The student movement has no impact Discuss!

Group discussions 1.What is impact? 2.What impacts do students’ union’s want to have 3.How do we know if we are doing a good job and having an impact?

Impact What Defining impact and impact focus Why Making the case for impact How Planning, creating, measuring and reporting impact

What?……… Defining Impact Activity Outcome Output Impact Differential Difference Change Some words… Data Measurements Soft validity quantitative RCT quantitative secondary Intervention Bias Counterfactual

Defining Impact Impact The Difference you make The Change that occurs

Some other words How does this change happen? Normally chain of events each leading to the next: Input – what goes in / what is invested Activity – what is done Output – what is produced Outcome – what the result is

Impact or Outcome In this context: Impact is a whole series of outcomes acting together. Impact is ‘change’ or ‘difference’ linked to a objective or purpose. Impact is a broader and longer lasting ‘change’ or ‘difference’.

Making the case for Impact As union leaders - How could focusing on impact help you do your job better? Formulating strategy Improving efficiency and quality Energising people Democratic accountability

Making the case for impact How could focusing on impact help with long term finances? Demonstrating results Social investment – ‘social accounting’ Competition for resources

Making the case for impact “Focusing on impact is already the norm, not the exception and the direction of travel is clear” (Inspiring Impact)

Focusing on Impact Focusing on impact is not just about measuring impact! Strategic thinking Assessing impact Communicating impact Learning

How to focus on impact PlanDoAssessReview

Measuring Impact - tools Significant number of tools available Measuring Your Impact workbook Randomised control trials

Example Advice Centre Input – advisors time / website pages / material Activity – appointments / fairs Output – number of students seen Outcome – what the result is

Assessing Outcomes Known outcomes Where an adviser works with the student through to completion of the case e.g. advocacy. Anticipated outcomes Where the adviser can reasonably assume, given the case details and the advice provided, the outcome that will occur. Established outcomes Where an outcome is recorded after pro-active follow-up. This is often the only way to assess soft outcomes.

Assessing impact Link these outcomes back to a strategic or higher level purpose to group these outcomes into an overall impact.

Measuring Impact If you are clear about what you are trying to achieve it is easier to find out if you are achieving it. The clearer you are the easier it becomes!

Impact “The student movement has no impact” - the discussion should be around what change / what difference does the student movement create. - but also what change / what difference does the student movement want to create.

SU34 - Group work SU34 project focused on the purpose of students’ unions Emphasis on broader social impact and the ‘common interest’ What impacts do students’ unions have that benefit: Students The institution Wider society

Summary In this presentation we have: 1.Defined ‘Outcome’ as a change and ‘Impact’ as a change that is linked to an overall purpose 2.Explored the value of ‘focusing on impact’ and recognised that this is now the norm 3.Looked at the challenges in measuring impact and the importance of clear purpose.