Measuring the social value of adult learning Friday, May 3, 2013 - 09:24

An introduction to social value and impact measurement in adult learning and skills one day training workshops will introduce providers to approaches to collecting and reporting evidence of the wider social outcomes of learning in a systematic and appropriate way.

Penny Lamb, Head of Policy Development and NIACE Lead on Impact, said:

For many providers, how to go about demonstrating value is a new and unfamiliar area. NIACE is developing a body of work to support providers to identify and capture the wider outcomes of their work. The aim is to build a sector-wide consensus about capturing and using outcomes to shape local and national resources allocation decisions. This is critical in the changing environment of the Social Value Act and the transformation of the way public bodies choose to commission and procure services. These workshops provide grounding for those new to the area.

Emily Jones, NIACE’s Lead Researcher on Impact, said:

Integrating a focus on the wider social outcomes of learning into organisational planning, development and review cycles can play a vital role in strengthening providers’ quality improvement processes. It will also help learning providers to build links with other services around shared priorities at local level.

The training workshops will provide a practical introduction to the theory and practice of social value and impact measurement. Based on the latest tried and tested approaches to capturing outcomes in adult learning, the training will equip participants with the ‘building blocks’ of knowledge, understanding and skills to develop the work in their own organisation. It will also provide a valuable foundation stage for anyone new to impact measurement who is considering undertaking a Social Return on Investment (SROI) analysis.