How can “small” organisations measure their impact?
Social impact is characterised by the set of changes that occur as a result of an intervention within a project, a program, or a service. It can be positive, with beneficial changes in people’s lives (for example, increased educational success); negative, with the occurrence of less positive aspects in the life of a group (for example, loss of local identity); unintended, with changes occurring that were not desired or even considered at an initial stage; or intentional, where the results achieved and the changes observed were anticipated.
And it can be measured by both large and small organisations. We know, of course, that small organisations face greater difficulties in putting together the necessary conditions for effective impact measurement. Among the main barriers, we can list factors such as lack of time, lack of resources, high costs, scarcity of technical skills related to impact measurement, the complexity often associated with the process of measuring impact, and fear that the results may not meet expectations.
In this article, we will explore these barriers and offer practical suggestions to help organisations begin the process of measuring the impact of their projects, programs, and services.
- Those who implement should not be those who measure. Very often, the manager of the initiative that will be subject to impact measurement assumes that they must be involved in the impact measurement process. Within an organisation, it is important to identify a person who will be partially or fully responsible for this area. And this person should not be the one implementing the project or working directly with beneficiaries. Why? Because this can lead to data bias.
Suggestion: reflect on someone in your organisation who is not assigned to the project and who can collect data from beneficiaries. This helps ensure that the data collected will not be biased. - Impact measurement does not have to be complex. For many, impact measurement is seen as an extremely complex process. The truth is that, like all processes, it does involve some complexity; however, current literature (we recommend the book Impact First by Heidi L. Fisher) points to several steps that can make the process simpler: defining a methodology, designing the theory of change, choosing data collection instruments (using, for example, validated scales), understanding how data will be collected and processed, and reflecting on how impact will be communicated (in a genuine and accessible way to all—investors, the community, beneficiaries, teams, and boards). These are some of the ways to help simplify the process—mapping and planning are fundamental here.
Suggestion: before starting the process, create an impact map or a theory of change, where you systematise resources, activities, expected results in the short and medium term, and impact. You can also include timelines and responsibilities. - Impact management can be internal and external. One of the most frequent complaints of small organisations concerns the financial burden associated with impact measurement processes. To reduce costs, organisations can partially rely on an external entity that provides know-how in more specialised areas, such as methodology or the definition of indicators.
Suggestion: you may choose to hire an external entity to define the methodology and design the theory of change, while relying on internal human resources with technical skills to collect, process, and communicate the data. - Capacity building can and should be an option. The technical skills associated with impact measurement are quite specific and are not 100% related to any single academic field; rather, they consist of a set of tools from different areas (statistics, psychology, sociology, management, etc.). For this reason, it is important for teams to build capacity through training.
Suggestion: there are various courses of different lengths on the topic, ranging from online courses to more intensive programs. - Managing expectations is crucial. Last but very important, we must mention expectation management. Linked to the fear that results may not be “positive” is the need to manage the expectations created around these processes. We work with people and, therefore, the results of our interventions can always be unexpected and vary depending on context. This is especially true when working with vulnerable groups, such as children at risk, older adults experiencing social isolation, or people with disabilities who are outside the active workforce.
Example: it is important to define impact indicators carefully. Realistic indicators, with more qualitative approaches, help manage expectations.
In 2020, Portugal had 73,851 social economy entities. Many of these organisations positively transform their communities and the lives of the people they work with. It is therefore important that this impact is mapped and that we are able to understand its true scale.
IRIS, as a training entity certified by DGERT, encourages social economy organisations in its impact management courses to seek to measure and communicate their impact in a practical way aligned with their target audiences.
To do this, these initiatives must be able to measure and communicate their impact. This article is for all “small” organisations. Impact measurement is also for you. Your impact deserves to be measured and communicated.
