Session Description
Traditional Social Impact Assessment is effective at identifying impacts and recommending mitigation strategies. Increasingly, however, organisations are being asked to demonstrate how their activities contribute to measurable community outcomes and broader social value. This raises a critical question: what is genuinely within an organisation's area of influence, and how should success be measured?
This workshop explores the transition from impact assessment to impact management. Drawing on experience from community development, regional planning, social impact assessment and FIFO workforce research, participants will examine how Theory of Change approaches can help distinguish between impacts that can be directly controlled, indirectly influenced, or simply monitored as part of broader system change.
The session will also explore how AI-supported social research is changing the way practitioners understand community experience. Participants will consider how large volumes of qualitative community feedback can be analysed to identify patterns relating to SIA elements.
Through practical examples and facilitated discussion, participants will explore how to define an organisation's area of influence, select meaningful indicators, gather credible evidence and avoid overclaiming impact. The workshop will examine both the opportunities and limitations of AI-supported methods and their application to impact assessment, monitoring, adaptive management and social value reporting.
The session is intended for impact assessment practitioners, regulators, researchers and industry professionals seeking practical approaches to measuring social outcomes in complex environments.
Session Summary
How can impact practitioners better understand lived experience at scale? This workshop explores the use of AI-supported social research, sentiment analysis and structured social outcome frameworks to strengthen social impact assessment, community engagement and ongoing monitoring.
Additional Information
This session responds to a growing challenge in impact assessment practice: moving beyond identifying impacts to understanding what is realistically within an organisation's area of influence and how social outcomes can be measured over time. Drawing on experience from social impact assessment, community development, workforce research and impact measurement, the session will explore practical approaches to evidence gathering, monitoring, adaptive management and social value reporting in complex social systems.
Session Chair
Jessica Barker
Creating Communities
Australia
Session Co-chair
Donna Shepherd
Creating Communities
Australia