Evaluation of Social Capital
Every application of social capital will involve some form of evaluation, even if it is an informal process. An evaluation can reveal the nature of the social environment, the current status of social capital, and what interventions would improve social capital development and use.
Formalised evaluation processes can take the form of the following:
- Social Capital Measurement – measurement of the current status of social capital in a particular context, which can involve a variety of different methods depending on the circumstances.
- Social Capital Impact Assessment – an assessment of a specific activity or project to assess its impact on social capital, providing opportunities for improvement and or evaluation of the activity or project.
- Social Capital SWOT Analysis – a systematic analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of social capital in a particular context.
- Social Capital Accessibility Assessment – an assessment of how accessible social capital and its use are for different members of a group or community.
- Social Capital Opportunity Appraisal – a review of the key opportunities to build or use social capital more effectively in a particular context.
An evaluation of social capital can do the following:
- Identify and maximise the strengths and opportunities to build and use social capital
- Identify and mitigate the limitations, weaknesses, challenges, and barriers to the building and use of social capital
- Identify and mitigate potential damage or loss of social capital
- Identify and mitigate downsides or negative social capital
An evaluation of social capital can illuminate multiple ways to improve social capital and your desired outcomes.