DEFINITIONS OF KEY TERMS IN IMPACT MEASUREMENT

A description of the problem or injustice that the charity is seeking to address and why it is important to do so. The consequences for the people affected (or for other species or the environment) and for society of not doing so.

This will usually be linked closely to the society's vision. 

A description - usually in the form of a diagram - that shows how a charity intends to achieve the impact that it has committed to. NPC define it as 'A tool that allows you to describe​

• the need you are trying to address,​
• the changes you want to make (your outcomes),​
• and what you plan to do (your activities).​'

The ‘raw materials’ that a charity starts with – funding, volunteers’ time, IT systems, premises and so on. Knowledge and expertise – either professional or gained through lived experience - is a key input, but one that’s often overlooked or mis-categorised. 

Interventions carried out by a charity that are designed to meet its mission or objectives.

They are usually one of two kinds and it’s useful to distinguish between them – either supporting people directly, for example via a helpline or programme; or activities that involve working through or with others such as family members, people working in other organisations, policy makers or the general public. 

The number of people engaging in activities – for example attendees or trainees, website visitors, pupils or patients, or the number of people exposed to campaigning material. 

It’s important not to over-estimate reach. For example, in an email campaign, count the number opened, not the number sent. 

Outputs can be thought of as completed activities, such as the number of workshops or training courses run, or web pages published. 

It can be difficult to distinguish between outputs, activities and reach. For simplicity’s sake they are sometimes omitted altogether from a Theory of Change or impact report. The important thing is not to confuse either activities or outputs with outcomes. 

The link between activities and outcomes. The behaviours needed by people outside the charity for the activities to be effective. For example: people attending a training course digest and retain what they have learned, and put it into practice. 

Mechanisms are often missing from a Theory of Change but are one of the primary reasons for charities not achieving impact.

The positive, usually immediate or short-term differences that result from a charity's interventions. This includes any benefits felt directly by the people the charity supports, such as improved confidence, self-esteem, health or wellbeing. 

It can also include changes achieved among intermediaries, such as improved professional knowledge, changes in practice or legislation, or greater public understanding. But it’s helpful to report this kind of outcome separately, acknowledge that they stop short of benefits felt directly, and look for evidence of whether it has in fact led to directly felt outcomes. 

The sustained, broader difference that a charity achieves for the people it aims to support or wider society. 

Outcomes and impact are often used interchangeably. There is no strict boundary between them, but impact is usually reserved for longer term, cumulative effects, or at least the holistic measurement and reporting of outcomes.