ISI – Social Innovation Impact

Handbook and indicators (3/2025)

Wruk, D., Sauerbier, E., Mildenberger, G., Rabadjieva, M., Terstriep, J., Zieliński, F. (2024). Wie können Wirkungen sozialer Innovationen gemessen werden? Praxis-Handbuch und Indikatoren für Organisationen und Initiativen. Institut für Mittelstandsforschung, Universität Mannheim. doi.org/10.11588/heidok.00036266

Database of indicators for social innovations: www.i-share-economy.org/isi/indikatoren

Research Paper 3 „SI Panel“ (3/2025)

Terstriep, J., Rabadjieva, M., Mildenberger, G., Wruk, D., Zieliński, F. (2025). Wie lässt sich eine Dauerbeobachtung sozialer Innovationen realisieren? Konzept einer Panelstudie als Grundlage der Wirkungsmessung. Research Paper, Institut Arbeit und Technik, Gelsenkirchen. doi.org/10.53190/inno/202501

Research Paper 2 „SI and impact measurement“ (11/2024)

Zieliński, F., Mildenberger, G., Rabadjieva, M., Sauerbier, E., Terstriep, J., & Wruk, D. (2024). Was sind Soziale Innovationen und wie lassen sich ihre Impacts messen? Konzeptionelle Grundlagen für innovationsfeldspezifische Wirkmodelle. Research Paper, Centrum für Soziale Investitionen und Innovationen, Universität Heidelberg. www.doi.org/10.11588/heidok.00035636

English version:
Zieliński, F., Mildenberger, G., Rabadjieva, M., Sauerbier, E., Terstriep, J., & Wruk, D. (2025). What are Social Innovations and how can their Impacts be Measured? Conceptualizing Innovation Field-Specific Impact Models. Research Paper, Centrum für Soziale Investitionen und Innovationen, Universität Heidelberg. doi.org/10.11588/heidok.00036317

Research Paper 1 „Concepts“ (2/2023)

Zieliński, F., Rabadjieva, M., Terstriep, J. & Mildenberger, G. (2023). Wirkung Sozialer Innovationen. Eine Theoretische Annäherung. Forschung Aktuell, 2023 (02), Gelsenkirchen: Institut Arbeit und Technik, Westfälische Hochschule Gelsenkirchen Bocholt Recklinghausen. www.iat.eu/media/forschungaktuell_2023-02.pdf

Other relevant publications

Degel, M., Kind, S., Ludwig, K., Stadermann, J., Streicher, J. & Terstriep J. (2024). Wirkungsmessung Sozialer Innovationen: Auf dem Weg zu plausiblen Wirkungsnachweisen. Zeitschrift für Evaluation, 23(2), 231-246. https://doi.org/10.31244/zfe.2024.02.04

Rabadjieva, M., Terstriep, J., Martini, V. (2024) Soziale Innovationen in digitaler Bildung messen: Vorschlag für ein Wirkmodell, Forschung Aktuell, 2024 (10), Gelsenkirchen: Institut Arbeit und Technik, Westfälische Hochschule Gelsenkirchen Bocholt Recklinghausen. https://www.iat.eu/media/forschungaktuell_2024-10.pdf

Terstriep, J. und Rabadjieva, M. (2025). Impact Sozialer Innovationen. Auf dem Weg zu einer ganzheitlichen Wirkungsmessung. Forschung und Entwicklung an der Westfälischen Hochschule. Forschungsbericht 2024. https://www.w-hs.de/forschungsbericht/

Sauerbier, E., Wruk, D. (2025). Dimensions of alternativity – A configurational approach for understanding and comparing alternative organizations. Working Paper, University of Mannheim.

Presentations at international conferences and workshops:

planned: „Social Innovation in Digital Education - Towards a Holistic Impact Measurement“, 5th ISA Forum of Sociology, 6–11. July 2025, Rabat Marocco. Presenters: Rabadjieva, Terstriep

planned: „Field-specific Standardisation of Models to Measure the Impacts of Social Innovations“, Eu-SPRI conference, 11–13. June 2025, Dortmund. Presenters: Terstriep, Rabadjieva

planned: „Impact Creation in the Sharing Economy – Toward a Mid-range Model.“ Autoren: Wruk, Dominika, Achim Oberg, Olaf Kellermeier, Gorgi Krlev (2025). Paper accepted for presentation at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting, 25–29 July 2025, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

„Dimensions of alternativity – A configurational approach for understanding and comparing alternative organizations“. Authors: Sauerbier, E., Wruk, D. (2025). Paper presented at the 20. New Institutionalism Workshop in Salzburg, Österreich, 27–28 March 2025. Presenter: Wruk

„Growing Through Social Innovations: The Power of Numbers“, panel discussion with Judith Terstriep, 6 February 2025, University of Kenntucky, USA, online.

