Social Capital Impact Assessment (SCIA)
Overview
Social Capital Impact Assessment (SCIA) provides a structured way to understand how decisions shape the social capital systems that underpin long-term performance, legitimacy, and collective action. Rather than treating social factors only as immediate responses or outcomes, SCIA frames social capital as a form of future capacity that can be strengthened, weakened, or constrained by the choices organisations make.
This practice paper introduces SCIA as a governance-relevant impact assessment approach for policy-makers, project leaders, and practitioners working in complex social contexts. It sets out why social capital matters for long-term impact, how it can be used as an assessment lens, and how this lens can be applied in practice in a disciplined, decision-relevant way.
About this paper
Practice Paper No. 1
Latest version published: January 5, 2026
Author: Tristan Claridge
Pages: 30
This practice paper is available in two formats:
- Read the paper online — suitable for on-screen reading and reference
- Download the PDF — suitable for offline use, sharing, and citation
What this practice paper covers
This ISC Practice Paper:
- explains why social capital is a critical determinant of long-term impact
- presents social capital as an impact assessment lens rather than an outcome
- introduces the social capital system (capacity, conditions, and activation)
- sets out the core questions SCIA enables decision-makers to ask
- describes a structured SCIA process aligned with existing IA practice
- clarifies how SCIA supports governance without seeking to control behaviour
The paper is written to support improved decision quality rather than to advance theoretical debate.
Who this paper is for
This practice paper is intended for:
- policy-makers and public sector decision-makers
- infrastructure and project leaders
- impact assessment and planning practitioners
- organisational leaders managing complex social risk
- funders and institutions concerned with long-term performance and legitimacy
It assumes familiarity with impact assessment and governance processes, but does not require specialist knowledge of social capital theory.
Further engagement
Readers interested in applied examples, methodological notes, or further discussion of SCIA in specific decision contexts—such as infrastructure planning, policy design, organisational change, or community investment—are invited to engage with the author and the Institute for Social Capital.
Publication details
Claridge, T. (2026). Social Capital Impact Assessment (SCIA): Using social capital as a lens for long-term impact. Institute for Social Capital.
© Institute for Social Capital
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
