Organisations setting out to manage their impact more effectively need to do so using a coherent approach that brings together the different moving parts. Through dozens of impact management projects over the last 5 years we’ve developed a simple model - the Impact Pyramid.
The first thing to do is to build a solid base. We label this monitoring. It is about taking care of the fundamentals, also known as your outputs. It is absolutely essential to be able to record and retrieve information about who, where and how much? This is also where you differentiate participation by personal characteristics such as age cohort, gender identity, ethnicity etc. Good quality monitoring is really important for accountability, KPI’s associated with service level agreements, and assessing the ebbs and flows of demand over time. However, monitoring does not tell you whether your work has been effective. For that you need the next layer of the pyramid.
Next we have evaluation. Here, the focus shifts to your outcomes. In what aspects of their life is a difference being made for your beneficiaries? And what is the extent of that change, is it a little or a lot? We support many of our clients to develop comprehensive outcomes frameworks that explain clearly what outcomes are generated and what specific indicators will reveal progress being made towards securing these outcomes. To complete the framework we’ll look at what evidence collection tools (such as questionnaires and surveys) are needed to capture the relevant data at key intervals.
Finally, the tip of the pyramid: learning. Ultimately managing impact requires having accurate data that produces insight into What Works. By taking time to look carefully at patterns emerging from monitoring and evaluation reports we can identify valuable results and good practice that we can celebrate and share, as well as revealing what may need to become a focus for future improvement.
If you’re keen to enhance your organisation’s impact and require support we’d love to help. Our consultancy packages are very affordable, as is our bespoke CRM system - CIMPL.