Transcript Young Foundation Keynote - National Youth Council of Ireland

Making the difference –
why measurement matters in
work with young people
Gemma Rocyn Jones
The Young Foundation
NYCI Conference, 25 November 2011
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The Young Foundation 2010
The Young Foundation
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We bring together insight,
innovation and entrepreneurship to
address social needs
Independent non-profit organisation
without an endowment
Base in UK, outposts in US, France,
Australia, and with international
perspective
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The Young Foundation today
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Research – into emerging
social needs and how to
innovate to meet them
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Collaborations – piloting
innovations in public services
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Advising governments – on
supporting innovation and
social entrepreneurship
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Social ventures – supporting
and spinning out start-ups
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What matters more: the
pleasure or the measure?
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It’s both
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The drive to measure impact…
• Central and local government – growing need to
demonstrate VFM, accountability and
transparency
• Rise of PBR and outcomes-based commissioning
• Changing profile of philanthropists and growth of
social investment – greater interest in impact of
investments, more ‘business-like’ approach
• Increasing need to address inequality,
disadvantage and exclusion
• Fewer resources mean services need to be better
targeted
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Impact:
“The changes resulting from
your organisation’s activities”
(Charities Evaluation Service)
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Or…
“The real reason for the existence of
many VCS organisations, and the
justification for the personal effort
and money that go into that
organisation”
Assessing Impact, Charities Evaluation Service
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The importance of impact measurement –
why do it?
• The impact of negative outcomes on young people
and communities
• The costs associated with poor outcomes
• The potential to improve outcomes and prevent
harm
• The reliance on public funding
• The importance of advocacy
• The potential to influence policy and practice
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How do we know
where we’re going?
How do we
know how to
get there?
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How do we know
we’re making a
difference?
So what?!
The challenge…
Qualitative evidence is plentiful, and can be powerful
“Every one of us at this table could tell you transformational stories about
young people, particularly marginalised young people, who have engaged
with youth workers in a positive way” (Fiona Blacke, CEO, NYA in oral
evidence to Education Select Committee)
Quantitative evidence is less available, and dispersed
“I think it’s been all too easy for the Government and for local authorities to
cut spending on services to young people, because we haven’t as a sector
been able to demonstrate our impact well enough. Actually, we should never
have been in that position, and we should never find ourselves in that
position again” (respondent in telephone interview)
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In practice…
Not all youth sector
providers are:
• Considering their impact as
part of their core business; or
• Presenting outcomes in a
consistent way.
And across the sector there is a lack of
consensus, common language and
knowledge sharing
Not all commissioners are:
• Specifying social outcomes in
tenders; or
• Accounting for social impact
in a ‘smart’ way when buying
goods and services.
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Not all investors are:
• Accounting for social impact
in a way that is appropriate
for the youth sector when
making investment decisions;
or
• Asking investees to report on
their social impact.
Hitting the target but missing
the point?
Define the point!
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If what gets measured, gets
valued… how can we measure
the things that matter the
most?
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An agenda for the sector?
1.
What is the outcome to be measured? Do organisations in the
sector agree on a single outcome or set of outcome measures?
2. How is that outcome defined? Has it been defined by a
measurement tool or set of criteria?
3. How should the outcome be captured? Are the right systems in
place to enable services to capture it?
4. How can the outcome be attributed to an intervention? Can
services explain what would have happened to young people without
their intervention?
5. How can the outcome be valued? Are there good financial proxies
that can be used to estimate value?
Measuring together – impact measurement in the youth justice sector, NPC
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Avoiding ‘measurement
anxiety’
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Think about it
Plan it
Deliver it
Assess it
Improve it
Communicate it
NCVO
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The benefits of measurement
• Development of a common language – transparent, comparable and
consistent
• Builds an evidence base which testifies to the role and contribution of
youth work and services for young people
• Contributes to a virtuous circle where providers grow in confidence as
do investors, commissioners and funders
• Highlights your role to communities, schools and business, forging
links and creating partnership opportunities
• Grows a better understanding of value, and parameters for
assessment
• Allows proactive conversations with new and potential funders
• Supports reflective practice, professionalisation and growth
• Enables better service design and hence better outcomes
• Helps to make a case for the most effective services
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Bethia McNeil
[email protected]
07908 010264
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