“It is too early to talk about the practice of evidence-based approaches in the public sector, despite the fact that in 2022 it was possible to finalize a number of evaluation projects, such as microdata projects of the Federal Service for Labour and Employment. Thus, detailed administrative microdata on the state of the labour market became available to researchers. Research is expected to be based on this open data, the results of which will help improve organizational and technological processes of employment for citizens and recruitment for employers[19]. In addition, I am glad to see a growing number of code and repositories around the world with the goal of evaluating and analyzing data. There are also cases from Russian companies, including MTS. MTS Big Data specialists have launched the first version of Ambrosia library for working with A/B-tests into Open Source[20]. We see that it is business that is mostly interested in the proof of practice,” said Maksim Tsygankov.
On the positive side, according to the expert, we can also add that the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation in 2022 mediated the evidence-based policy agenda in the public sector, continuing to hold a competition of best practices and initiatives of the evidence-based approach to management decision-making.
Also, the SOL' Social Innovation Support Center was awarded in the Development of Social Projects Evaluation System category for the introduction of social reporting standards and the theory of change in the activities of social enterprises.
The standard helps various social projects and charities to form a compelling account of their social activities and to formalize the logic of the project's transformative impact. It includes all the data required for reporting, from organizational structure to finances. The standard also provides an opportunity to show the real results of its activities to investors, government authorities and other stakeholders[21].
“We take a full-hearted approach to developing social innovation, and we believe if there is a problem, there is a solution. The social accountability standard tool allows social innovators to be clearer and closer to the people. I want to add that I spend a lot of time trying to understand the effects of social entrepreneurs, and how to help the state notice social entrepreneurs. The social impact assessment model, which is currently being developed by the Social Projects Support Fund, is still very difficult to use to compare one player with another, but it can be used for self-diagnosis — to see your own “growth zone.” The evaluation can be done by the project itself or by an independent player,” says Alexey Maslov, executive director of the SOL center and director of the Acceleration and Educational Programs Department of the Social Projects Support Fund of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives.
There are four winners in the Development of Practices for Implementation of Evaluation of Social Projects category. The first award went to the Timchenko Foundation for developing a standard of evidence-based practices for evaluating social impact in childhood and for shaping approaches to assessing the effectiveness of community development.
In 2018, with the strategic participation of the Timchenko Foundation, the Standard for Evidence-Based Social Practices appeared in Russia[22]. It was developed by specialists from expert organizations, including Center for Evidence-Based Social Design of the Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Association of Program and Policy Evaluators, Process Consulting company, Institute for the Study of Childhood, Family, and Education of the Russian Academy of Education.
10 organizations from Moscow, Penza, Cherepovets, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Ivanovo provided descriptions of their social practices (model, technology, methodology, service, etc.) in an evidence-based format and were professionally verified. The format of the practice description implies its brief content, information on the achievement of social results, the quality of the available evidence on the achievement of positive changes in the lives of the beneficiaries, the regulated nature, the validity and good elaboration of the practice concept.
The standard is now a document that is evolving both methodologically and practically. In particular, the provisions of the standard are taken into account by the relevant ministries when developing methodological recommendations for organizations in the field of childhood, and the academic community makes extensive use of the standard's developments.
Another area of the Timchenko Foundation's work is the development of approaches to evaluating the effectiveness of local community development. In 2022, the foundation launched the Solidarity Communities project competition, which aims to solve small area problems by local communities, organizations, and initiative groups[23].
Maria Morozova, General Director of the Timchenko Foundation, told the Positive Changes Journal how the foundation created, approved, and independently audited a system for monitoring and evaluating programs.
“We use the ‘theory of change,' assuming how change will occur in the short, medium and long term. As part of it, we developed our own system of indicators, which helps to see the results. Each program has a different one, but they are all governed by the same standards and principles. The monitoring and evaluation system includes all participants in the activities — the foundation, regional operators, and beneficiaries — and this helps all of us develop, make informed strategic and management decisions, and achieve significant social changes,” says Maria Morozova.
The system has a pyramid structure:
• the lower level is the direct results of the foundation's work (number of events, trained specialists, newly developed methodological materials, etc.);
• the middle is the results achieved by the supported projects (changes in the lives of the people for whom the foundation works — children saved in their families, jobs, co-financing for the development of the city, etc.);
• the third, uppermost level is the long-term social impact, the change at the societal level of the situation that underlies the program. This is usually determined through external independent research.
Another winner in this category was the Help Needed foundation for creating the Core IT service, which allows socially oriented non-profit organizations to create reports, plan goals, and measure social impact[24].
Elizaveta Yaznevich, head of research at the Nuzhna Pomosh (Help Needed) foundation, told about other projects that the foundation developed in 2022. For example, the foundation's team of experts prepared a guide on creating and evaluating impact projects for the Sistema Charitable Foundation[25].
“We studied the experience of Sistema JSFC Group companies — the experience is varied in many ways, and together we formulated the criteria for classifying a project supported by business as an impact investment. The goal of such investments is to achieve a positive, measurable social or environmental effect — simultaneously with the business result; all the expected results of the project are measurable and attainable; the effect achieved is long-term. In addition, based primarily on the literature dedicated to monitoring and evaluation of social projects, we have prescribed methodological guidelines for all stages of the impact investment project cycle. In its final form, the guide is designed for a wide target audience: from the shareholder making the decision to invest to the employee generating the project idea,” says Elizaveta Yaznevich.
19
Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation. (2021). A collection of best practices and initiatives in the evidence-based approach to management decision-making. According to the results of the 1st Competition of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation. Moscow. Retrieved from: https://ach.gov.ru/upload/iblock/769/a8sk3xrqzdtomz4chspi3r8xkav4wp0f.pdf. (accessed: 09.12.2022).
20
Bairamkulov, A. & Khakimov, A. (2022). Ambrosia is an Open Source library for working with A/B tests. Retrieved from: https://habr.com/ru/company/ru_mts/blog/700992/. (accessed: 09.12.2022).
21
SOL SISC. (2014). Social reporting standard. How to prepare reporting based on your performance. Retrieved from: https://impact.ngo.ru/library/view/31. (accessed: 09.12.2022).
22
Standard of evidence-based social practices in childhood. (2018). Moscow. Retrieved from: https://timchenkofoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/standart_dokazatelnosti_socialnyh_prakti_v_sfere_detstva.pdf. (accessed: 09.12.2022).
23
Rudina-Ladyzhets, E. (2022). Communities as a driver of territorial development. The Solidarity Communities project experience. Positive Changes. 48–59. https://doi. org/10.55140/2782–5817–2022–2-S2–48–59.
24
Core. A project by the Nuzhna Pomosh (Help Needed) foundation. (2022). Retrieved from: https://core.nuzhnapomosh.ru/. (accessed: 09.12.2022).
25
Sistema Charitable Foundation. (2022). A guide for creating and evaluating impact projects. Retrieved from: https://bf.sistema.ru/upload/iblock/abe/tmvvep8snmgywrkonvn6b24s9rub9i3c/Gai_d-impakt-proekty_final.pdf. (accessed: 09.12.2022).