Challenge
Before adopting the Social Value Engine, Stephen and his team relied primarily on spreadsheets and traditional tools from government sources and Social Value UK. As Stephen stated, “there’s so many ways you can go wrong with that and so many ways where biases can be confirmed and values can be extrapolated incorrectly.”
Social enterprises frequently struggled to succinctly communicate their impact. Stephen noted, “We often struggle to succinctly and clearly communicate the impact of what we do.”
Solution
Work West integrated the Social Value Engine to streamline their support for social enterprises in their social impact measurement processes. According to Stephen, the engine provided “a simplistic and accessible tool,” adding that its accreditation by Social Value International and Social Value UK offered significant credibility.
Stephen highlighted key advantages of using the Social Value Engine:
- Simplified, consistent methodology
- Accreditation boosting credibility
- Reduced complexity compared to previous manual methods
Impact
Using the Social Value Engine significantly improved Work West’s ability to help social enterprises clearly define, measure, and communicate their impact. Stephen stated, “The engine offers a really good set of tools,” noting its particular strength in providing clarity around choosing appropriate proxies and measuring methodologies.
Whether supporting small start-ups or larger charities, the engine empowered these organisations to effectively showcase their contributions in clear economic terms.
Conclusion
Work West highly recommends the Social Value Engine, particularly for social enterprises and charities looking to enhance their impact measurement and reporting. Stephen summarised, “For any organisation familiar with their own impact, the Social Value Engine is a great tool to effectively measure their social return on investment.”
