Report on innovation metrics – capturing theoretical, conceptual and operational insights for the measurement of social innovation

In this publication the authors’ present a range of measurement approaches which are relevant for measuring social innovation. They have focused on two areas :  

• Established metrics that are directly connected to innovation measurement in private or public sector organizations or measurement systems that are dedicated to topics, which are related to innovation like the one of ‘competitiveness’. These include: Innovation Union Scoreboard (European Union), Global Innovation Index (INSEAD), Innovation in Public Sector Organizations (NESTA), Measure Public Innovation in the Nordic Countries (MEPIN), GlobalCompetitiveness Index (WEF).  
• Metrics that focus on social, normative or environmental dimensions , which are particularly appropriate for capturing the ‘social’ aspect of social innovation. These include: OECD Better Life Index, European System of Social Indicators (GESIS), Civil Society Index (CIVICUS), National Footprint (Global Footprint Network).   Not all approaches were seen as being equally suitable as guidance for the development of a social innovation measurement approach. The selected methodologies do not represent a complete list of the existing methodologies. The authors’ selected those methodologies which they felt were the most useful and relevant for developing a social innovation measurement tool.  

[Extracted from the Introduction].

Citation

Bund, Eva; Hubrich, David-Karl; Schmitz, Björn; Mildenberger, Georg and Krlev, Gorgi (2013) Report on innovation metrics – Capturing theoretical, conceptual and operational insights for the measurement of social innovation. 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 Research.