Impact Measurement: Getting Started Webinar Recording + Questions

[Alicia_Schmidt]

Thank you to Morgan Buras-Finlay and Mariana Palacios for sharing their expertise on the Getting Started: Impact Measurement webinar this past week. 

• Check out the recording.
• Download the new Impact Measurement Toolkit. 
  
• Or review and comment on a couple of follow-up questions we had from the event: 

Follow up questions from the community:

Are there standardized impact metrics that my company can use or align with . . . where can I find them?

"This is a really common question, but one without a straightforward answer. What I would say is "it depends". The Impact Measurement world has been working on this question for years, and groups like The World Benchmarking Alliance, GRI and IRIS+ from the GIIN, as well as the UNSDGs offer standardized measurement approaches on common topics and issue areas. Additionally, the US Federal Government has impact measures for many of its departments and programs. The important thing when to figure out when measuring your impact is understanding your priorities, goals and what is material to your stakeholders, and identifying your metrics from there. And while there isn't a standardized set of impact metrics, there is a fairly consistent approach for impact measurement itself, which includes stakeholder identification, logic models and theories of change. My recommendation is to start with your topics and goals and research into the aforementioned groups to understand their recommendations for what and how to measure it. Use this as a jumping off point, with your specific context and stakeholders in mind. The Pledge 1% Impact Measurement Toolkit offers a list of frequently reported metrics as well as measurement resources for Philanthropy, DE+I and Employee Engagement. "
Morgan Buras-Finlay

How can measurement help me evaluate the success of a pilot? Are there any “gotcha’s” when using data to determine whether or not to move forward with an impact pilot?

"This is such a good question, and it gets at something we briefly chatted about - even in a pilot, you need to have an idea of what you are aiming to achieve. I usually think of phases. In Phase 1 of your pilot, what are the objectives that you are hoping to achieve? These don't have to be looked at as the success factors of the overall project, but as the factors that will determine if and how you will move forward. For example, is it an x amount of participants? Buy-in? Is it an in-depth understanding of a group's experience, so you are going deeper rather than wider? Consider the data points that will help you: 1) get buy-in, if you need it and 2) better understand how to develop a successful project."
- Mariana Palacios

How has Justworks integrated feedback from stakeholders into your measurement and evaluation process?

"We’ve carried out surveys and retrospective sessions both in the middle of our programs and at the end of them and taken insights and learnings from stakeholders' experiences right into the next cycle of our projects. For example, for our grants program, at the end of the cycle, we sent an anonymous survey to our grantees asking how the experience in partnership with us was valuable and what they missed. One finding was that they all wished they got to learn more from us and each other. This then translates into us holding quarterly grantee sessions.

I think a lot of times the most important thing when thinking about incorporating feedback is being, open and creative in how your programs can evolve. I don’t see any of our programs as set, so I am always excited to try new things, especially if they will bring more value or alleviate pain points. Doing this can also build stronger programs and initiatives in which your stakeholders are engaged and committed!"
- Mariana Palacios

FYI @BrianaPledge1 .