EVOSST Presented at the 34th European Social Services Conference (ESSC) 2026 in Malta
The EVOSST Horizon Europe project was successfully presented at the 34th European Social Services Conference (ESSC) 2026, held from 17-20 May 2026 in Valletta, Malta.
The conference brought together social services leaders, policy-makers, public authorities, researchers, practitioners, third-sector organisations, service-user representatives, and technology innovators from across Europe, providing a unique platform for dialogue on the future of social care and welfare services.
During the conference, Melina Dritsaki, Associate Professor at the Department of Economics of the University of Western Macedonia, presented the EVOSST project and its ongoing work on the evaluation and valorisation of social services. The presentation highlighted EVOSST’s vision for developing more comprehensive and evidence-based approaches to assessing the value generated by social services.
Participants were introduced to the project’s key objectives, including the development of a new multidimensional well-being measure, a novel Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework, lifecycle impact analysis through dynamic modelling, innovative AI and VR-enabled solutions, and an integrated policy framework for social services.
Particular attention was given to EVOSST’s innovative SROI approach, which aims to incorporate economic, social, environmental, and well-being dimensions into the evaluation of social services. The framework seeks to provide a more holistic understanding of the value generated by social interventions, helping decision-makers better assess outcomes, support evidence-based policymaking, and improve resource allocation.
The presentation attracted considerable interest from conference delegates, reflecting the growing need for evaluation methodologies capable of capturing not only the financial aspects of social services, but also their wider impact on individuals, communities, and society.
EVOSST’s participation in ESSC 2026 offered an excellent opportunity to disseminate the project’s objectives, exchange knowledge with experts and stakeholders from across Europe, and contribute to ongoing discussions on the future of social service evaluation and innovation.
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