary and Portugal at various stages of development. For further information, see www.siaassociation.org/our-work/country-impact-groups/

2. Social Return on Investment (SROI) is a framework for measuring and accounting for the value created or destroyed by our activities – where the concept of value is much broader than that which can be captured by market prices. SROI seeks to reduce inequality and environmental degradation and improve wellbeing by taking account of this broader value.

The SROI Network is an international membership organisation with members in over 40 countries. It exists to support the vision of SROI through the formation of a collaborative network of individuals and organisations dedicated to the practice and support of SROI.

The membership comprises business advisors, academics, funders and individuals representing organisations across all sectors. All members want to influence change through their work; practicing SROI, creating national networks, developing the methodology and gathering examples of SROI and how it is being used. See www.thesroinetwork.org for more information.

3. The SROI Network currently has six constituted national networks and numerous other networks under development across the world.

For further information see:

·         The Social Impact Measurement Network of Australia (SIMNA) - www.simna.com.au
·         SROI Canada - http://www.sroi-canada.ca/
·         The Hong Kong Institute of Social Impact Analysts - http://www.hkisia.org/
·         SROI Japan - www.sroi-japan.org
·         SROI Netwerk Nederland en Vlaanderen - www.sroinetwerk.nl
·         Svenska SROI-nätverket - http://www.sroi-natverket.se/

4. Principles

Our principles are critical to achieving our vision. They are the principles developed by The SROI Network to guide the development of the SROI methodology, but they have broader acceptance and applicability, including their application in methodologies not attaching financial value to outcomes.

1.    Involve stakeholders
2.    Understand change
3.    Only include what is material
4.    Value what matters
5.    Do not over claim
6.    Be transparent
7.    Verify the result

These principles are the building blocks for the understanding and management of the value, impact or benefit of an organisation’s work. In applying the principles a broad range of different techniques, tools and methods may be relevant.

5. Board members of Social Value International, during the transition period until July 2015:

Co-Chairs

·         Tris Lumley, UK (previously SIAA board member)
·         Richard Kennedy, UK (previously Chair of The SROI Network)

Board members

·         Andreas Rickert, Germany
·         Bettina Windau, Germany
·         Erik Jannesson, Sweden (representing Svenska SROI-nätverket)
·         Jillis Kors, Netherlands (representing SROI Netwerk Nederland en Vlaanderen)
·         Ken Ito, Japan (representing SROI Japan)
·         Pieter Oostlander, Netherlands
·         Simon Faivel, Australia (representing The Social Impact Measurement Network of Australia)
·         Stephanie Robertson, Canada (representing SROI Canada)
·         Terence Yuen, Hong Kong (representing The Hong Kong Institute of Social Impact Analysts
·         Will Goodhart, UK

6. Board members of Social Value UK, during the transition period until July 2015:

Chair

·         Richard Kennedy, FINCA

Board members

·         Nick Temple, Social Enterprise UK
·         Jenni Inglis, VIE
·         Shelia Durie, Haldane Associates
·         Richard Spencer, ICAEW