1. TEPSIE
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Towards Measuring Social Innovation
Some Preliminary Thoughts
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Georg Mildenberger
Björn Schmitz
Eva Bund
Centre for Social Investment,
University of Heidelberg
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2. Why measuring social innovation?
I would like to foster
social innovation.
But – where should I
start?
And: How can I know
my intervention works?
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3. Opportunities and challenges of
social innovation measurement
• Inform policy makers about the state of social innovation
and social innovativeness in a specific country
• Macro-level approach at national level
(as a complement to organizational analysis)
• No explicit social innovation measurement tool at hand
• Taking a look at existing approaches and their assumptions
and indicators
• Make adjustments according to social innovation
requirements
What is social innovation?
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4. The object of the measurement tool: Social Innovation
Core elements of social innovation How can we measure social
(Young Foundation 2012): innovation?
• Meets a social need • Need-based-approach
• Novelty • Need-legitimacy and urgency
• Enhance society’s capacity to act • Framework conditions
• From idea to implementation • Innovation activity
• Effective • Field-specific outcomes
Take a look at existing approaches and learn from these!
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5. What indicator systems are relevant for us?
• Methodologies measuring other types of innovation
(Examples)
• Innovation Union Scoreboard,
• Global Innovation Index by INSEAD,
• Innovation in public sector organisations by NESTA,
• Australian Public Sector Innovation Indicators,
• …
• Methodologies using not-innovation based indicators in
specific social fields help to adjust innovation measurement
approaches in other fields
• OECD Better Life Index, TTT-Index, CIVICUS, National Footprint, …
What did we learn and how did we use this information?
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6. Theoretical assumptions found in the indicator
systems and the need for adjustments?
• Main assumptions and correlations found in the indicator systems
Category Suitable for Needs to be
SI measurement adjusted
Innovation as a non-linear process + +
Financial Resources +/- +
Knowledge + +
Knowledge Protection +/- +
Technology +/- +
Partnership & Networks + +
Entrepreneurship + +
Innovation Culture + +
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7. Our Framework
Model
Which indicators can be applied? 7

8. Sub indicator Enabling framework conditions
“Enhance society’s capacity to act” ✓
a) Social Innovation investment framework
• Monetary variables of the social economy (TEPSIE)
• Public social expenditure (OECD)
• Private social spending (OECD)
b) Social Innovation institutional framework
• Structural variables of the social economy/ public sector organisations (TEPSIE)
• Social innovation scientific basis (article database)
• Social innovation infrastructure (WEF)
• Social Innovation networks (Ashoka, SI Awards)
c) Social Innovation political framework
• Basic civil liberties/ democracy (International Property Right Index)
• Policy awareness about social innovation (National innovation strategies)
• Legislation/ political stability (GII, IEF)
d) Social Innovation societal climate framework
• Social engagement (Civil Society Index, Volunteering in the EU)
• Public awareness about social needs (Web analytics)
• Citizens’ openness for something new/ readiness to take risks (ALLBUS, APSII)
• Tolerance (TTT-Index)
• Political participation (Civil Society Index)
• Informal sector (EUSI)
• Professionalization/ creative workforce (TTT-Index, Civil Society Index)
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9. Sub indicator Innovation Activities
“From idea to implementation” ✓
• Innovation activity “(...) describes the pipelines of ideas flowing through an organisation
(...)” (Nesta 2012)
• Social innovation activities by social entrepreneurs as well as by actors outside of the
economic sphere such as the civil society, informal groups or individuals.
