The ACCUMI Approach. Impact Evaluation as Reflexive Practice: Lessons from a Community of Practice in Social Work

Conventional methods for impact evaluation in social work often focus on standardized outcomes and experimental designs, thereby overlooking the complex and relational aspects of practice. This paper describes a year-long action research project involving a Community of Practice comprising practitioners from five social work organizations and academic researchers. Through participatory activities such as dialogue, collaborative mapping, and reflection, the group developed practice-based insights into various approaches to understanding and assessing impact. Thematic analysis led to the development of the ACCUMI approach, which is outlined by six guiding principles: Adapt and Adjust, Clarify and Claim, Cultivate Impact-Oriented Action, Uncover and Understand, Map the Path, and Interweave Perspectives. These principles frame impact evaluation as a context-sensitive, transparent, learning-oriented, and inclusive process. The ACCUMI approach provides a participatory model that aligns with the values, complexity, and realities of social work.