Social Impact Bonds: Blockbuster or Flash in a Pan?

International Journal of Public Administration, 2016

Tiresia authors: Irene Bengo, Mario Calderini, Veronica Chiodo

ARENA, M., BENGO, I., CALDERINI, M., CHIODO, V. (2016). Social Impact Bonds: Blockbuster or Flash in a Pan*? International Journal of Public Administration*, 39(12), 927-939. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01900692.2015.1057852

FULL ARTICLE

Abstract

Despite the general hype, Social Impact Bonds’ (SIB) rate of adoption is still modest. The mismatch between widespread interest and actual adoption raises interesting questions as to whether we are still in the early adoption phase of SIBs and massive diffusion is yet to come, or we are observing a marginal phenomenon. In order to shed some light on this issue, the paper provides a review of the cases in which the SIB model has been already applied, exploring the specific configuration employed, with the purpose to identify regular configuration patterns and their deviation from a prototypical structure.