title: Social Return On Investment (SROI): Problems, solutions … and is SROI a good investment?
abstract: The conclusion of this special issue on Social Return On Investment (SROI) begins with a summary of both advantages and problems of SROI, many of which were identified in preceding articles. We also offer potential solutions for some of these problems that can be derived from standard evaluation practices and that are becoming expected in SROIs that follow guidances from international SROI networks. A remaining concern about SROI is that we do not yet know if SROI itself adds sufficient benefit to programs to justify its cost. Two frameworks for this proposed metaevaluation of SROI are suggested, the first comparing benefits to costs summatively (the resource→outcome model). The second framework evaluates costs and benefits according to how much they contribute to or are caused by the different activities of SROI. This resource→activity→outcome model could enable outcomes of SROI to be maximized within resource constraints (such as budget and time limits) on SROI. Alternatively, information from this model could help minimize the costs of achieving a specific level of return on investment from conducting SROI. Possible problems with this metaevaluation of SROI are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, American University, 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20016-8062, United States. Electronic address: brian.yates@mac.com.
authors.forename: Brian T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Yates
authors.affiliation: Department of Political, Social, and Media Sciences, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Mita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marra
mesh_terms: D015982:Bias; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D000068598:Data Accuracy; D006801:Humans; D018803:Models, Economic; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012947:Social Work / Q000191:economics*
keywords: Cost-inclusive evaluation; Metaevaluation; Resource-activity-process-outcome analysis model; SROI; Social Return On Investment