Social Value International

This document sets the SVI Standard to apply Principle 8: Be Responsive. The essence of this Principle is to take action; to make decisions about social value in response to data and measurement.

Use this resource to:

• Integrate and act: Create a structured ‘impact management approach’ that can guide decision making at strategic, tactical, and operational levels to optimise impacts on wellbeing for all materially affected stakeholder groups. This means implementing activities that are designed to maximise the extent and rate of positive changes in wellbeing, whilst also identifying and eliminating activities that result in negative changes in wellbeing as fast as possible.

Certification process that assesses to what extent the Principles of Social Value are embedded in an organisations systems and processes. The certificate has three levels that set out a progression for organisations looking to continuously improve how they optimise social value for their stakeholders.

Use this resource to:

• Verify: Certify that an organisation’s systems and processes adhere to the Principles of Social Value.

Report Assurance standard that provides criteria to assess the application of SVI’s Social Value Principles as evidenced in a report. Assurance is conducted acting in the interests of the affected stakeholders, an important distinction versus other assurance standards that are currently available.

Use this resource to:

• Verify: Assure a report that has been prepared in accordance with the Principles of Social Value. The Principles of Social Value and associated practice standards help organisations measure and manage the social value generated through their business activities. This means the assurance standard is best applied to a report that has been prepared in accordance with the principles from the outset. The assurance standard is used to assess application of the principles, it does not assure accuracy of performance information.

Standard and guidance on how to apply the fourth of SVI’s Social Value Principles.

Use this resource to:

• Identify sustainability topics: Use the guidance on how to determine which impacts must be included to support decision making that optimises value for all stakeholders. It includes two screens for materiality: firstly for outcomes that are relevant and secondly for the outcomes that are most significant.
• Assess impact: Follow the guidance to determine whether an impact is significant to people or the environment, requiring management.

Guidance on conducting identifying, measuring and valuing social impact to calculate Social Return On Investment (SROI).

Use this resource to:

• Estimate value created: Follow this methodology to monetise the social value an organisation creates, preserves, or erodes for stakeholders. This methodology guides an organisation through the process of valuing impact from the perspective of all affected stakeholders.

Standard and guidance on how to apply the third of SVI’s Social Value Principles.

Use this resource to:

• Estimate value created: Use the guidance to value impacts from the perspective of affected stakeholders. This standard emphasises the importance of using data collected directly from stakeholders.

Standard and guidance on how to apply the second of SVI’s Social Value Principles.

Use this resource to:

• Measure sustainability performance: Engage with stakeholders to collaboratively agree on which outcomes to measure. This practice standard contains guidance on how an organisation can examine ‘chains of events’ and engage with stakeholders to decide the most appropriate point of measurement to support management decision-making (framed as ‘well-defined’ outcomes).

Forthcoming: Standard and guidance on how to apply the second of SVI’s Social Value Principles.

Use this resource to:

• Measure sustainability performance: Design custom metrics. This practice standard builds on Part 1, which outlines how to design custom metrics to measure a ‘well-defined’ outcome.

Principles that provide the basic building blocks for organisations that want to make decisions whilst taking social value into account. They are intended to help organisations optimise value for all stakeholders materially affected by an organisations activities. SVI is developing practice standards to help organisations implement each principle to a point where they are accountable for their activities and are making decisions to optimise value.

Use this resource to:

• Governance, Strategy and Management Approach: Set up processes to include social value data in management decision-making.

Standard and guidance on how to apply the first of SVI’s Social Value Principles.

Use this resource to:

• Set and revise objectives: Use the guidance on identifying stakeholders, engaging with them, and collecting information to help shape strategy and objectives.
• Identify sustainability topics: Use the guidance on identifying stakeholders and engaging with them to understand actual and potential significant impacts.