The place of impact

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We spoke to Cecília Vieira and Sandra Martins, mentors in the IS_beta program of the Social Impact Community, from the Ribeirão Parish Centre. The topic of the conversation: the importance of impact in the organization’s interventions.

You hear a lot about social impact and the need to evaluate the changes that arise from the social intervention of organizations. Before getting involved in the Social Impact Community, had you ever heard of this topic? What is your opinion on this debate?

Cecília Vieira: Ever since I’ve been preparing applications for social projects, I’ve considered that just as important as measuring the financial sustainability of the project is measuring the social impact it has on its direct and indirect beneficiaries… However, at an early stage there wasn’t much literature in Portuguese, nor was there any training. However, this was no reason to overlook the importance of social impact in projects.

Sandra Martins: Before we joined the Social Impact Community, we were already aware of the importance of evaluating the social impact of the interventions of organizations working in this context. In fact, it was precisely because we were aware of this that we researched how we could measure social impact and, in this research, we came across the initiative of the Social Impact Community, which seemed to us to be a good first way of obtaining help for this measurement that we intend to conduct. This debate seems to us to be very fruitful because it pushes social organizations to evaluate their practices, which leads to questioning, reflection and, ultimately, improvement. It is only through a process of social impact assessment that it is possible to gauge whether the objectives that the projects sought to achieve are being met, and if not, where the gaps lie. This assessment of results is still out of step with the culture of social organizations, but it is important that, in the search for continuous improvement and in order to better serve their beneficiaries, ways of measuring the social impact of interventions of this nature are adopted.

Do you think impact measurement is more of a necessity, an obligation or an opportunity for your organization?

Cecília Vieira: Measuring social impact is undoubtedly a necessity because, as an IPSS, we want continuous improvement in the services we provide and we need to be efficient and sustainable; it’s a must because it gives us greater objectivity in our results and this makes us more transparent and worthy of recognition by those to whom we provide our services and by the community in general! In this way, measuring social impact appears to be an opportunity for the CSPR, as it allows us to know the social value generated by social intervention and thereby give credibility to the work we do!

Sandra Martins: There’s no doubt that measuring impact is an opportunity for our organization. It’s an opportunity to objectively show the social impact that we intuitively believe our project is having. But this objectivity is essential for the credibility of this initiative, in our eyes and in the eyes of our beneficiaries and other stakeholders. On the other hand, the breadth of knowledge that this impact measurement provides us with will enable us to improve this project in the future where it proves possible. As is clear, measuring social impact is an opportunity for improvement, and it is from this perspective that we always look at our work and our practices.

What has your experience been like in the IS_beta program?

Cecília Vieira: It’s been an incredible learning process… undoubtedly very laborious and not always easy to reconcile with the day-to-day work at Casa Santa Maria. However, it has been very interesting to rethink the whole project and thus restructure the accessible hydroponic greenhouse, making the bases much more objective, more scientific, which, incomparably, is an asset for the CSPR.

Sandra Martins: Our experience has been very positive. We have had the opportunity to reflect on this project in all its complexity, taking into account all the stakeholders it covers and all the changes it triggers. This reflection on our practices has received the full attention, availability and knowledge of our mentor, Miguel Lourenço, to whom we express our gratitude. This is a journey that will enrich us, equipping us with the necessary tools to be able to measure the social impact of other projects that we are sure to undertake in the future, with a view to always maximizing the added value of our projects.

Which project are you evaluating?

Cecília Vieira and Sandra Martins: At CSPR we have been evaluating the social impact of the accessible hydroponic greenhouses where people with disabilities have been carrying out socially useful activities since September 2016. Our aim is to compare the changes experienced by users who are part of this project, as opposed to those who are not involved in it and carry out strictly occupational activities at the CAO.

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