'Assessing the socio-economic impact of heritage: from theory to practice,' chapter in Technology strategy, management and socio-economic impact: Heritage Management Series Volume II, J McLoughlin, J Kaminski and B Sodagar, (2007) Archaeolingua: Budapest. pp. 17-41, ISBN 978-963-8046-87-1
This chapter builds on the models and frameworks that have been produced and published previously by our CUBIST research group, working for the EPOCH network, funded by the EC.
This socio-economic impact model conceptualises holistically the key dimensions and complex dynamic inter-linkages that drive impact and combines this with a typology of impacts and accompanying measurement considerations. This theoretical construction is converted into a practical tool for assessing and measuring impact through the new 6Cs HIT (Heritage Impact Training) model which is designed to help heritage managers, strategists and policy makers implement coherent and effective approaches to capturing the socio-economic impacts of heritage.
This makes the research conducted previously accessible to those in the heritage sector who need it most. This holistic impact and 6Cs training model has been deployed in a number of contexts to heritage site managers.
Furthermore, the underlying principles of the model have been adapted to form the basis of a training model for the social enterprise sector. This adapted version of the model has been used to train 45 social enterprises in the south-east of England in the principals of impact assessment. It forms the basis of a VRQ (Vocationally Related Qualification) Level Five, certified by the Institute of Leadership Management.
The rapid adoption of the derivative impact and training model by the social enterprise sector is an indication of the adaptability of the impact assessment principles in the training model.
The EC reviewers of EPOCH project in August 2007 clearly recognised the significance attached to the research in describing the work thus:
"The socio-economic impact modelling work (2.6) is some of the most innovative and original work being done in this work package. Its long-term impact is likely to be tremendous."
Also, The reviewers consider that the extension of socio-economic modelling activities beyond EPOCH would be laudable. (p.11)
