1. Corporate slide master
With guidelines for corporate presentations
Applying SROI in the
evaluation of Libraries
for Life
CyMAL: Amgueddfeydd Archifau a Llyfrgelloedd Cymru
CyMAL: Museums Archives and Libraries Wales
Dr Alyson Tyler
Libraries Development Adviser
CyMAL, Welsh Government
@libalyson
Alison Kennedy
ASK Consulting

2. Outline of talk
• Wales context
• Libraries for Life strategy
and evaluation
• Social Return on Investment
• Issues to consider
• Questions
Grandad Bibli – part of
marketing campaign

3. Wales context
3 million people, 20% speak Welsh
1 National Library of Wales
22 local authority library services
c. 12 HE libraries (mergers ongoing)
c. 23 FE libraries (mergers ongoing)
50+ health libraries
5 Prison libraries
School libraries
Workplace libraries
Image from CC Flickr -
giveawayboy

4. What is CyMAL?
• Policy division of Welsh Government
(Cymru Museums Archives and Libraries)
• Cross-domain approach
• Policy development, grant programmes,
advice and support
• Library strategies:
– 2005-07 @ your library
– 2008-11 Libraries for Life
Government building in Aberystwyth

5. Libraries for life 2008-11
• Funding £10.5 m
– 2008-09 £1m + £1.5m capital
– 2009-10 £1m + £3m capital
– 2010-11 £1m + £3m capital
• Work strands
– Community Learning Libraries Programme
– Online content and resources
– Regional Library Partnerships framework
– National marketing strategy
– Developing workforce skills
– Welsh Public Libraries Standards Framework Three

6. Evaluation framework
• Independent research company Scotinform, with
Associates
• 16 month evaluation process – interim reports
• Qualitative research:
– Literature review – country comparator
– Interviews with CyMAL staff
– Interviews with strand leaders and key stakeholders
– Survey of heads of library services
– Staff: survey (online), focus groups (online and face
to face)
– Users: survey (online and paper), focus groups
(online and face to face)
– Non-users: interviews (face to face) and focus groups
(online and face to face)
• SROI analysis on two programme strands

7. What is SROI?
• Framework for measuring and accounting for
value
• Developed by Cabinet Office of the Third
Sector
• It measures relevant change
• Value rather than money

8. • 2 work strands assessed
• Workforce Development
• CLLIP – 2 case study libraries
• Pontarddulais (near Swansea, south Wales)
• Wrexham (north Wales)
SROI - Process

9. 1.Establishing scope and identifying key
stakeholders
2.Mapping outcomes
3.Evidencing outcomes and giving them a value
4.Establishing impact
5.Calculating the SROI
6.Reporting, using and embedding
SROI – 6 Stage Process

10. SROI – Information Gathering
• Focus groups held with library staff and users
• SROI relevant questions included in evaluation
surveys
• CyMAL reports and management information
analyzed

11. Outcomes Identified
Outcomes
• Workforce Development: £3.12* of SROI
• Pontarddulais: £3.42* of SROI
• Wrexham: £2.16* of SROI
“SROI is not just a number but a story about
change which includes narrative, qualitative,
quantitative and financial aspects”
* = unverified

12. Findings from the SROI Process
• Staff and users benefited; increased usage and
users and improved staff working environments
• Staff benefitted from increased levels of skills
and confidence and higher earning potential
• Provided valuable insight into wider impacts
and benefits of the investment in the library
sector in Wales

13. SROI and Measuring Impact of
Libraries for Life
• Challenging process
• Many stakeholders and indicators identified
• Not always possible to find a financial proxy to
show the benefit (materiality)
• Consulting with large number of stakeholders
biggest challenge
• Not an appropriate measurement tool for a
programme of this size
• Tool would be more appropriate for smaller,
discreet projects

14. Other findings and conclusions
• “… excellent value for money…”
• Wide reach impact of an holistic
approach to investment in libraries
• Value of partnerships across the
library sector
• Intrinsic ‘value’ of libraries, even from
non-users

15. Future issues
• Data gathering framework vital
• SROI suitability for large programmes?
• Other economic impact tools e.g. joint ROI
project 2011-12
• Other options for measuring performance
in libraries (cf our Public Library
Standards)

16. Contact details
• Alyson Tyler alyson.tyler@wales.gsi.gov.uk
@libalyson
http://libalyson.wordpress.com
www.wales.gov.uk/cymal - Evaluation report available
here
• Alison Kennedy alison.kennedy@askconsulting.org.uk
www.askconsulting.org.uk
• Scotinform www.scotinform.co.uk