• Placed in the centre of the social innovation process influencing the different stages.
a) Social innovation investment activities
• Organisational and public investment in social innovation strategies
• Start-ups
• Volunteering
b) Social innovation institutional activities
• Social innovation projects currently being carried out
• Innovation strategies in social enterprises, civil society organisations, public sector
• Social innovation research activities (research projects)
c) Social innovation political activities
• Political social innovation strategies
• Legislation processes
d) Social innovation societal activities
• Advocacy activities for social needs
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10. Sub indicator field-specific outcome and output
“Effective” ✓
• Measure the change in specific
fields of social problems and Love,
their urgency (Maslow s Belonging and
hierarchy of needs) esteem needs
• Education
• Political participation
• Distinguish between • Social Capital and Networks
• Near outcomes (often on • Culture and Recreation
organizational level)
• Far outcomes (on societal
Safety needs
level)
• Working
• Environment
Physiological needs
• Eating and Drinking
• Housing
• Health & Care
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11. Measuring Social Innovation
What you should keep in mind
• Aim for the needs of different audiences (academia, policy
makers, funders, innovators, …)
• Stick to an accepted and well balanced definition of social
innovation
• Carefully operationalize the definition
• Connect to existing indicators as close as possible
• Never give up!
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12. Literature References I
• Anheier, H. K., Schröer, A., Then, V. (2012): Soziale Investitionen. Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven,
Wiesbaden.
• Gillwald, K. (2000): Konzepte sozialer Innovation, WZB paper, Querschnittsgruppe Arbeit und
Ökologie, WZB, Berlin.
• Hoffmann-Riem, W. (2008): Soziale Innovationen. Eine Herausforderung für die
Rechtswissenschaft, in: Der Staat 47 (4): 588-605.
• Howaldt, J.; Schwarz, M. (2010): Social Innovation: Concepts, research fields and international
trends, Zentrum für Soziale Innovation, Vienna.
• Mulgan, G. (2012): Social Innovation Theory – Ideas for an Emerging Field, in: Nicholls, A.,
Murdock, A.: Social Innovation – Blurring Boundaries to Reconfigure Markets, Palgrave: 33-65
• OECD (2005): The Measurement of Scientific and Technological Activities Oslo Manual:
Guidelines for Collecting and Interpreting Innovation Data, 3rd Edition, OECD Publishing.
• The Young Foundation (2012): Social Innovation Overview, A deliverable of the project: “The
theoretical, empirical and policy foundations for building social innovation in Europe” (TEPSIE),
European Commission – 7th Framework Programme, Brussels: European Commission, DG.
• Rothwell, R. (1994): Towards the Fifth-generation Innovation Process, in: International Marketing
Review, Vol. 11, No 1.
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13. Literature References II
• Allman, K., Edler, J., Georghiou, L., Jones, B., Miles, I., Omidvar, O., Ramlogan, R., Rigby, J. (2011):
Measuring Wider Framework Conditions for successful innovation. A system’s review of UK and
international innovation data, NESTA.
• Australian Government – Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (2011): Working
towards a measurement framework for public sector innovation in Australia. A draft discussion paper
for the Australian Public Sector Innovation Indicators Project.
• Dutta, S. (2012): The Global Innovation Index 2011. Stronger Innovation Linkages for Global Growth,
INSEAD, Fontainebleau.
• European Union (2012): Innovation Union Scoreboard. Research and Innovation Union Scoreboard.
PRO INNO Europe.
• Ewing, B., Moore, D., Goldfinger, S., Oursler, A., Reed, A., Wackernagel, M. (2010): Ecological
Footprint Atlas 2010.
• Hughes, A., Moore, K., Kataria, N. (2012): Innovation in Public Sector Organisations. A pilot survey for
measuring innovation across the public sector, NESTA.
• Kröhnert, S., Morgenstern, A., Klingholz, R. (2007): Talente, Technologie und Toleranz – wo
Deutschland Zukunft hat, Berlin-Institut für Bevölkerung und Entwicklung, Berlin.
• MERIT Technopolis (2012): European Public Sector Innovation Scoreboard (EPSIS) – Methodology
report.
• Miles, N., et. al. (2009): The wider conditions for innovation in the UK. How the UK compares to
leading innovation nations, NESTA.
• Naidoo, K. (2004): 'Preface', CIVICUS Civil Society Index Paper Series, Vol. 2, Issue 1.
• OECD (2011): How’s Life? Measuring Well-Being, OECD Publishing, Paris.
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14. Thank you for your attention!
Contact:
björn.schmitz@csi.uni-heidelberg.de
www.csi.uni-heidelberg.de
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