Stephen Bennett, Centre for Social Impact @CSIsocialimpactEmma Tomkinson, Social Impact Measurement Network of Australia

@emma_tomkinson @SIMNA_AU

16 October 2014

THE CASE FOR CHANGE – WHAT

IS SOCIAL IMPACT?

Cultural Development Collective #CDCSydney

Our goal for this evening

For everyone here to:

• have confidence to ask the right questions of themselves;

• know what they need to ask of their department / organisation; and

• be pleased they’ve already begun the journey.

3

NAVIGATING MEASUREMENT

4

IN CONTEXT: NOT-FOR-PROFIT SECTOR GROWTH

*The illustration shows the NFP sector alongside National Accounts industries for comparative purposes. Note that the NFP sector contribution is also counted within some of these industries e.g. Health care and social assistance.

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2014) Australian National Accounts: Non-Profit Institutions Satellite Account, 2012-13 (5256.0); Australian Bureau of Statistics (2013) Australian System of National Accounts (5204.0)

68%

36%33% 32%

28%

18% 17%14% 14%

2%

-2%-10.00%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

"NFP sector" Mining Professional,scientific and

technical services

Health care andsocial assistance

Construction Financial andinsurance services

Gross DomesticProduct

Education andtraining

Retail trade Accommodationand food services

Manufacturing

Industry growth rates in Australia (gross added value) 2006/7 - 2012/3*

5

WHY DOES MEASURING OUTCOMES MATTER

1. Learning, development and improved performance

2. Communication and branding

3. Accountability and compliance

4. Increased efficiency

5. Organisational sustainability

6. For making a difference/for better outcomes

Does anyone else feel like we could do better?

6

GETTING ORGANISATIONALLY READY FOR MEASUREMENT

1. Be clear about your purpose

2. Be clear about why you are measuring

3. Do you understand your organisations context for measurement?

4. Do you understand how your program works?

7

SELECTING AN APPROACH

There are many different types of impact evaluation to measure and demonstrate impactThere is no best approach – just ones more suitable than others:

We're just starting to planour evaluation. Whichmethods should we consider?

All of them.

BRINGING IT TOGETHER

1. Background

• Why bother? Program and measuring

• What do you already know?

• What resources do you have?

• Who are the stakeholders here? What’s their involvement, interest?

• What’s at stake?

• What else might need to be considered?

2. Theory of change

• What’s your theory of change?

• How are you going to develop this?

• If you already have one, is it sound? How do you know?

8

SOCIAL IMPACT MEASUREMENT

Telling a story of what you do and

why it matters

Count or proportion of social change

occurring

Using data to make decisions

Demonstrating change is caused by an experience

or event

Performance management:

continuous evaluation

and improvement

(Emma Tomkinson)

Contact detailsStephen Bennett

Research Officer

Centre for Social Impact

P +61 2 8936 0901

E: s.bennett@unsw.edu.au

@CSIsocialimpact

www.csi.edu.au

Emma Tomkinson

NSW Committee Member

Social Impact Measurement Network of Australia

0424 614 612

E: emma@emmatomkinson.com

@emma_tomkinson

www.emmatomkinson.com

What have you tried?

• what was fun or helpful?

• what was dreary or useless?

• what’s in the way of doing more?

Did we achieve our goal?

For everyone here to:

• have confidence to ask the right questions of themselves;

• know what they need to ask of their department / organisation; and

• be pleased they’ve already begun the journey.

Think Outcomes is a two-day conference presented by CSI, the Australian

Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) and the Social Impact

Measurement Network Australia (SIMNA).

thinkoutcomes.net.au

10 small not-for-profit organisations has the chance to come to Think Outcomes for FREE (there is no limit on the number of entries from each organisation). The deadline for entries is 30 October. Apply on the CSI website: http://www.csi.edu.au/think-outcomes-springtime-lottery/

• There are seven categories of Award to choose from. You can enter more than one category!

• There is one Application Form and six questions to answer

• The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Monday, 3 November 2014.

• More information online at www.simna.com.au.

• Excellence in Social Impact Measurement – NFP• Excellence in Social Impact Measurement – Government• Excellence in Social Impact Measurement – Corporate• Excellence in Social Impact Measurement – Philanthropic

Foundation• Innovation in Social Impact Measurement – open to all

sectors• Excellence in Collaboration in Social Impact Measurement –

open to all sectors• Best newcomer to Social Impact Measurement – open to all

sectors

• Australia’s only community of practice for social impact measurement

• www.simna.com.au• Membership is free – get on the mailing list by

submitting your email on the ‘contact us’ form• Upcoming events in Sydney: 23 October, 2 Dec• Contact: Lisa McGhee, Community Convenor • Email: lisa@simna.com.au