Measuring Impact

The Benefits

• IMAS has the knowledge and confidence to introduce a coherent process for making strategic decisions, funding applications, marketing, as well as embedding a culture of evidencing impact within the organisation.
• “Staff are aware of what we are trying to measure and what are the tools/process in place to do so. We have a structure in place to monitor our impact and collect data which can be used to attract more participants and funders.”

“It’s been a really helpful exercise and has given us the opportunity to take the time and reflect on what we want to achieve.”
 

The Client

International Mixed Ability Sports has a vision to radically change the way we think of, join in and enjoy sports, leading to a fairer and more equal society.

The Client's Problem

IMAS is a small not-for-profit with huge ambition for global change. It has been working with the Universities of Leeds and Loughborough to evaluate the Mixed Ability model and was looking for ways of complementing this with monitoring data as evidence of the value of its work, and to communicate this more widely. It was keen to convey the full vision, even though in practice - as for so many not-for-profits in this situation - its activities and outcomes are limited to whatever opportunities happen to be available.

The Approach

The volunteer took IMAS  staff and volunteers through the whole process:

• articulating their 'theory of change'
• understanding how to use that to inform strategy
• identifying the quantitative data required to evidence progress and the tools required to collect it
• producing an implementation plan.

The Solution

• A strategy document for IMAS covering
  • activities, resources, outputs, outcomes and impact
  • details of performance measures and data collection.

• A ‘living’ document to be updated as new activities come on stream.