The WikiVOIS Database

To download WikiVOIS guidelines [click here]

For more information regarding WikiVOIS or if you have any queries, please contact:

Emma Weston, 0151 703 9229, emma.weston@thesroinetwork.org

If you do use a source from WikiVOIS, please reference us!

For more information regarding 'stated preference' and 'revealed preference' valuation techniques, please click here

Big Society Capital commissioned a team comprising NPC, the SROI Network and Investing for Good to develop a new suite of tools to help social investors, and those seeking social investment, to embed a robust approach to impact in their work. This information can be found if users search BSC in WikiVOIS. Full outcome maps can be found here

You can also visit BSC's Social Impact page by clicking here

What is WikiVOIS?

Are you are working for social change and want to develop a common language to use in order to account for the difference you make?

Have you developed measures or values of change that have proved useful to you and which if shared would contribute to a wider use?

Are you looking for information that others have used to measure or value the changes that result from your work?

WikiVOIS allows you to share the way in which you measure and account, see what others have done and get involved in discussion and debate about outcomes, measurement and value.

In order to account for the difference we make, the value of our work, or the impact we are having, we need appropriate evidence; this is gained from information about our stakeholders, their outcomes, the indicators involved and finally, the values of those outcomes.

WikiVOIS is a database of values, indicators and outcomes for stakeholders.

A common language for common experience

Determining what is appropriate information and if it will help you make better decisions, depends on several factors. On one hand to be able to communicate means we need a common language, at least common to those who are making a decision and perhaps common to anyone we are seeking to inform, who may be interested in an account of the value of our work. On the other hand, how your work affects people needs to be relevant to be significant to them.

This balance between specific and general information can only come about if we share information and learn from others, understanding common experience allows for common measures of outcomes or values informed by good practice.

WikiVOIS is open to all

This body of evidence is in its infancy. There are a limited number of entries currently available. As the number of entries grows, they can be discussed and improved. So to encourage the widest possible access, use and debate, WikiVOIS is open to all. This will mean a degree of natural disorder initially as the database is populated. New entries will be visible but initially the status of an entry will be unapproved.

The basic structure of the database derives from the principles used by SROI; that outcomes should be understood in relation to those who experience them and that these outcomes can be measured and have a value.

We hope you will want to contribute, by both adding and discussing content.

Submissions

Information on outcomes, indicators and values can be added by anyone, anywhere, through a simple form (after signing up for an account) and existing entries can be discussed and debated. Members of The SROI Network are able to edit existing entries.

This resource and the future

The SROI Network will be developing principles and criteria for WikiVOIS. However we wanted to make a start by developing this resource. This means that initially we expect most of the information to be incomplete and/or unapproved. In other words there is more work required on most entries. We will be developing processes that allow information on outcomes, indicators or values to move from unapproved to approved. This will be a decision based on a balance between the discussion and good practice.

This is a start

There is much more to be done in order to develop this resource. This is a start. We would also like to hear from you if you have any comments on structure, usability or content so that we can improve the database.

Initial content

The initial content on VOIS Wiki was developed as part of work on the SROI Project for the Scottish Government. Information from this source has been included as the WikiVOIS initial content.

Find out about membership, about the entries in the database, or about entering data