Outcomes and Impacts

Outcome measurement is the process of determining the impact that an organization’s programs, services, and activities are making in the community. Is the organization achieving its intended mission and goals? Can the organization demonstrate that it is achieving measurable results?

Outcome measurement is increasingly important to funders, who want to be assured that their grants, sponsorships, and contributions are being put to best use. Outcome measurement can provide an organization the ability to better articulate its relevance in the community.

Components, Processes and Timing

Many organizations evaluate success by measuring only their “outputs.” For example, a nonprofit youth services organization might measure its success by describing the number of persons served in different age groups and in various settings or contexts within a defined time period. Yet, there is more to the story. The impact of the organization is not necessarily reflected fully or accurately by describing only “outputs.” Rather, measuring “outcomes” requires the organization to ask “to what end” is our service important – in other words, what impact did our organization have on those who used our services?

Articulating appropriate outcomes, and identifying appropriate tools to track and measure successful achievement of those outcomes, may seem impossible or impracticable in some contexts. For example, how can the youth services organization described above determine its impact on its clients? Many factors contributed to the clients’ successes and failures. How can the organization isolate its particular impact on the children it worked with?

Regardless of how difficult the measurement process may seem at first glance, ESC consultants will help you develop appropriate tools and processes to use to show that your organization does make a real difference in the community. We will help you apply creative thinking, identify relevant avenues for inquiry and research, and accumulate qualitative and quantitative data to demonstrate your success.

Deliverables

Depending on the scope of the engagement, we can help our clients

• Develop an outcome measurement process
• Identify tools to be used to track and measure success
• Develop an outcome-based decision-making structure within the organization
• Tell the organization’s story with quantitative and qualitative data
• Use objective and subjective facts for future program improvements