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Social return on investment (SROI), an evaluation method that compares monetized social value generated to costs invested, is in ascendance. Conceptually akin to cost-benefit analysis, it shares some of its challenges; however, these are heightened due to the expressed promise of using SROI to compare programs and inform philanthropic and public investment decisions. In this paper, I describe the landscape of SROI studies to date, including a review of a representative sample of SROI evaluations, which have been vetted by Social Value International. I also draw on the experience of an organization that has used SROI in earnest as a decision-making tool to provide an assessment of both the methods that underpin it and the ways in which it is applied. I conclude by offering some recommendations to consider to get the most value from this evaluation method while avoiding some potential pitfalls.

Childhood malnutrition, which is endemic in rural areas of low‐income countries, leads to a host of deleterious outcomes such as poor cognitive development, low educational attainment and lower lifetime wages. Promoting the consumption of eggs among young children has emerged as a promising strategy to combat childhood malnutrition, though pathways to scale remain unclear. In this paper, we evaluate the impact of a social and behaviour change communication (SBCC) campaign combined with a program in which rural families purchased chickens on credit (poultry + SBCC; n = 769) relative to an arm in which families only received the poultry intervention (poultry only; n = 750), using a difference‐in‐difference estimation strategy with propensity score matching. The SBCC consisted of radio messages, in‐person training, text message reminders and posters. We found a relatively modest but statistically significant increase in the number of times per week respondents in the poultry + SBCC arm reported feeding eggs to children of 0.28 (p = 0.02) compared to the poultry‐only arm. The increase in egg feeding, however, was more pronounced for boys (0.42, p < 0.01) than for girls (0.14, p = 0.26). In addition, the campaign increased egg feeding more for those who were already feeding eggs to children (0.63, p < 0.01) than those who were not engaging in those practices at baseline (0.26, p < 0.01). However, the difference in these differences was not statistically significant. Future campaigns should ensure higher saturation of messaging and include specific messaging around the importance of feeding girls as well as boys. Campaigns seeking to scale up egg feeding quickly could potentially target the easier‐to‐reach segment of caregivers who already occasionally feed eggs to children though these might not be the neediest group. Key messages: A multi‐pronged social and behaviour change communication campaign increased egg consumption among young children in rural Rwanda.While the egg consumption gains were modest, the social behaviour change campaign was not fully implemented due to COVID‐19 and other challenges, so it is possible that a more fully implemented campaign could achieve greater impacts.Effects appeared to be most pronounced for boys and those who were already feeding eggs to children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrition experts point to the importance of a multipronged approach to address high stunting rates in rural areas. This can include nutrition-specific and -sensitive interventions, such as the provision of micronutrient powder, eggs, and chlorine, and nutrition training to improve feeding practices. In 2018, an agricultural nongovernmental organisation initiated a multipronged approach as part of a randomised trial. However, adherence to a programme with so many components can be challenging for participants. The aim of this study is to understand which factors are associated with high adherence in complex multifaceted nutrition- sensitive agricultural programmes. We used a mixed method approach in which we used bivariate and multivariable analyses to estimate the relationship between child and caregiver demographic factors with product adherence. We analyzed data from six focus groups and 120 feedback sessions on barriers to product adherence. We found that the age and sex of the child did not influence product adherence, but caregivers were more likely to adhere to all products if they were not the child's biological mother (most often grandmothers) (0.28 higher adherence score; p < 0.001) and if caregivers were older (0.34 higher adherence score, p < 0.001). A higher monthly training attendance, combining product distribution and interactive training, predicted stronger product adherence. Participants noted that adherence was supported by the early demonstration of positive results, regular reminders, interactive trainings, and the encouragement of family members. These findings underscore the importance of combining product distribution with training and include potentially targeting grandmothers and other caregivers who may demonstrate higher product adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]