Rural Development Focused Social and Solidarity Economy Organisations’ Social Impact Measurement: A Systematic Review and Ways Forward

Title
Rural Development Focused Social and Solidarity Economy Organisations’ Social Impact Measurement: A Systematic Review and Ways Forward
Publication Date
2021-09
Author(s)
Musinguzi, Peter
Baker, Derek
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8083-5291
Email: abaker33@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:abaker33
Larder, Nicolette
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8119-4879
Email: nlarder@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:nlarder
Villano, Renato A
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2581-6623
Email: rvillan2@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:rvillan2
Abstract
The case studies presented here were gathered in the context of a call for papers and are meant to complement The Social and Solidarity Economy: From the Margins to the Mainstream programme. They are a source of knowledge and lessons providing new perspectives on the issues of legal frameworks, social impact measurement, internationalisation and gender. Several case studies also provide concrete examples of the social and solidarity economy’s contributions and resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic. The case studies, which were contributed by social economy experts, researchers, policy makers and practitioners, reflect diverse actions and approaches that can help shape the international policy debate on social and solidarity economy development and visibility.
Type of document
Report
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Place of publication
Online
UNE publication id
une:1959.11/55380
Abstract

Social enterprises (SEs), which have emerged more recently among social and solidarity economy organisations are touted for steering rural development through their social impacts. However, SEs’ social impact measurement is underdeveloped theoretically and empirically despite its importance in the social and solidarity economy, specifically within social entrepreneurship field. This systematic literature review documents empirical studies of SEs’ social impacts in rural communities and reveals that the literature on social impact measurement is sparse, recent, and dominated by case studies and qualitative analysis. It lacks consistency in defining social impact and the social impacts are overwhelmingly reported as positive despite a lack of attribution of such impacts to SEs. We advocate methodological improvements such as: using a rural livelihoods framework, project/program level impact measurement, application of appropriate social impact analysis methods e.g., mixed method and theory-based evaluation approaches. These could strengthen design and management of SEs’ programs/projects besides advancing scholarship of SEs’ social impacts.

Link
Citation
p. 1-16
Start page
1
End page
16

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