This document summarizes a workshop on impact and evaluation for charity trustees. The workshop covered why evaluation is important for funders, accountability, and good governance. It featured guest speakers from RNIB and The Diana Award who discussed challenges and success stories. Top tips for evaluation included allowing time, creating a positive culture, measuring meaningful outcomes, and using evaluation for continuous learning and improvement. Resources on impact evaluation from NCVO Charities Evaluation Services were also provided.

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IMPACT: BEYOND THE
REPORT
SPEAKERS
ALEX FARROW
LEAD CONSULTANT, NCVO CHARITIES
EVALUATION SERVICES
ELLIE SOUTHWOOD
CHAIR, RNIB
WAYNE BULPITT
CHAIR, THE DIANA AWARD

2. NCVO CHARITIES EVALUATION SERVICES
Theory of
change
Training
courses
Independent
evaluation Mentoring
Free online
resources
Capacity
building

4. WORKSHOP OUTLINE
1. What we mean by evaluation and impact
2. Why me? Why bother?
3. Speakers: Ellie Southwood & Wayne Bulpitt
4. Q&A (with some small group discussion)
5. Top tips

5. JARGON BUSTING…
• Impact - broad or longer-term effects of a project or
organisation’s work
• Outcomes - changes, benefits, learning or other effects
that result from what the project or organisation
makes, offers or provides
• Monitoring - routine, systematic collection and
recording of data about a project, mainly for the
purpose of checking its progress against its plans
• Evaluation - using information from monitoring and
elsewhere to make judgements about your project or
organisation
LET’S SETTLE SOME LANGUAGE

6. WHY SHOULD TRUSTEES CARE ABOUT
IMPACT AND EVALUATION?
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8. EVALUATION AND IMPACT:
1. Funders (in the broadest sense)
increasingly expect it
2. As a sector we need to better demonstrate
our impact to the public
3. Charity regulation & good governance
4. Accountability
WHY BOTHER? THE STICKS

9. ‘The board leads the development of, and
agrees, a strategy or plan that aims to
achieve the organisation’s charitable
purposes and is clear about the desired
outputs, outcomes and impacts.’ (1.3.2)
‘The board evaluates the charity’s impact,
outputs and outcomes on an ongoing basis.’
(1.4.2)
CHARITY GOVERNANCE CODE

11. EVALUATION AND IMPACT:
1. Better information about services &
programmes
2. More informed strategic planning
3. Deliver the right services and activities
4. More and better use of funds
5. More motivated and engaged staff
WHY BOTHER? THE CARROTS

12. GUEST SPEAKERS
ELLIE SOUTHWOOD, CHAIR
OF RNIB
WAYNE BULPITT, CHAIR OF
THE DIANA AWARD
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13. IN SMALL GROUPS
ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL?
ANY CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED THAT YOU
WANT TO SHARE?
ANY SUCCESS STORIES?
TOP TIPS?

14. TOP TIPS: WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT IN 26 YEARS?
1. It takes time – don’t expect it all now
2. Create a positive culture where evaluation is
meaningful and honest
3. Allow for unexpected and negative outcomes
4. Be clear what you want to measure, why and how
5. Be careful of inappropriate generalisation or
attribution
6. Make changes and improvements to the work
7. Use it! Evidence-based strategies are the best…
8. Continually reinforce an evaluation and learning
culture

16. RESOURCES
Reading
Our new impact section on Knowhow Nonprofit
has information to help you develop effective
impact and evaluation practices in your
organisation
knowhownonprofit.org/organisation/impact
Contact us
www.ncvo.org.uk/charities-evaluation-services
Twitter: @CESOnline
Tel: 020 7520 3193
Email: ces@ncvo.org.uk
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