1. Impact measurement - Where to begin?
Anoushka Kenley, New Philanthropy Capital
VSG Conference, March 2017

2. Why measuring impact is important?
Raises profile
Motivates frontline staff
Helps secure funding
Influences the debate on “what works”
Improved services
Saves staff time
Taken from: Rickey, B, Lumley, T and Ni Ogain, E . (2011) A Journey to Greater Impact. New Philanthropy Capital.

3. What are the challenges of impact measurement?
Wary of losing sight of ethos
Lack of skills
Lack of technology
Risk of weak results
Cost
Complexity
Lack of confidence in value of soft or long term outcomes
Risk of negative impact on service delivery

4. Components of NPC’s approach to measuring social impact
Map your theory of change
Prioritise what you measure
Choose your level of evidence
Select your sources and tools
Effective measurement framework developed
Strategic vision
Leadership
Case for impact measurement

5. theory of changE activities è intermediate outcomes è final goals
A conceptual map of how activities lead to outcomes

6. How to represent a theory of change
Planning Triangle
Logic Model
Outcomes Chain
However you represent your theory of change, it should be supported by a written description.

7. Theory of change: Older peoples’ day centre activities in a cultural centre
Meaningful shared experiences
Increased social connections
Group based participatory arts activity
Appealing and affordable arts provision
Mainstream cultural activities
Wellbeing improves
Older people stay well independently for longer
Increased intellectual engagement
Increased artistic skills
Increased interest in trying new things
Sense of achievement
Activity
Enabling factor
Intermediate outcome
Long-term goal

8. Overcomplicating

9. Prioritising your outcomes

10. Theory of change: Older peoples’ day centre activities in a cultural centre
Meaningful shared experiences
Increased social connections ? ? ?
Group based participatory arts activity
Appealing and affordable arts provision
Mainstream cultural activities ?
Wellbeing improves
Older people stay well independently for longer ? ? ?
Increased intellectual engagement ?
Increased artistic skills
Increased interest in trying new things ?
your data collection on. ?
Sense of achievement
Activity
Enabling factor
Intermediate outcome
Long-term goal

11. Prioritise outcomes that:
haven’t already been proved you directly influence (rather than indirectly support) are important / material to your mission are not too costly to measure will produce credible data

12. Choosing the right level of evidence

13. How robust does evidence of your impact need to be?
What do your target stakeholders (funders?) think?
What is possible, given the nature of your service?
What is plausible, given resources etc?

14. Select your sources and tools

15. Choose your tools and data sources last…
Choose a tool that measures the thing you care about
Use a validated tool if it’s appropriate, but not at the expense of relevance
Think about who you want to collect data from
No numbers without stories; no stories without numbers

16. www.thinknpc.org Map your theory of change Prioritise what you measure
Choose your level of evidence
Select your sources and tools
Effective measurement framework developed
Strategic vision
Leadership
Case for impact measurement

17. New Philanthropy Capital – transforming the charity sector
Thank You
New Philanthropy Capital – transforming the charity sector
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