The document discusses developing a framework of outcomes for youth services and young people. It aims to establish a common language around measuring the impact and social outcomes of youth programs. The framework wants to be accepted by commissioners, providers, and investors. It also wants to allow benchmarking and sharing of best practices. The outcomes framework clusters outcomes into seven key capabilities like personal development, social development, and educational development. It provides examples of how commissioners, providers, and investors could utilize the framework.

1. Moving to framework of outcomes
for young people
January 2012
Bethia McNeil, The Young Foundation
for the Catalyst Consortium, the Department for Education’s strategic
partner for young people
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2. What’s the problem?
Not all youth sector
providers are:
• Considering their impact as
part of their core business; or
• Presenting outcomes in a
consistent way.
The sector lacks a common language and
good process for sharing knowledge
Not all investors are:
Not all commissioners are: • Accounting for social impact
• Specifying social outcomes in a way that is appropriate
in tenders; or for the youth sector when
• Accounting for social impact making investment
in a ‘smart’ way when buying decisions; or
goods and services. • Asking investees to report on
their social impact.
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3. What’s our ambition for the framework?
1. Accepted by key champions amongst commissioners, providers and
social investors
2. Bold, yet flexible
3. Straight forward to use whilst also reasonably robust
4. Based on a coherent ‘theory of change’
5. Enabling benchmarking of ‘value added’, taking forward knowledge
on ‘what works’
6. Use of a common language to promote consistent measurement of
the difference services make for young people
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4. The framework of outcomes aims to underpin answers
to five key questions for young people’s services
1. What are we trying to achieve?
To build consensus on what we aim to achieve with and for young
people
2.What difference do services make?
To measure the change in outcomes from services for young
people
3.Why should someone commission, fund or invest in a service?
To articulate the value of a youth service or programme
4. With limited resource, who and what is our focus?
To target and tailor support for different young people
5. How can we make the biggest difference for young people?
To inform practice and the sector’s development
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5. How might the outcomes framework be used, and by whom?
Audience Why might they use the What attributes do they need the
framework? framework to have?
Commissioners (e.g. Local • To target resources effectively • Allows comparability across providers
Authorities) to local needs • Clear to understand
• To intelligently commission a • Reliable/evidence based/robust
range of services which
‘speak’ to one another
• To share best practice
Providers (e.g. youth • To demonstrate the • Flexible and adaptable to their context
services) difference made for young • Easy to use
people • Affordable
• To articulate value • Low resource intensity
• To improve services for • Recognised by central/local government,
young people commissioners and investors
• To grow the evidence base
• To build consensus
• To benchmark the difference
they make to young people
Investors (e.g. central • To help decide between • Allow comparability across providers
government, philanthropists) competing priorities • Low resource intensity
• To inform investment • Clear to understand
decisions • Reliable/evidenced based/robust
• To understand the potential • Sit alongside existing impact
of the sector measurement tools
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6. Outputs of the framework
• Typology of outcome areas - ‘cluster model’
• Case studies on how outcomes framework can
be used in practice
• Table highlighting a small number of
established tools
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7. How have we developed an answer?
• Focus groups (young people, commissioners, funders
etc)
• Advisory group
• Consultation across the sector
• Literature review
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8. Outcomes: what matters?
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9. Key to our approach is a link between capabilities,
intrinsic and extrinsic outcomes …
Increased
Personal Protective
Development Factors Intrinsic Outcomes
(individual well-being)
Social
Results In Producing
Development
Extrinsic Outcomes
Educational (wider social good)
Development Decreased
Risk
Factors
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10. … that can be summarised as a relationship between long-term
outcomes, interim indicators, social & emotional capabilities
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11. … which is supported by a strong evidence base …
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12. At the heart of the Outcomes Framework are seven
clusters of capabilities
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13. Consistency across frameworks
New Philanthropy Capital
Self-esteem
Resilience
Emotional wellbeing
Peer relationships
Fairbridge
Family relationships
Satisfaction with school environment
Communicating, Managing feelings, Establishing
Satisfaction with local community interpersonal relationships, Understanding social
values, Understanding and identifying with
others, Negotiating, Problem solving, Planning,
Reviewing
Dartington SRU - key developmental outcomes
AQR Mental Toughness
1. Educational skills and attainment
1. Control
2. Emotional wellbeing
3. Physical health 2. Challenge
4. Positive behavior 3. Commitment
5. Positive relationships 4. Confidence
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14. Using the Outcomes
Framework
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15. Stages in using the Framework
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16. Case study: provider working with victims
of bullying
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17. Case study: provider working with victims
of bullying
Young people in the local area have been victims of bullying. They have suffered from physical and verbal abuse and their school
Step 1: What’s the need?
attendance has worsened. 15 young people have been referred to the scheme.
Step 4: Service design
Step 2: Planned outputs & outcomes Step 3: Which clusters? Activities Inputs
Local Authority funded
Managing Feelings Activity A therapist who can provide a
Provide refuge/safe-place two hour session once a
week
Resilience & Determination
Provide supported activities to build
social ands emotional skills Use of church hall two
evenings a week (4pm till
Confidence & Agency Activity B 9.30pm)
Work with schools to stop the
bullying
Communication 1 full time dedicated member
of staff
Activity C 3 volunteers who can each
devote an evening a week (6
till 9 pm)
Training sessions with
teachers
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18. Case study: provider working with victims
of bullying
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19. Matrix of tools
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20. Approach to assessing tools
• We have collated information on commonly-used
and referenced measurement tools and
techniques
• Information includes an overview of which
clusters are covered; the cost of using the tool;
and the robustness of the underlying evidence
base
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22. Next steps
• Pilot phase
 For example, applied in LGA/NYA case study work with
councils on investment analysis
• Generating knowledge
 Continuing to gather information on tools and their use
 Working with groups of practitioners and analysts to share
data and experiences
• Encouragement from commissioners and funders
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23. Contact
Bethia McNeil
bethia.mcneil@youngfoundation.org
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