Valuing third sector achievements in a service delivery context: evaluations and social value

Abstract This chapter argues that evaluations of work by third sector organizations can play an important role in the context of social welfare today. Evaluations serve as rhetorical tools in policy debates as well as tools for illustrating how and when social value creation takes place. The continued development of evaluation models that focus on evidencing added social value is important for individual organizations aiming to evaluate their distinct contribution to social welfare. It is also important to general policy debates around the purposes and principles of core social service policies such as the Social Value Act and the Open Public Service Agenda. The application of firm evaluation models that build on a clear yet contextually dependent definition of social value, can play a critical role in establishing ‘social value’ as an essential ingredient in commissioning procedures, on par with cost per unit and efficiency.