Webinar Thirty Four: Measuring the outcomes of consumers of community services

Outcomes measurement is a common feature in the human services sector - it's used by funders as an accountability method, and by community-sector organisations to improve service delivery, promote organisational value and legitimacy, and to underpin advocacy efforts.

The growth of the outcomes measurement paradigm is commonly viewed as an advancement upon previous models of data capture, reporting and accountability. In particular, it is thought to move beyond the previous approach of capturing outputs which, rather than gauge consumer impact, largely assumed that positive benefits would flow from delivering activities and events.

However, measuring outcomes is not an exact science nor is there a single reliable and validated solution to the measurement of what is a complex human and social phenomena.

Join us for this impact2020 webinar where CSI's Professor Erin Wilson will outline the main steps in developing an outcomes measurement framework to measure consumer outcomes in community services. In particular, Erin will detail the practical development of a consumer outcomes measurement framework for Uniting (Victoria and Tasmania), which has drawn on research literature, validated instruments, and policy to build an ‘outcomes tree’.

The ‘tree’ maps a suite of high level outcome areas, each with branches of sub themes that address the specifics of the over-arching outcomes concept. Linked to these is a set of survey questions based on consumer attribution of the extent of change pre and post/during service, and the impact of the service on this change.

Drawing on the logic underpinning their service design, services can select outcomes from across the framework and easily customise their own consumer survey. All data is able to be analysed against the framework and cascade into high level reporting about each outcome area. On completion of the initial pilot, the team's aim is to make the framework broadly available and linked to an automated survey.

This webinar will cover the steps used in this approach and will engage with some of the messy reality of outcomes measurement design.

Please note: This webinar starts at 11:00am (AEST) and registrations will close an hour before the webinar starts.

The webinar will be recorded and emailed to attendees in a few weeks. Later in the year all impact2020 webinar recordings will be publicly available.

This impact2020 webinar is a free event presented by the Centre for Social Impact (CSI).

About impact2020

These are unprecedented times and the upheaval to our society will require an extraordinary response from our leaders, our thinkers and our do-ers.

impact2020 - presented by the Centre for Social Impact - offers free daily webinars for the Australian for-purpose sector, covering a range of social impact topic areas with our innovative researchers, educators and thought leaders.

Sign up for more info as we progressively announce our program and presenters.