Collective Impact

Problem Description

Social impact measurement and impact driven practice have become hot topics in the social sector. Many authors emphasize that generating impact in this field often results from the interplay of multiple (f)actors. Rather than speaking of attribution, it is more accurate to speak of contribution.
However, much of today’s research and support offerings remain focused primarily on the organizational level. This narrow focus overlooks the importance of alignment, collaboration, coordinating leadership, and shared indicators and registration systems—key elements needed to address complex social problems collectively.

This research project aims to develop both a practical framework and a support offering tailored to the social sector—one that acknowledges the complexity of social issues, the unpredictability of social interventions, and the value of diverse forms of knowledge and expertise. We explicitly focus on so called “ecosystem interventions”: cases in which multiple actors collaborate and “orchestrate” their actions to address complex problems together.

Throughout this three year project, we will study several such cases to understand the challenges these coalitions face and to make their effects more visible. We examine these collaborations in relation to a broader multi level policy context and shifting expectations from governments and donors regarding “evidence” and “impact measurement.” After all, social interventions do not take place in laboratory settings; they must adapt to a broad, evolving policy environment.

Research Questions

The central research question is: How can frameworks for impact driven practice and collective impact support collaborations between social organisations in addressing complex social problems?

This overarching question is explored through the following subquestions:

1. How can social organisations measure and make visible the impact of their interventions?
2. How can coalitions of social organisations increase the impact of their collective interventions?
3. What basic conditions are required to apply the collective impact model in a local context from a network and multi level governance perspective
4. How can models for demonstrating impact be integrated into collective impact practices?

Expected Impact

By developing a methodological framework and support offering tailored to social service providers and local networks, this research project aims to promote and strengthen impact driven collective action in tackling complex social issues such as poverty, youth homelessness, and integrated neighbourhood development in disadvantaged urban areas.

In doing so, the project enhances the capacity of (coalitions of) organisations to:

1. Collaborate and align locally, while responding to broader policy frameworks and societal developments.
2. Select relevant indicators and collect meaningful data, enabling them to demonstrate goal attainment and visible effects of their social interventions.

Ultimately, this project contributes to reducing fragmentation in the social sector, improving transparency regarding the processes and outcomes of ecosystem interventions, and enhancing the effectiveness of social interventions that depend on coordinated action among diverse actors.