What gets counted, counts. nef is creating new approaches to value and measurement so that those things that matter most to people, communities and to achieving a sustainable planet are made visible and measurable.
Practices of measurement and valuation are still often focused narrowly and on the short term. Sometimes things that are easy to count, outputs, are the things that get measured and thereby valued. Instead nef believes measures should be focused on outcomes and how lives, communities or the environment changes as a result of policy.
Our approach focuses on a 'triple bottom line' where returns from investment are evaluated by their longer-term social, environmental and economic returns. These can be used across the public, private and third sector. nef works with a number of tools to measure and account for value.
Key facts
- 1£1 invested in high-quality residential care for children generates a social return of between £4 and £6.10
- 2£1 invested in alternative, non-prison based sentencing for women offenders generates a social return of £14
- 3The UK could save £486 billion over the next 20 years by switching to a preventative system of care for children and young people.
Projects
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Social Return on Investment
Conventional cost-benefit analysis does not capture what really matters to us. nef has developed alternative measurement tools to improve decision making.
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SROI and Public Policy
Government can make better decisions if they have better measurement
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Commissioning for public benefit
Using Social Return on Investment, commissioners can create real value in public services.
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The Value of Work
We must reward work that creates true value for the economy, for society and for the environment.
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SROI and Infrastructure
We're expanding the use of Social Return on Investment to analysis of big infrastructure projects, starting with an assessment of the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport.
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The Great Transition
Finding ways to survive and thrive through financial crises, climate change and the peak and decline of global oil production.
Publications
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Grounded
A new approach to evaluating Runway 3
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Punishing Costs
How locking up children is making Britain less safe
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A Bit Rich
Calculating the real value to society of different professions
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Benefits that work
The social value of the Community Allowance
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Backing the Future
Why investing in children is good for us all
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A guide to commissioning children’s services for better outcomes
Backing the Future: Practical Guide 3
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Tools for You
Approaches to proving and improving for charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprise
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A guide to Social Return on Investment
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Seven principles for measuring what matters
A guide to effective public policy-making
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A Better Return
Setting the foundations for intelligent commissioning to achieve value for money
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