Social Impact framework: Literature review

Arts Council England is seeking a service provider to conduct a literature review, both domestic and international, of existing social impact frameworks. The review not only needs to bring together a range of social impact frameworks aimed at understanding the impact of cultural intervention, it also needs to bring together frameworks which exist beyond the art and cultural sector.

It is the strategic ambition of this literature review to better understand what social impact frameworks currently exist and in particular:

• What are the consistencies in the various approaches? These might include common indicators or intended outcomes or steps to go through.
• What are the challenges and gaps in relation to these existing frameworks?
• The level of understanding needed by an individual or organisation to complete these frameworks?

In addition to the literature review we would like the service provider to speak to no more than 10 individuals/organisations well versed in understanding and developing social impact frameworks to ascertain what attributes a future social impact framework for the arts and cultural sector might look like. These individuals would comprise of arts organisations, leading academics in this area, commercial organisations as well as public policy leads.