This document discusses how to measure the outcomes and impact of charitable organizations. It explains that outcomes refer to changes in people's skills, knowledge or situation, while impact refers to broader, long-term changes. Measuring outcomes and impact can help organizations improve their services, be accountable to funders, and raise more funds. The document provides tips on articulating outcomes, setting outcome indicators, collecting evaluation data through methods like interviews and surveys, and using the findings to communicate results and make recommendations.

1. Outcomes and impact: demonstrating the difference you make
Harriet Pearce Willis
Consultant & Trainer
Charities Evaluation Services

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Collecting information is so time- consuming.
So many different words to get to grips with. Outcomes, impact – what does it all mean? What’s the difference?
A lot of the difference we make is about how people feel or think. It’s really difficult to measure that.
How do we know what’s down to us, and what would have happened anyway?

3. Why bother?
•Make a better ask for funding
•Be accountable to existing funders (and others)
•Improve your organisation and services
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The learning cycle
What difference do we want to make?
What shall we do to make this difference?
How will we track our progress?
What have we learned?
What shall we do differently next time?
What are the issues people face?

5. What can be evaluated?
Processes
Inputs
Outputs
Outcomes
Impact
Money
Staff time
Premises
Partner resources
Training advisors
Planning workshops
Building employer relationships
Marketing
One-to-one support sessions
Skills workshops
Work placements
Employer events
Improved literacy skills
Get work experience
Increased job search skills
Reduced stigma
Improved access to employment for people leaving prison in Wales
What resources have we used?
How did we use them?
What services did we offer?
What changes did we make for our users?
Was this part of any long- term or broad change?

6. Top tips: articulating outcomes
•Be realistic
•Focus on change
•Reference single ideas
•Don’t ignore the tricky-to-measure
•Include intermediate and end outcomes
•Prioritise
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7. Your chance to have a go!
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8. How do we know if we’ve made a difference, or not?
Use outcome indicators – things you can measure to show whether your desired outcomes have happened.
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9. Outcome indicator examples
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Outcomes
Indicators
Increased job search skills
•Number of online portals ex- offenders use to search for jobs
•Type of portals used
•Suitability of posts applied for
Reduced stigma among employers
•Level of willingness to employ a suitably skilled ex-offender
•Type of tasks employers would trust to ex-offenders

10. Top tips: setting outcome indicators
•Use your experience
•Use neutral language
•Numbers and narrative
•Subjective and objective
•Different perspectives on change
Course title © Month Year
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Ways to collect information
Interviews
Focus groups
Observation sheets
Registers/logs
Creative methods
Questionnaires

12. Top tips: collecting data
•Collect before and after
•Make participation easy and attractive
•Consider using multiple methods
•Leave space for the unexpected
•Keep it realistic
•Support staff
•Consider ethical issues
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13. Communicating and using what you’ve found
•Part of your evaluation plan
•Be timely
•Keep relevant and focused
•Don’t forget analysis
•Make practical recommendations (from small- scale adjustments to strategic planning)
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Courses
Resources
Evaluation
Mentoring
Free support
Tailored training

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www.ces-vol.org.uk
harriet@ces-vol.org.uk
www.inspiringimpact.org
Thank you!