Javier Caicedo Salcán defended his doctoral thesis on 29 April at the Faculty of Economics of the Universitat de València (UV). The thesis was supervised by Gemma Fajardo García, lecturer at the UV.
The panel was made up of Carmen Marcuello Servós, professor at the University of Saragossa and president of the Scientific Committee on Social Economy and Cooperatives of CIRIEC-International (chair); María José Senent Vidal, lecturer at the Universitat Jaume I and Aitor Bengoetxea, lecturer at the University of the Basque Country.
The doctoral thesis proposes a Basic Social Balance Model with qualitative and quantitative indicators, specifically designed for Popular and Solidarity Economy (EPS) associations in Ecuador. The model aims to enable these organisations to systematically assess and communicate their social and environmental impact, beyond traditional economic results.
The study focuses on the need for HPS entities to have standardised tools that enable them to measure their contribution to community development; to assess their compliance in terms of equity, sustainability and democratic participation; and to generate transparency and accountability towards their members, beneficiaries and society in general.
According to the author, the implementation of this model would facilitate a more comprehensive management of associations, aligning their activities with the principles of the popular and solidarity economy, and improving their capacity to influence public policy.
Javier Caicedo's research represents a significant advance in measuring the impact of the EPS in Ecuador, offering a methodology that can be adapted to different organisational contexts. His work not only contributes to the academic sphere, but also provides a practical tool for strengthening the governance and sustainability of this sector.
This thesis also opens the way for future research on the evaluation of the social impact of the solidarity economy, both in Ecuador and in other countries with similar realities.
The thesis can be consulted in the institutional repository of the UV Roderic: https://hdl.handle.net/10550/109805
