Developing Socially Innovative Organizational Programs and Processes: An Applied Program Evaluation Approach to Assess the Social Impact of Human Service Organizations

Background: Social innovation refers to efforts that are undertaken to address emergent and persistent social issues. Within the confines of contemporary models of governance and social welfare provision, human service organizations have emerged as leaders in developing socially innovative responses to social issues (such as rising income inequality, social exclusion, discrimination, and increasing precariousness in housing and labour markets). While conceptual and theoretical models have emerged to assess the extent to which human service organizations are engaging in socially innovative efforts, assessing the social impact of socially innovative efforts remains relatively underexplored. In fact, there often exists a gap in our understanding between how a program is structured, or the processes within an organization, and the outcomes it claims to achieve. This paper presents findings from three program evaluation case studies to highlight the process of an applied program evaluation approach that supports human service organizations in assessing organizational and programmatic procedures and processes. Each program evaluation was undertaken to aid the organization in identifying areas in which the organization could develop socially innovative efforts to maximize their social impact.

Methods: A qualitative research approach was undertaken to identify key client outcomes that aided in achieving intended program goals, along with key organizational, programmatic, and client-provider interpersonal dynamics that were perceived to contribute to achieving outcomes at three nonprofits in Toronto, Canada. One to one interviews were conducted with clients and program personnel at each nonprofit. The organizations provided supports to individuals with concurrent disorders (n=72), Korean migrants needing settlement services (n=29), and 3) youth experiencing housing loss (n=48).  Data were analysed utilizing analytic induction and constant comparison strategies.

Results: For each organization, the analysis aided in the development of a conceptual model of the relationship between client outcomes and key programmatic, organizational, and interpersonal dynamics. Empirical assessment tools of each reported outcome (such as improved intrapersonal functioning or perceived awareness and coping ability) and organizational, programmatic, and inter-personal factor (such as relationship dynamics with staff, efforts to support positive peer dynamics, or connecting people to external supports, among others) were developed. Each were tailored to the unique service delivery situation of each organization and service user related issue, and aid the organization to undertake further empirical investigation of the relationship between outcomes and organizational efforts, with the intended goal of identifying programmatic and process related aspects of their service that can inform the development of socially innovative efforts for greater social impact.   

Conclusion and Implications: These three evaluation efforts help to conceptualize and operationalize, for human service nonprofits, an applied approach for identifying possible process and product based social innovations they could undertake to improve the social impact of the organization’s efforts in addressing emergent and persistent social issues. The research highlights a replicable evaluative approach for application in other social service delivery sectors to support 1) developing and implementing product and process based social innovations; and 2) developing more holistic understandings of the range of programming efforts that impact client outcomes based on service user experiences.