Evaluation in Impact Investing

Abstract

The emergence of impact investing over the past decade has been accompanied by an increased interest of practitioners and scholars in the impact evaluation topic, one of the twofold pillars of the such an innovative financial approach. To contribute to the international debate, this study adopts a qualitative approach by obtaining results from a systematic literature review of extant research. This is useful to 1) identify the current existing impact evaluation approaches adopted in the field and 2) derive an empirical analysis in the impact investing sector with a focus on impact measurement in social impact bonds. The study opens interesting insights into recognizing the potential for the whole impact investing field, deriving both from theory and evidence of impact evaluation practices.