Social Impact Evaluation in Culture-led Regeneration Processes: Reflections on the “Social Return On Investment” Perspective

Abstract

Considering that a relevant challenge for social enterprises is to assess their social impacts, this paper approaches this issue by investigating cases that exemplify engagement in cultureled regeneration processes. Assuming the paradigm of 'Complex Urban Landscape' (CUL) as a holistic approach focused on the role of relationships, and conceiving the social enterprise as a hybrid organisation potentially affecting the urban context, the author presents a reflection on one of the most-used and much-debated social impact evaluation methods, the Social Return On Investment (SROI). The research deals with three main challenges: the difficulties in integrating cultural heritage as commons within urban planning and practices; the potential role of social enterprises to transmit cultural value through experiences of culture-led regeneration processes; and the exigencies of planning and developing social impact evaluation capable of critically observing and narrating the theory of change proposed by social enterprises.

Usos sociales, beneficios socioeconómicos e indicadores en el patrimonio cultural: un estudio correlacional

“…Este esfuerzo requiere la combinación de saberes y técnicas multidisciplinares y la integración de lógicas ante las cuales los estudios del patrimonio no han estado muy abiertos (Cabrera-Martínez y Vidal 2017). Por su parte el sector patrimonial lleva años debatiendo sobre la necesidad de aproximarse a otras disciplinas, asegurar la cooperación público-privada y participar en proyectos del tercer sector (Calabrò y Della Spina 2014;ICCROM 2015;Ragozino 2016Ragozino , 2019 y para ello los indicadores de gestión pública serán centrales.…”