Understanding SROI with Stube-HEMAT Bengkulu

By: Yohanes Dian Alpasa, S.Si.          

Difficulty in discovering new ideas and delays in initiating activities are forms of “stalling.” Challenges in innovating and adapting are common across many organizations, including government agencies, church ministries, and empowerment groups. Confronting this issue, the Stube-HEMAT multiplicator in Bengkulu continues to learn, adapt to change, and innovate. As part of this effort, an initiative was undertaken to study SROI (Social Return on Investment) through an online training session organized by the Logout Indonesia Institute on Friday, November 29, 2025.

The webinar speaker, Aditya Rahmat Gunawan, an alumnus of Padjajaran University, discussed the application of the SROI method. The author attentively participated in the two-hour training. SROI is a tool used to measure the impact of a program. It can be applied both to evaluate existing programs and to design new ones. The goal is to determine the extent of social benefits generated compared to the costs incurred. Originating in the UK and later spreading to mainland Europe, this method has been adopted by several institutions to assess program impact. Because it provides results that are both detailed and easy to interpret, it is reportedly used in many countries. For example, if the SROI is 3:1, this means that every IDR 1 invested generates social benefits worth IDR 3. In other words, the program delivers three times the social value of its costs. Such social investment is considered highly effective because the benefits greatly outweigh the costs. An illustration of SROI calculation can be found in the appendix to this article.

The impact of a program is not only economic but also social, environmental, and cultural. Impact can also be assessed by the proportion of each party’s contribution to the program. For example, if Stube-HEMAT funds 50% of the program’s needs (with the other half funded by another party), its share of the impact will likewise be 50%. Moreover, if the program’s additional benefits are monetized, the SROI ratio will almost certainly increase.

The activities undertaken by Stube-HEMAT Bengkulu in 2026 are planned to be assessed using SROI (Social Return on Investment) to determine their impact. Through journalism and self-development programs over the next year, it is expected that students will produce written works that are both academically and publicly accountable—published in local newspapers—and potentially monetized. Support for this program is being sought from a wide range of stakeholders.***

 

Attachment.

Example of SROI Calculation.

Activity Name: Digital Technology & AI Utilization Training

-          Program fee: IDR 30.000.000
-          Participants: 30 students
-          Students actually using AI: 20 people
-          Main benefit: Time savings due to more effective use of digital technology and AI
-          Hours saved: 2 hours/week/person
-          Value of 1 hour of student time: IDR 20.000
-          Impact duration: 1 year = 52 weeks
-          Deadweight: 20% (some would have learned on their own, even without the program)
-          Attribution: 20% (contributions from other parties, not just this program)

 

1.      Calculate the benefit per student

Hours saved per year: 2 hours/week × 52 weeks = 104 hours/year

 

2.      Monetary value per student:

104 hours × 20.000 = 2.080.000

So, each student receives an economic benefit of approximately IDR 2.080.000 per year.

 

3.      Calculate the total gross benefits (before corrections).

Students who actually used AI = 20.

2.080.000 x 20 = 41.600.000

So, the total gross benefits = Rp 41.600.000.

 

4.      Deadweight and attribution corrections

Deadweight 20% → only 80% of the benefits are truly due to the program.

Attribution 20% → only 80% can be claimed as belonging to the program.

41.600.000 × 0,80 × 0,80

41.600.000 × 0,64 = 26.624.000

So, total net benefits = Rp 26.624.000

 

5.      Calculate the SROI ratio

SROI = Total net benefits

Total costs

SROI = 26.624.000 : 30.000.000 ≈ 0.887

We can round this to: SROI ≈ 0.89 : 1

 

This means that for every Rp 1 invested in the program, it is estimated to generate socio-economic benefits of approximately Rp 0.89 (almost a return on investment in benefits). This program is close to a 1:1 ratio, meaning the measurable benefits are almost equal to the costs.