2. Research Methods and Findings

I employed various research methods as outlined in the table opposite. My research provided me with eight key insights as outlined below. It also showed that evaluation tends to be confused with monitoring activities or processes and the focus tends to be on impact on volunteers, not communities as per the mapping of examples undertaken. Volunteer involving organisations are also faced with various challenges in evaluating the social impact of their volunteering programmes.

Overview of design research methods used

Summary of eight key insights from the research

Main challenges VIOs face in evaluating social impact of volunteering programmes