Slides to support discussions around evidencinf project impact

1. Benefits & Impact
website http://emergingpractices.jiscinvolve.org @andystew or @whaa

2. “ If you can't measure
something, you can't
understand it. If you can't
understand it, you can't control
”
it. If you can't control it, you
can't improve it.
Dr. H. James

3. Focuses attention
Clarifies expectations
Enables accountability
Increases objectivity
Provides the basis for goal-setting
Improves execution
Promotes consistency
Facilitates feedback
Why? (Spitzer, 2007, p.17)

4. Increases alignment
Improves decision making
Improves problem-solving
Provides early warning signals
Enhances understanding
Enables prediction
Motivates
Why? (Spitzer, 2007, p.18-19)

5. Convinced yet?

6. A JISC Perspective,
where we are heading…
“ JISC should allocate core funding to
support activities which meet the
following criteria… deliver a clear
output with demonstrable impact and
”
value for money
(JISC, 2012, p.9)

7. A JISC Perspective

8. A JISC Perspective
Knowledge management is
fundamental to what JISC does. We
fund projects to help UK education
and research innovate. The
externalisation of knowledge is key!

9. 3 easy(ish) steps
1 2 3
Baseline Evidence Impact

10. 1 Baseline

You should have already
done this in defining what
your problem is.
Project plan/proposal

11. 1 Baseline
…though it might be helpful
to summarise it in a table
http://bit.ly/baseline-template

12. 1 Baseline
At this stage we’re only focusing on:
• Baseline (As Is)
• Outputs
• Outcomes
• Expected Benefits (To Be)
• Indicators (what else can you
measure?)
• Stakeholders
Forget about actual change for now!
http://bit.ly/baseline-template

13. 1 Baseline
The template tells a story of progression but it
might be easier to complete in the following order:
1. Expected Benefits (To Be)
2. Indicators (what else can you measure?)
3. Baseline (As Is)
4. Outputs
5. Outcomes
6. Stakeholders
http://bit.ly/baseline-template

14. “ Ideally, benefits should be
quantified and
”
measurable, preferably in
financial terms.
(OGC, 2007, p.70)

15. 1 Baseline
“ Benefits are best titled with a change term
at the beginning (such as
‘increased’, ‘faster’, ‘lower’, ‘cheaper’, ‘big
ger’); avoid ‘better’ or ‘improved’ as these
”
terms are not specific enough for further
analysis.
(OGC, 2007, p.69)

16. 1 Baseline
Struggling? Try a matrix exercise to
brainstorm benefits! For example:
Enterprise Education External
Efficiency
Effectiveness
Enablement
http://bit.ly/example-benefits

17. 2 Evidence
This is where
you focus on
the actual
change!

18. 2 Evidence
Refer back to your baseline!
• Baseline student retention
55%
• Expected to be 80%
• Actual, upon completion: 75%

19. 3 Impact
The next step is to flesh out
what impact ‘actual changes’
have had…
http://bit.ly/impact-template

20. 3 Impact
A number of actual changes may lead to one
impact.
1. Highlight the impact(s) of your project
2. Explain the actual changes that led to that
impact
3. Provide supporting evidence from the
benefits template
http://bit.ly/impact-template

21. 3 Impact
Use this high
level view to
tell your
storyies!
http://bit.ly/jisc-digital-storytelling

22. Issues
1. Time—
Funders, JISC, Programmes and
Projects must plan time for a
benefits realisation phase
2. Attribution—we’re particularly
interested in what can be attributed
to JISC’s intervention

23. References
JISC (2012) Transforming/Reshaping JISC – JISC Transition Group.
Available at:
http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/aboutus/annualreview/reshaping-
jisc-report.docx (Accessed: 12 April 2012).
OGC (2007) Managing Successful Programmes. Norwich: TSO.
Spitzer, D. R. (2007) Transforming Performance Management: Rethinking
the Way We Measure and Drive Organizational Success. New York:
AMACOM.

24. Acknowledgements
Will Allen (JISC Netskills)
Caroline Ingram (JISC Netskills)
Lucy Nelson (University of Central Lancashire)
David Rose (JISC Emerging Practices Associate)
Andrew Stewart (JISC infoNet)