Out now: The complete set of Standards for Applying the Principles of Social Value

By Yulia Romaschenko, Technical Director at Social Value International

Today, SVI published the final version of the Standards for Applying the Principles of Social Value (including the SVI Reporting Standard). These are now available to download the complete set from the SVI Standards page. 

The Standards set out a principles-based approach to understanding impacts that matter to people affected, building an impact account, reporting transparently and using that information to improve decisions. 

They provide a comprehensive overview of SVI’s best practice framework for applying the Principles of Social Value. Their purpose is to support practitioners and organisations to strengthen SROI and social impact reporting, and to develop and embed effective impact measurement and management systems (IMM) within governance and decision-making. 

The Standards were developed by SVI in collaboration with its most experienced practitioners and active members. A draft version was published for public consultation in February 2025. Throughout the year, the SVI Standards Committee worked to incorporate consultation feedback into this final version, which will now inform updates to SVI guidance, accredited training, assurance and accreditation processes. 

The Standards also build on recent methodological developments, including SVI Glossary 2.0 (2023) and the Guidance for practitioners on Principle 8: Be Responsive (2025). 

Key updates 

The consultation process generated thoughtful and constructive feedback from across our global community. We are grateful for the insights shared. This final version reflects that dialogue, and includes a number of important clarifications and refinements. Some of the key updates are outlined below. 

1. Clearer terminology: The Standards now use people affected as the primary term (in line with Glossary 2.0). Principle 1 may be titled “Involve People Affected / Those Affected” instead of “Involve Stakeholders” without changing its meaning. 

2. New dual-user design: The Standards now distinguish more clearly between:  

• practitioners preparing accounts and reports for a defined scope, and  

• organisations embedding accountability and impact management into governance and day-to-day decision-making over time. 

3. Evolved understanding of materiality: Materiality is framed as relevance and significance without exclusion. Outcomes that are relevant but not significant should remain within an organisation’s impact measurement and management system and be planned for future measurement, even if they are not prioritised in the current reporting period. 

Evolving with practice 

These Standards reflect SVI’s current understanding of best practice. As practices continue to evolve, the SVI Standards Committee will review the document annually, drawing on recurring themes from our Methodology, Training, and Assurance Q&A sessions with members, as well as feedback submitted through the website and other channels (such as CPD and working group sessions). 

If you are using the Standards, we encourage you to share what is working well and what could be improved. This feedback helps keep the Standards practical, credible and up to date. 

Thank you to everyone who shared feedback during consultation, and to the members of the SVI Standards Committee for working throughout 2025 to incorporate the feedback that went into the final publication. This collective effort strengthens the Standards and moves us closer to our shared goal: to enable better decisions based on evidence of real-world changes and the importance of those changes to people affected – with transparency about choices, trade-offs and limitations. 

Want to learn more? 

Read this Technical Summary for a more detailed overview of key points about the complete set of Standards.  

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