A new OECD and EU guide on Social Impact measurement specifically addressed to Social Economy entities

26 April 2024

On Monday 15 April, the OECD and the European Union presented the new guide titled “Measure, Manage, and Maximise Your Impact: a gude for social economy”.

The OECD and the European Union recently launched a guide titled “Measure, Manage, and Maximise Your Impact“ tailored specifically for Social Economy entities. Developed in collaboration with experts and stakeholders from the social economy sector, this guide offers a user-friendly approach for these entities to assess, control, and optimize their impact, prioritizing strategic organizational learning and enhancement.

Structured around a three-phased cycle of impact measurement—design, data collection/analysis, and learning/sharing—the guide provides a comprehensive toolkit comprising various tools and frameworks suitable for each phase. It delves into techniques for impact valuation and the adaptation of mainstream tools to suit the unique context of social economy entities, advocating for a progressive approach to impact measurement and its seamless integration into organizational decision-making for effective impact management.

Moreover, the guide outlines six essential building blocks for implementing an impact management system, highlighting its pivotal role in strategic planning and organizational learning. It also explores avenues for maximizing impact through organizational growth and internationalization, guided by principles of transparency, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement.

Collaboration and consultation with a diverse range of stakeholders, including members of the CECOP network, contributed to the guide’s development. Drawing, among others, on key findings and good practices from CECOP’s toolkit for members “Measuring the Social Impact of Industrial and Service Cooperatives in Europe” and publication “Lasting Impact”, the guide aims to inspire social economy entities to develop impact measurement tools tailored to their specific needs.

CICOPA has welcomed this initiative, expressing hope that the guide will inspire its members and affiliated cooperatives to embrace impact measurement practices. However, we wish to emphasizes that the burden of implementation should not fall solely on social economy entities, highlighting the need for support from public authorities to ensure democratic access and implementation of these tools through appropriate policy frameworks.