1. Measuring social impact
SIAA/HACT Roundtable
7 June 2012

2. About NPC:
A think tank and consultancy dedicated to helping funders and charities make the greatest possible difference.
We offer advice based on in-depth research of social issues and tried and tested methods of analysing social impact. We encourage debate about what makes charities and funders effective, and provide organisations with the tools to help them measure their impact.
Our mission is to put effectiveness at the heart of how all charities work and all funders give, changing more lives for the better.

3. Why measure your impact?
Finding out progress against mission
Learning how to improve
Securing funding
Inspiring staff and improving their work
Raising profile
Contributing to knowledge of ‘what works’
Taken from: Rickey, B. et al (2011) A journey to greater impact: Six charities that learned to measure better. New Philanthropy Capital.

4. Impact measurement in nine steps
Get backing
Develop system
Use data
Review 1.
Find senior champions 2.
Make the case 3.
Develop tailored system 4.
Get external support 5.
Name impact lead 6.
Train frontline staff 7.
Use results to improve 8.
Shout about it 9.
Review and improve system
Taken from: Rickey, B. et al (2011) A journey to greater impact: Six charities that learned to measure better. New Philanthropy Capital.

5. Our building blocks for designing a measurement framework
A well-developed Theory of Change
Strategic vision / goals
Existing evidence
Appropriate measurement tools

6. Survey of impact measurement practices…watch this space
A 24-question survey on impact measurement practices on a representative sample of the UK charity sector
NPC is working in partnership with NCVO, ACEVO, CES and TSRC. Ipsos MORI were contracted to carry out telephone interviews with 1,000 respondents.
We are looking at exactly what set of characteristics are related to high quality impact measurement, giving us the first clear picture of impact measurement practices among charities in the UK.
This information will be used to track where the gaps are and what areas need targeting to strengthen charities’ measurement capabilities.

7. Inspiring Impact
A programme of collective leadership to accelerate the shift of the UK social sector towards an impact approach.
It aims to embed a cycle of impact planning, management, measurement and review in the routine operations of charities, social enterprises, foundations, commissioners, investors and government.
Five strands to the programme—leadership and culture; shared measurement; data, tools and systems; funders, commissioners and investors; and impact measurement support.

8. Benefits of a shared approach
For charities
Costs are reduced
The reporting burden is reduced
Collaboration is encouraged
Evidence is built for the sector as a whole
For funders
There is a new ability to compare approaches
Costs are reduced
Collaboration is encouraged
Taken from: van Poortvliet, M. et al (2012) Impact measurement in the NEETs sector. New Philanthropy Capital.

9. The challenges and costs
Agreeing which outcomes to measure and how to measure them
Standardising outcomes for needs-led or youth-led organisations
Ensuring that comparisons are appropriate
Ensuring that a shared approach is flexible enough for diverse providers
Achieving buy-in from funders
Meeting the costs of implementation

10. Contact details Sarah Keen Senior Consultant
Tel: