Methodology for Measuring Impact

In this article, we’ll discuss the methodology for measuring the impact of projects, initiatives, and organizations within the cultural sector. This involves demonstrating the influence and results you achieve through your work. Initially, you measure the impact of your work for yourself and your internal environment. Measuring impact can also influence support from the outside world. By demonstrating the effect of your work, you can convince skeptics and inspire enthusiasm. You can also use it to inform and engage partners. Finally, it is extremely valuable in the context of securing funding for your project or initiative—for example, to support grant or funding applications.

How can you measure the impact?

Measuring impact actually involves two steps. First, you tell your story, and in the second step, you measure the results. These steps are designed, among other things, to provide insight into the following areas:

• Alternatives and competition for what you do.
• What happens when your project, initiative, or organization ceases to exist or is discontinued.
• The unique aspects of your project, initiative, or organization.
• How the impact can be increased in the future.

Step 1 - Tell the story that demonstrates the impact

Most people in the cultural sector are perfectly capable of explaining what they plan to do or are doing. It’s a good idea to put your story down on paper. The trick is not to approach that story solely from your own perspective, but rather to view it from the outside world’s perspective. To do this, it’s helpful to ask and answer the following questions:

• What is the “problem” in the city, the region, or the world? It could relate to local issues or to something affecting society as a whole.
• How does your project, initiative, or organization contribute to solving this problem?
• Which individuals or groups of people benefit from it?
• Why do they come to you for that? What makes you unique?
• What is the result that comes from that?

Step 2 - Measure the results

To answer the last question from Step 1, you will most likely need to conduct research. There are several ways to do this, which we’ll discuss a little later. To that end, it’s helpful to realize that impact measurement consists of roughly three layers:

1 - Internal validation, or verifying that your method is correct

First, you should assess whether you are achieving your intended goals using your current approach. You can do this by determining the following, one by one:

• What your ambitions are;
• What activities you set up for that purpose;
• What are the results of what you do;
• How to translate what you've achieved into what it has brought about (i.e., what the impact is);
• How to adjust your ambitions. After all, there’s a good chance you’ll achieve more than what your original ambition was. Ask yourself what your ambition is in the current situation, what the desired situation is, and who is responsible or who you’re working with to achieve it.

2 - External Accountability

When mapping out external accountability, you should try to answer questions such as the following:

• What is the social impact of your project, initiative, or organization in the broadest sense of the word?
• How can you justify your raison d'être to (potential) target audiences, funders, and other stakeholders?

3 - Further Development

The third layer of impact measurement involves identifying ways to continue developing. To do this, answer questions such as:

• What are the opportunities and threats for the future?
• How can you adjust your plans?
• What else can you do to help your existing target audiences?
• What potential new target audiences are there, what can you offer them, and how can you do this?
• What else can you do to support existing investors and other stakeholders?
• Who are the potential new investors and other stakeholders, what can you offer them, and how do you go about doing so?

Methods for Research and Impact Assessment

Countless books and web pages have been written about conducting research. An important distinction in research relates to its form. A distinction is made between quantitative research and qualitative research. When measuring impact, you use both forms.

Quantitative research

In this part of the research, you’ll mainly be looking for facts such as numbers, amounts of money, and percentages. That means you’ll be collecting data—a process also known as desk research. You’ll be searching for existing sources. Start by reviewing what you already know or look for studies that have been conducted within your organization in the past. Next, you can consult other, external sources. Perhaps studies have already been conducted whose results are available online. Otherwise, you can turn to organizations such as the local government, Statistics Netherlands (CBS), and the Chamber of Commerce. You can also contact commercial research firms. Before you start looking for figures, it helps to know exactly which values you want to calculate.

An example to illustrate this

Your organization is committed to reducing loneliness in a neighborhood in your city. To achieve this, you organize special gatherings four times a year that are open to all neighborhood residents. During these gatherings, they can meet one another and work together to put on a performance. Each year, about forty neighborhood residents participate in your projects. In the quantitative research, you’ll look for data that supports what it means for people (expressed in numbers and monetary terms) to feel less lonely. This may sound abstract, but if you search online, you’ll find that a lot of research has already been done on this topic (for example, by a commercial research firm). You can use the figures from that research to demonstrate the benefits to your municipality when forty neighborhood residents are helped with loneliness through your projects.

Qualitative research

When measuring impact, however, you’re not doing yourself justice if you only try to gain insight into numbers and percentages. That’s why you also conduct qualitative research, which reinforces the quantitative research (and vice versa). This way, you gain insight into the broader context, good real-world examples, the people involved or affected, and the stories behind them. You can conduct qualitative research through fieldwork, where you actively seek out results yourself. You can do this through methods such as surveys, observing situations and people, and conducting interviews. In the latter case, start with the people you know well—those already in your existing network. These may include members of the target group as well as your current stakeholders. It’s also a good idea to talk to people who are somewhat removed from your project, initiative, or organization, as this is likely to yield more surprising insights.

Communicating the Results of Your Impact Measurement

When you conduct research, it can often come across as a bit dry or stuffy to the outside world. That’s precisely where the challenge lies: how do you communicate it in a way that makes it interesting and ensures that as many people as possible actually read the findings? You can achieve this by presenting the results in the most creative way possible. Do so in a short and concise manner, such as through a video, an infographic, or an image. That way, people can grasp the information quickly and clearly. In addition, it’s best to also create a more detailed report where you can present all the results in greater depth and with more substantiation, for those who are interested. You can do this creatively as well—for example, by presenting it in a special magazine, a beautifully designed report, a blog, a presentation for a client or investors, or in a more elaborate video format. Whatever you do, keep it inspiring but also make it concrete. Figures, percentages, and numbers are very important.

Disclaimer

For this article, we drew on the knowledge and expertise of Lisan Beune from the cultural consulting firm Culture2Business. She is also affiliated with Lysias Advies.

If, from your expertise, you yourself have knowledge that would fit this topic, or if you see opportunities to improve this text, we look forward to receiving your message at info@cultuuracademy.nl.