Project: Impact valuation/SROI workshop and tool development
Client: Confidential DFI
Location: Europe/West Africa
Objective: A confidential Development Finance Institute (DFI) that provides concessionary loans and grants to support public infrastructure projects in the Global South wanted to understand how a ‘capitals approach’ could support its decision-making process and how impact valuation could be leveraged to demonstrate the societal value of its investments. The project centred on one of their current investments into a drinking water supply project in West Africa.
Our role: An initial phase of the project in late 2022 involved a site visit and consideration as to what a natural capital assessment of the water supply project would cover.
In 2025, Sustain Value delivered a workshop on Impact Valuation and Social Return on Investment (SROI) for the DFI to explore their potential application to the water supply project and the DFI’s wider investments. The workshop involved explaining the fundamentals of a ‘capitals approach’ and how ‘impact valuation’ and ‘SROI’ inter-relate, as well as highlighting best practice methodologies for health and poverty impact assessment.
We also presented a preliminary qualitative impact valuation summary table for the water supply project with indicative scores across environmental, social and economic impact parameters. Indicative monetary value of health benefits from averted diarrheal diseases as well as time saved were also presented, along with a detailed explanation of the valuation methodologies applied.
Outcome: We are currently scoping a potential phase 2 of the engagement with the DFI to develop an Impact Valuation Framework and Tool to support the organisation’s impact management throughout the investment process, from initial screening of projects, to influencing ESIA data collection and scheme modification, to reporting on each investment’s impact.