Evaluating social innovations and their contribution to social value: the benefits of a ‘blended value’ approach

2016/02/29 by Chris Dayson, Christopher Dayson · 1 citation
Health Professions · #Community Health and Development #Health Policy Implementation Science #Mental Health and Patient Involvement

paper · doi:10.1332/030557316x14564838832035

openalex publication_date 2016/02/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23

Abstract

Social innovation is viewed as a solution to developing new services that address complex needs and create ‘social value’, but what constitutes social value and how to measure it is contested. Drawing on a case study of a social prescribing pilot, this paper provides an example of how social value can be evaluated to support decisions by commissioners of socially innovative interventions. It argues that social value presents an epistemological and methodological challenge for commissioners seeking to embed it in decision making and recommends evaluating social innovations though a ‘blended value’ lens.

Citations

• Why do Social Innovations in Rural Development Matter and Should They be Considered More Seriously in Rural Development Research? – Proposal for a Stronger Focus on Social Innovations in Rural Development Research
• Public Value Governance: Moving Beyond Traditional Public Administration and the New Public Management

Cited by

• Green Social Prescribing: A Before and After Evaluation of a Novel Community‐Based Intervention for Adults Experiencing Mental Health Problems

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