The Finnish Evaluation of Social Services group (FinSoc) aims to enhance knowledge of social work evaluation methodology and promote evidence-based social work in Finland. FinSoc gathers information on effective social work evaluation measures and models. It also develops new evaluation methods and supports social services evaluation research. However, further development is still needed, such as national evaluation instruments, higher education in evaluation, and integrated research and practice structures. Social work evaluation poses challenges due to its complexity and need to consider multiple contexts and perspectives.

1. Social work effectiveness evaluation
FinSoc-team 2012
20/09/2011 Minna Kivipelto, DSc, Research Manager, Technologies and Practices Evaluation Unit, Finsoc 1

2. Social work evaluation and EBSW-
researchc / national level
• R&D-work is done mainly by Universities, Social
Welfare Centres of Expertise and National Institute
for Health and Welfare
• In communes, few developing projects have been
running, mainly small and local projects
• Social work’s national targets are usually not very
clearly stated, and this makes social work
evaluation far more difficult as the aims and
objectives have to be developed in the process of
evaluation
20/09/2011 Minna Kivipelto, DSc, Research Manager, Technologies and Practices Evaluation Unit, Finsoc 2

3. FinSoc
• Enhances knowledge of evaluation methodology
and promotes evidence based social work
• Several R&D-projects on evaluation since 1997
• Experts in the group:
– Anu Muuri (Head of the Unit)
– Minna Kivipelto (Researh manager)
– Pekka Karjalainen (Senior researcher)
– Sanna Blomgren (Researcher)
– Paula Saikkonen (Researcher)
– Aune Flinck (Development manager)
– Hilkka Nyström (Project assistant)
20/09/2011 Minna Kivipelto, DSc, Research Manager, Technologies and Practices Evaluation Unit, Finsoc 3

4. FinSoc
• Provides evaluation methods for the social sector
• New method developments have been launched,
where also clients and service users are involved
• Realist Evaluation (Karjalainen 2012)
• Mirror Method (Yliruka 2006)
• Critical Evaluation (Kivipelto & Yliruka 2012)
• Participatory Evaluation models (Kivipelto 2008)
• AVAIN-measure (Kivipelto & Karjalainen 2012)
• Supports the development of social services by
conducting evaluation research
• The group co-operates actively with various actors
in the social sector nationally and internationally
20/09/2011 Minna Kivipelto, DSc, Research Manager, Technologies and Practices Evaluation Unit, Finsoc 4

5. The Finnish Evaluation of Social Services group (FinSoc)
• Currently
– Gathers information about evaluation measures and
models of effective adult social work; supports
evidence based social work.
– The potential for using single-case and realistic
evaluation in adult social work is under examination
– Involvement in National programmes (evaluation
support): KASTE, Innokylä
– International networks: INTSOCEVAL (International
network), Practice Research and Evidence Informed
Practice (European networks), Nord Plus (Nordic
network) etc.
– Dissertations of social work evaluation
20/09/2011 Minna Kivipelto, DSc, Research Manager, Technologies and Practices Evaluation Unit, Finsoc 5

6. In Finland, further development is
needed
• National instruments and data-collection methods
• Higher education on social work evaluation (no
master-level education in evaluation)
• Motivation and commitment
• Structures that integrate research, higher education,
and social work practice
• International networks and joint-projects around
evaluation research (measure and method
development, case-studies, evidence based social
work-projects etc.)
20/09/2011 Minna Kivipelto, DSc, Research Manager, Technologies and Practices Evaluation Unit, Finsoc 6

7. Challenges in the social work evaluation
in Finland
• Standardized scales and measures:
– Useful in evaluating certain function
– Useful when tracking changes in the given factor
– There are often limitations in relation to the
generalizability of the findings, and their replication or
transferability in different contexts
• Systematic reviews
– Synthesizing the results of several studies
– It possible to generalize the results to a broader
context
– Applying the information needs always professional
reflection and decision making
– Review process is slow
20/09/2011 Minna Kivipelto, DSc, Research Manager, Technologies and Practices Evaluation Unit, Finsoc 7

8. Evaluation should take into account the
complex nature of social work
• Social work evaluation needs a comprehensive
model, where client’s needs, problems and goals
are considered against his/her situation and
environment
• Social work also needs to include questions about
”whose perspective”, ”what context” and ”in relation to
what?”
• Any comprehensive evaluation model must take into
account the organizational and larger social factors,
as these contexts also influence workers and how
the organization is functioning as a whole
20/09/2011 Minna Kivipelto, DSc, Research Manager, Technologies and Practices Evaluation Unit, Finsoc 8

9. It has noticed that the
collected information is not
evidence until it has been
interpreted
20/09/2011 Minna Kivipelto, DSc, Research Manager, Technologies and Practices Evaluation Unit, Finsoc 9

10. References
• Karjalainen, P. (2012) Realistinen arviointi kuntouttavan sosiaalityön vaikuttavuudesta. Teoksessa: Pohjola,
Anneli; Kemppainen, Tarja & Väyrynen, Sanna (toim.) Sosiaalityön vaikuttavuus. Rovaniemi: Lapin
yliopistokustannus, 166-202.
• Kivipelto, M. (2012) Developing Effectiveness Evaluation in Adult Social Work (EEA). Paper presentation at 10th
EES Biennale Conference: evaluation in the Networked Society: New Concepts, New Challenges, New Solutions.
3rd/5th October. Helsinki, Finland.
• Kivipelto, Minna & Blomgren, Sanna (2012) Social work with adults as a tool for tackling exclusion. In: Karvonen,
Sakari; Keskimäki, Ilmo, Kuronen, Maria & Wilskman, Kaarina (ed.) Annual Review 2012. Helsinki: National
Institute for Health and Welfare. Available at: [http://www.thl.fi/thl-client/pdfs/734b5ed8-decc-451f-9dd3-
4a19dc4bfa3c]
• Kivipelto, M. & Karjalainen, P. (2012) Developing Effectiveness Evaluation in Adult Social Work (EEA). Paper
presentation at Evidence Informed Practice. April 22nd/25th, 2012. Cavan, Ireland.
• Kivipelto, M. Karjalainen, P. & Blomgren, S. (2012) Developing Effectiveness Evaluation in Adult Social Work
(EEA). Poster presentation at Evaluation for Practice. June 18th/20th 6, 2012. Pori, Finland.
• Kivipelto, Minna, Kotiranta, Tuija, Kazi, Mansoor A.F., Korteniemi, Pertti, Jauhiainen, Tuula & Borg, Pekka.
Finnish experiences of developing effectiveness evaluation in social work: case Helsinki Social Services
Department, the Unit of Social Rehabilitation. European Journal of Social Work. (Manuscript in referee-process)
• Kivipelto, M., Kotiranta, T. & Korteniemi, P. (2011) Finnish experiences of developing effectiveness evaluation in
social work. Paper presentation at Inter-Centre Network for the Evaluation of Social Work Practice
(INTSOCEVAL). September 26th / 27th, 2011, Olten.
• Kivipelto, Minna & Yliruka, Laura (2012) Mirror method as an approach for critical evaluation in social work.
Critical Social Work 13(2). Available at: [http://www.uwindsor.ca/criticalsocialwork/]
• Kivipelto, M. & Yliruka, L. (2011) Mirror method as an approach for critical evaluation in social work. Paper
presentation at International and Inter-disciplinary Workshop on Practice Research. June 8, 2011. Helsinki.
Available online at: [http://www.vits.org/?pageId=380]
20/09/2011 Minna Kivipelto, DSc, Research Manager, Technologies and Practices Evaluation Unit, Finsoc 10