The Importance of a Plain Question

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In over 25 years of delivering social research and evaluation, I have found Mark Twain’s aphorism - “a plain question and plain answer make the shortest road out of most perplexities” - frequently holds true. So, in this month’s blog, I will explore the importance of a clearly defined question and a well-presented answer.
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Tell Me What You Want, What You Really, Really, Want

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Hard to believe that it is 25 years since the Spice Girls recorded “Wannabe”, and with it the launch of the “girl power” phenomenon. A catchy tune for all of us “Dad Dancers” out there, but what has it to do with (the more serious) topic of social impact measurement and non-profits? Well, at the time Posh, Ginger, Sporty, Scary and Baby were storming the charts, I was settlin
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Theory of Change – the Starting Point for Impact Measurement

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In our work, we like to develop impact measurements from a fully articulated theory of change (ToC). Our clients, however, have approached us to show them how to measure something accurately and rigorously, and sometimes are unsure why we first need to spend the time talking to them about causal mechanisms, context and their long-term goal.
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There’s no Magic Way of Measuring Impact

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Data analysis
Wouldn't it be great if there was a way of measuring your social impact across multiple projects using a single dependable statistic? Well, I've got some bad news, and some good. I was recently talking to a charity who wanted to know how if they could go about measuring and reporting the overall impact of the organisation on children and families.
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