Practical Considerations When Conducting an SROI
- Sharon Weir
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Does SROI Increase The Burden On Communities?
It doesn't have to. One of the principles of good SROI is to engage stakeholders meaningfully, not repeatedly. Organisations should build on existing consultations wherever possible, combine learning activities, and avoid asking communities the same questions through multiple exercises.
Good planning can often integrate SROI into routine evaluations, reducing duplication while still ensuring that stakeholders have an opportunity to identify the outcomes that matter most to them.
How Long Does an SROI Typically Take?
The answer depends on the complexity of the programme, the availability of data and the number of stakeholders involved. For a single programme in one geography with good monitoring data already available, a reasonably rigorous SROI can often be completed in 8 to 12 weeks.
A typical timeline might include:
1–2 weeks: Scoping, stakeholder mapping and review of existing evidence.
2–4 weeks: Stakeholder engagement and primary data collection.
2–3 weeks: Outcome mapping, financial valuation and application of discounting factors.
2–3 weeks: Analysis, validation workshops, reporting and presentation.
Programmes operating across multiple locations or involving several stakeholder groups will naturally require longer.
You May also Read: Getting Started: Templates and Resources for SROI
What Is Materiality, And Why Do We Ask Stakeholders To Rank Outcomes?
One of the Principles of Social Value is materiality, of identifying the outcomes that are important enough to influence decisions. Not every change experienced by stakeholders needs to be measured or valued. Material outcomes are those that stakeholders consider significant and that could reasonably affect decisions about programme design, funding or future investment.
This is why participants are often asked questions such as:
"Which changes were most important to you?"
or
"Compared to other things that matter in your daily life, how meaningful was this change?"
These questions are not designed to produce a financial value directly. Instead, they help organisations understand which outcomes should be prioritised in the analysis and which may be less significant.
Materiality also helps prevent organisations from overloading an SROI with dozens of minor outcomes. Instead, it focuses attention on the changes that genuinely mattered to stakeholders and were most influenced by the programme.
Ultimately, SROI is not about measuring everything. It is about measuring what matters most.
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If you're looking to build your first SROI, the following open-access resources are the best place to start.
Resource | What it includes |
The definitive step-by-step guide to conducting an SROI, from stakeholder engagement and Theory of Change to valuation, discounting and reporting. | |
The standard template is used to map stakeholders, outcomes, indicators, financial proxies and impact adjustments across any SROI study. | |
Detailed guidance on applying the Principles of Social Value, including materiality, stakeholder engagement, valuation and assurance. | |
Case studies, technical papers and practical examples across different sectors. | |
A searchable database of indicators, outcomes and financial proxies that can support valuation, while always requiring contextual adaptation. |
