A Practical Guide

Hajdinjak, Marko and Havas, Attila (2019) A Practical Guide. Centre for Social Innovation, Vienna. ISBN 9783200064072

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Abstract

This document, intended for RI policy-makers, funding agencies, RI managers, and other relevant actors, considers the major aspects of assessing the socio-economic impacts of RIs. The main purpose of socio-economic impact assessment is to prove to society that RIs bring benefit to the entire society and that their relevance goes far beyond pure science. It also helps RI managers in setting strategic directions; thus it is recommended an assessment to be conducted every 4-5 years. RI managers and policy-makers, however, face several challenges when organising or commissioning an assessment. First, there is no ‘blueprint’ or ‘easy-to-follow’ manual for assessing RIs: there is no set of methods or indicators that would be automatically appropriate for every RI; each RI needs to be understood first, and then assessed in its own context. Second, ex ante evaluation, monitoring and the assessment of socio-economic impacts are closely interlinked. There are at least two preconditions for a useful assessment exercise. The intervention logic of a given RI – why investment is needed, what impact can be expected and through what mechanisms – needs to be clarified as part of an ex ante evaluation. Further, an appropriate monitoring system should be in place not only for the purpose of monitoring, but also to systematically collect relevant data for socio-economic impact assessment. Third, timing is crucial: to measure certain impacts, one might need to wait. Fourth, some RI managers and/or researchers may be reluctant to engage in assessment exercises. However, assessment is a must, as RIs are funded by public money. Fifth, the evaluation culture in general is weak in quite a few countries, including several in the Danube macro-region, hence the required methodological skills are missing or not yet sufficiently developed. Assessing the socio-economic impacts of RIs is a necessity even in these countries, for the above reason. Learning by doing can contribute to developing missing capacities and skills.

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