Позитивные изменения. Том 2, №4 (2022). Positive changes. Volume 2, Issue 4 (2022)

Another trend is the attempt to simplify the SROI method, to separate stakeholder approaches to determining the social impact. “Assessment of the social impact for the purpose of receiving state support and for the purpose of attracting investment may have different criteria. For example, in the first case, the principle of “social impact assessment in exchange for a measure of support” can be used. The topic of social impact assessment approaches is also relevant due to the fact that the quality of people's lives remains the number one priority in any initiative,” the expert explains.

GLOBAL VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT IN THE FIELD OF EVALUATION AND SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY OF PRACTITIONERS

Alexey Kuzmin, CEO of Process Consulting, received an award in the Personal Contribution to the Development of Social Projects and Programs Evaluation category for his development of the project and program evaluation market, active participation in evaluation method development programs, and educational activities on his professional blog.

Alexey Kuzmin has worked as an organizational development and program evaluation consultant since 1987. Member of the American Evaluation Association since 1999, member of the Russian Association of Program and Policy Evaluators. He has supervised the evaluation of more than 100 programs and projects in 20 countries.

What important things happened in the field of evaluation in Russia and the world in 2022? According to award winner Alexey Kuzmin, one of the notable events was the opening of the International Evaluation Academy[28].

“This is a global movement of volunteers seeking to increase the impact of evaluation on meaningful decision-making, the professionalization of evaluation, and its transformative impact. The academy is focused on innovation in the way evaluation is designed and used to solve complex economic, social, and environmental sustainability problems. The academy's board and advisory council includes several dozen specialists from all continents. It is planned to support fellows who will conduct development in priority areas for the academy.

I think that the academy has every chance to play an important role in the development of evaluation in the world,” believes Alexey Kuzmin.

If we talk about significant events in our country, the expert notes the PROOTSENKA club, whose online meetings are held monthly under the motto “Interesting Conversation in Good Company[29].”

“The club's mission is to support a community of practitioners dedicated to integrating evaluation into the work of socially oriented organizations. Nothing is required to participate in the meetings except the desire. Education, level of training in evaluation, and practical experience are not important. The organizers of the club strive to choose topics that are important from a practical point of view, to give participants new information, to use a variety of formats of work, to maintain an informal positive atmosphere,” explains Alexey Kuzmin.

THE “REVOLUTION” IN EMPIRICAL RESEARCH

Elena Avramenko was awarded in the Development of Methodology of Social Projects Evaluation category for the development and elaboration of methods for economic assessment of social impact and a series of publications in the Positive Changes Journal.

Elena Avramenko is one of the authors of the methodological recommendations “Development of a model for assessing the socio-economic Impact of NPO projects[30].” The guide describes possible strategies for conducting socio-economic analysis of the impact of NPO projects at the level of describing the steps for “manual” calculations (on savings of state funds, characteristics of the quality of life of beneficiaries, etc.).

Elena Avramenko has been a regular contributor to the Positive Changes Journal since its first issue in December 2021[31].

What set the vector for the development of the impact assessment methodology for all of 2022? Such an event, according to the winner of the prize, was the presentation of the Nobel Prize to three scientists: Guido Imbens, David Card, and Joshua Angrist, “for their methodological contributions to cause and effect analysis.” The methodology proposed by the scientists makes it possible to find variations in the data of a “natural” experiment, which can give reliable results in assessing the influence of factors on social and economic characteristics.

Also, the Global impact Investing Network (GIIN) has seen great progress throughout 2022 in the development of impact assessment tools and methodology, according to the expert.