Choosing the Right Approach to Measuring Social Impact 

There are many ways to measure social impact, and there is no standard approach that is followed across industries or even within individual businesses – requirements can vary between projects, requiring you to adapt to different frameworks, legislation, and client needs. To put it simply, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all method to capturing social impact. 

Different tools work in different circumstances, and the key is selecting the right approach for your needs. 

How We’ll Measure Social Value Impact For Your Company

At Cyd Innovation, we don’t apply a one-size-fits-all model. In fact, one of the first steps we take with new clients is to identify the most appropriate methods and frameworks for impact measurement.  

We consider your industry, project types, audience, and objectives to determine what approach will be most meaningful and practical. 

This could include: 

• Using proxy values from the National or Welsh TOMs to calculate Social Return on Investment (SROI) 
• Measuring wellbeing outcomes through HM Treasury’s Wellbeing-Adjusted Life Year (WELLBY) 
• Developing a bespoke, qualitative approach tailored to your unique context 

Every organisation is different, so choosing the right methodology is key to ensuring your social impact reporting is meaningful, credible, and aligned with your goals.  

How We Measure Our Social Value Impact At Cyd Innovation

For our own work, we’ve chosen the approach that best helps us understand and communicate our story. 

Our sustainability and social impact strategy is shaped by the needs we see in our local community, the skills of our team, and our commitment to building a more sustainable Wales. To track the effects of our initiatives, we use the impact pathway framework. 

As we move further along the impact pathway, measurement becomes more complex – but the insights become more valuable. For each initiative, we consider how far along the pathway we aim to go, striking a balance between rigour and effort so we can focus on where we can make the most meaningful difference. 

At Cyd Innovation, we believe measurement should serve your story – not limit it. The impact pathway gives us the structure to capture the full value of our work, without constraining the ambition or scope of the initiatives we deliver. 

Want to see the impact pathway in action? 

Read our latest social impact case study here