Getting Started: Templates and Resources for SROI

Getting started with SROI

Several participants asked whether there is an open-access SROI template, particularly for scholarship programmes and other education interventions.

The good news is that while there is no sector-specific template for scholarships, health care, livelihoods or environmental programmes, there is a standard structure that underpins every SROI study.

The foundation of every SROI is the Value Map. Regardless of the sector, the Value Map provides a consistent framework for documenting:

• Stakeholders

• Inputs

• Outputs

• Outcomes

• Indicators

• Evidence

• Financial proxies

• Duration

• Deadweight

• Attribution

• Displacement

• Drop-off

• Value created

The content changes from one programme to another, but the structure remains the same. A scholarship programme, for example, will populate the Value Map with different stakeholders, outcomes and financial proxies than a watershed programme or a livelihoods intervention, but the underlying template is identical.

If you're looking to build your first SROI, the following open-access resources are the best place to start.

Resource	What it includes
Guide to SROI – Social Value International	The definitive step-by-step guide to conducting an SROI, from stakeholder engagement and Theory of Change to valuation, discounting and reporting.
Value Map Template – Social Value International	The standard template is used to map stakeholders, outcomes, indicators, financial proxies and impact adjustments across any SROI study.
Standards and Guidance – Social Value International	Detailed guidance on applying the Principles of Social Value, including materiality, stakeholder engagement, valuation and assurance.
Social Return on Investment (SROI) Sample Reports	Case studies, technical papers and practical examples across different sectors.
Global Value Exchange	A searchable database of indicators, outcomes and financial proxies that can support valuation, while always requiring contextual adaptation.

Like any good evaluation framework, SROI should be adapted to the context rather than followed mechanically. The Value Map provides a common structure, but the quality of the analysis depends on selecting the right stakeholders, identifying the outcomes that matter most, and using evidence and financial proxies that are appropriate for the programme being evaluated.

Watch the full webinar here:

youtube.com/watch?v=b7glYaklW6w&feature=youtu.be

Recommended Reads

• 5 Things to Consider when using SROI