„Evaluating Impacts of Social Innovations with Field-Specific Models“, REvaluation Conference, Vienna, 4–6 December 2024. Presenter: Mildenberger

Session „Social Impact Measurement. Theories, Trends & Tools“, 16th International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC), 2-4 September 2024, Bern, Switzerland, organized by Terstriep & Mildenberger.

„Creating field-specific models for social innovation impact measurement: Conceptual framework“, 16th International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC), Bern, 2–4 September 2024. Presenters: Rabadjieva, Sauerbier, Zielinski.

„Impact Measurement in the Third Sector: Policy, Science and Practice perspectives“, ISTR conference, Antwerp, 16–19. July 2024. Presenter: Mildenberger

„Impact Creation in the Sharing Economy – Toward a Mid-range Model.“ Authors: Wruk, Dominika, Achim Oberg, Olaf Kellermeier, Gorgi Krlev (2024). Paper presented at the European Group of Organization Studies Colloquium, 4–6 July 2024, in Milano, Italy.

„From Intend to Impact – Why Measuring SI Matters“. Presentation by Judith Terstriep at the Social Innovation Impact Measurement Consensus Conference, University of Calgary, 29.-30. May 2024, Calgary Canada.

„Pioneering Progress – Unlashing the Transformative Power of Social Innovation in Cohesion Policy“, Keynote by J. Terstriep, Workshop „Which future for European Cohesion Policy post-2027, Committee of the Regions, Belgium Presendency of the Council of the EU, Workshop, 12 December 2023, Brussels.

„It’s a trap! The term “social innovation” leads to confusion. Can we avoid it?”, 15th International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC), Universidade do Minho, Guimarães, 6.–8. September 2023. Presenter: Mildenberger.

„Between IOOI and tailor-made methods: A Proposal for the development of “middle-range” impact models“, 15th International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC), Universidade do Minho, Guimarães, 6.–8. September 2023. Presenters: Mildenberger, Rabadjieva, Terstriep, Zielinski.

„Tying back Social and Non-Social Innovation to Uncover Social Innovations' Dynamics and Impacts“, European Forum for Studies of Policies for Research and Innovation (EU-SPRI) Summer Conference, Brighton, 14.–16. June 2023. Presenter: Zielinski.

Background

“Social innovation” is not a new term in innovation research and has gained importance and attention as many hopes rest on its capacity to deal with the major challenges that societies are facing. The research field is characterized by conceptual ambiguity and understands Social Innovation (SI) i.a. as a mechanism for problem-solving or a more general change in social practices. The impact of Social Innovation is difficult to grasp as well: Even at the level of individual organizations, current research shows significant blind spots.

Indicators and metrics in the field of social innovation are only emerging. Although there have been attempts to systematically develop a social innovation metric (IndiSi, IndiSiPlus), these are currently still in an exploratory phase and primarily relate to measuring social innovations and less to assessing their effects and added social value. On the other hand, the research field of (technology) impact assessment offers valuable and well-tried approaches to measuring innovation impact.

Objective

The central aim of the project “Impact of Social Innovations” (ISI), which is co-financed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is to create significant theoretical and empirical advances in uncovering the impact of social innovations by linking the research fields of Social Innovation and impact assessment.

Approach

ISI develops a broad conceptual understanding of Social Innovation and aggregates experience in SI measurement at an organizational level to develop an instrument for impact monitoring of social innovations. The project will result in a concept for a dynamic panel to allow for a long-term monitoring of the effects of SI, which includes diverse types of actors, fields and impacts, which can consider effects ex-post and ex-ante and which can be adapted in a flexible way to facilitate SI impact assessment in the field.

Four fields of Social Innovation are examined as application examples in the project:

Sharing economy – activities with a collaborative, bottom-up character that aim to bring about social change (e.g. urban gardening, sharing and swapping of goods, etc.)
Innovations in social services – e.g. in the health and care sector
Digital education – with a focus on using technology for social progress (e.g. to increase learner participation, to reduce educational inequalities, etc.)
Blockchain technology – where a possible use with social added value (e.g. transparency in supply chains) requires a social discourse and acceptance.

The project will develop individual impact models in these four fields and combine them within a new dynamic model. Additionally, a survey instrument will be developed that covers the broadest possible spectrum of impacts. This includes, for example, the assessment of effects at the level of social discourse. Such an approach will conceptually address the research gaps presented on the three levels (definition, impact measurement, and impact-related innovation metrics) and create an empirical basis for long-term monitoring of social innovations, both in terms of activities and actors and in terms of monitoring and assessing consequences.