Measurement as reflection in faith-based social action

This article reflects upon a process of developing an approach to measuring faith-based contributions to social action, examining the problems and challenges involved. A systematic review of research arising in regional faith-based settings in England [Dinham (2007) Priceless, Unmeasureable:Faith-based Community Development in England in the 21st Century, FbRN, London] shows the considerable extent to which faith groups are engaged in social action in communities. It also identifies the diversity of language used to describe those activities, and of research approaches to capturing them. We examine how this poses challenges to demonstrating the value of faith-based activities to funders and policy-makers and argue that more important are the difficulties posed to discussing and comparing faith-based activities in ways which might be helpful to faith groups' own reflective practice. We link this to how power accrues around what is measured and therefore valued and discuss the possibility of broadening measurement by rooting it in community development. We propose balancing in measurement the demands of accountability and demonstrability with the values of community development, to produce a 'bottom up' reflective praxis which can support and empower local faith communities to be heard on their own terms whilst at the same time defining and refining those terms. In these ways, the article is intended both for practitioners engaging in faith-based social action and its evaluation, and for policy-makers and funders wishing to engage with its value and contribution.