Tools for Assessing Social
Impact of Events
John Tibbitt and Amanda Benjamin
The University of Glasgow
Types of Events

Mega/Hallmark (Large, Extended)
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Major Events (One-off, Short Duration)

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Concerts
Programme (Series, Over period of time)
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UEFA Cup Final, World Piping Championship
Smaller (One-off, Short Duration)
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Commonwealth Games, Olympics, Celtic Connections
Community learning programme
Facilities (continuous availability)
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Museums, Stadia/Sports facilities
The Focus of Analysis

Engagement of the Community

Satisfaction of the Community

Benefits to the Community
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Legacies (Long term post-event,
Sustainable, On-going)

Economics
What are Impacts?
Changes in Behaviours

But Also…
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Attitude
Perceptions
Beliefs
Knowledge
Impacts are in Different Domains:

Employment

Learning/Skill

Cultural

Social Relations/Capital

Well-Being
Impacts can be measured at:

Planning Stage

Development or Construction

Delivery

Immediately after an event

Legacy or long term impacts
Impacts Can Be…
 Direct
or Indirect
 Positive
and Negative
 Process
or Outcome
Impacts on Whom?

Within the Community (Immediate impact
area, local residents)

Within the Wider Community (Those who
live in the locality)

External to the Community (Visitors, Tourists
and Business Stakeholders)
Methods for Examining Social Impact



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Longitudinal Studies (Qualitative and Quantitative)
Before/After Comparisons
Secondary Analysis (Existing Surveys, Time Series)
Panel Studies
Household Surveys
Group Interviews/Focus Groups
Participant Satisfaction Surveys
Observation
Propensity Score Methods
Case Studies
Some of the Existing Approaches

Social Audit

Social Return on Investment (SROI)

Social Capital Theory

Tourism Impact

Linkages Model

Social Exchange Theory

Contingent Valuation
Research Concerns

Adequacy of indicators

Adequacy of theories of change

Measuring unanticipated change

Value and Quality

Self-reported Data

Financial Proxies

Scale and Generalisability
Questions to Consider

Are we clear about what we want to
know?

What is the focus of the analysis?

How good are the available indicators?

Are the research tools robust for our
purpose?

Do the methods fit the question?