1. Thematic Report on the contribution of the ESF to Social innovation
Evaluation partnership meeting
7 December 2017
Costanza Pagnini
Fondazione G. Brodolini

2. Social Innovation
The development and implementation of new ideas […] to meet social needs and create new social relationships or collaborations. […] new responses to pressing social demands, which affect the process of social interactions. […] Social innovations are innovations that are social in both their ends and means (European Commission, Guide to social innovation, 2013)

3. Features of SI
The EC Guide to Social Innovation identifies some elements which characterise Social innovation, these are:
an open rather than closed process in terms of ownership of knowledge
often multi-disciplinary and integrated
bottom-up and participative rather than top-down (which is conducive to the empowerment of different target groups)
demand-led rather than supply-driven
tailored rather than mass produced

4. Policy Background
Importance of SI in tackling new societal challenges in an innovative and cost effective way
Social Investment Package: social innovation must be an integral part of necessary adjustments by testing new policy approaches and selecting the most effective ones
The SIP anticipates that more guidance will be given to MS in the areas of social innovation, deinstitutionalisation and health to make the most of social investments.

5. Social Innovation and the ESF
ESF Regulation
Make policies more responsive to social change. ESF should support
innovative social enterprises and entrepreneurs and innovative projects taken on by non-governmental organisations and other actors within the social economy.
In particular, testing and evaluating innovative solutions before scaling them up is instrumental in improving the efficiency of policies and thus justifies specific support from the ESF. Innovative solutions could include, provided they prove to be effective, the development of social metrics such as, for example, social labelling.
Art. 9 ESF Reg
The ESF shall promote social innovation within all areas falling under its scope, as defined in Article 3 of this Regulation, in particular with the aim of testing, evaluating and scaling up innovative solutions, including at the local or regional level, in order to address social needs in partnership with the relevant partners and, in particular, social partners.

6. Social innovation and the ESF
Horizontal principle
Mainstreamed vs Specific actions
Importance of partnership approach
ESF in OP and AIRs

7. SI in ESF 11 OPs in 7 MS have selected dedicated Pax (800m €)
107 OPs reported on SI in AIR2016

8. Key challenges Demarcation No shared understanding/knowledge
Horizontal principle
Evaluation/assessment
No consolidated approaches
Mainstreaming

9. Methodological approach
Building the analytical framework (Inception)
Lit review/Concept
SI matrix for mapping and assessing
Scoping interviews
Mapping SI – filling the matrix (Interim)
Screening of AIRs/(OPs)
E-survey all MAs
In-depth interviews
Research questions (Final report)
Case studies
Answering evaluation questions

10. Research questions Effectiveness
How is the ESF supporting social innovation? Approaches, interventions? main thematic objectives/sectors targeted?
Is support adequate in promoting social innovation (eg address societal challenges, use of public-private partnership, testing initiatives with a view to upscaling them)?
De-institutionalisation
Main criticalities
M&E?

11. Research questions Relevance: Coherence: Eu added value
are the social innovation initiatives promoted by the ESF relevant to the most pressing societal challenges?
Coherence:
Is there a complementarity/synergy with other EU initiatives in the field and/or other funding instruments such as the EASI, Horizon 2020?
Eu added value
What is the role of mutual learning/territorial cooperation in this context? What is the role of Community Led Local Development?