AI & social value

Advancing best practice in line with the Principles of Social Value

A lot of practitioners are already using AI to listen better and go further. Our role is to make sure that it’s done ethically and in line with the Principles of Social Value – not as a quick-fix that puts a figure on someone's life without ever engaging the person living it.

Our position is simple: AI should augment human listening and judgement, but never replace it.

As a global convenor and standard-setter, SVI isn't waiting for the sector to decide what good looks like. Instead, we are working with our community to define best practice, and to share it as we go.

Social value has always meant listening to the experiences of affected people, and making decisions based on what they tell us. AI doesn't change that, but it does raise the stakes.

Access AI & social value resources

Our role in AI & social value

We’re developing guidance for digital tools that claim to measure
social value. We’re setting out what any tool should do and what best practice looks like.

Setting
best practice

We’re gathering and publishing best-practice guidance on using AI in social value and impact measurement, delivering the practical how-to that practitioners tell us they need most.

Bringing together the community

We’re bringing the field together, through workshops and member sessions, to help the community learn from one another and celebrate the good work achieved to date.

Equipping
practitioners

Resources

SIMNA · June 2026

Principles for the Use of AI in Social Impact Measurement and Social Value Practices

SIMNA has developed eight values-led principles for using AI responsibly in social impact and social value practice, covering human judgement first, and data sovereignty and transparency.

SIMNA · June 2026

AI Use in Social Impact Measurement & Practice: 2026 Pulse Survey Results

A survey of Australian social impact practitioners (with Social Impax) showing AI use is now widespread across the sector, even as most feel only somewhat confident using it.

Social Value Italia · June 2026

Manifesto for the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in evaluation processes

Shared principles for transparent, people-centred AI use in evaluation, and the role of professional judgement, accountability, methodological rigour, and stakeholder engagement

AI should augment human listening and judgement,
but never replace it.

Still to come…

This is a live programme and there's more on the way. Here's what to expect over the coming months.

What any tool claiming to measure social value should do, and what best practice looks like (opening for consultation soon).
Building on the best practice guidance, our updated software accreditation programme will ensure that a digital tool can be recognised against a clear, graded bar rather than a simple pass or fail.
Short commitments — justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, transparency and professionalism — and a professional ethics standard for practitioners, with responsible AI conduct built in.
A panel to guide the work, refine the standards and keep the bar credible and fair. We'll publish its terms of reference and open a call to join.
Practical how-to on the topics practitioners tell us they most want — qualitative and quantitative analysis, survey design, and theories of change.
Risks and opportunities, featuring voices from across our network, each sharing one thing they think SVI should do.
Research into the questions the sector tends to skip — the environmental footprint, and the data and labour behind these tools.
Monthly drop-in sessions in the Global Community Hub, our virtual space for events, to share, ask and connect.

Have your say

Help us get this right. Tell us what we've got right, what's missing and whether the bar is set at the right level.

If you’ve published or come across relevant guidance the community should know about, please point us to it too.

Contact us

Join an upcoming event, explore membership options, connect with your local social value network, or let us support your professional development through training and accreditation.