How can we better measure the impact of social purpose organizations in Canada?

The Common Approach to Impact Measurement is a community-owned, flexible impact measurement standard that can be used by social purpose organizations to more effectively tell their impact story.

Housed at Carleton University, the Common Approach is built on cutting-edge, globally-recognized impact measurement research and the collaborative efforts of non-profits, social purpose organizations, grantmakers, investors, and academics. The aim is to build a flexible framework that makes it possible to share impact data across organizations, across provinces, and across the country.

The Common Approach is built on the following five key elements:

Want to know more? You can:

• Read the Key Documents on the Common Approach
• Read about Professor Kate Ruff and the Common Approach
• Follow the Common Approach on LinkedIn
• Join the Common Foundations LinkedIn group
• Meet the Common Foundations champions

Evaluators, Consultants and Trainers Championing the Common Foundations

Across Canada, there are impact-oriented evaluators, consultants and trainers who work with social purpose organizations that are aligning with the Common Approach to Impact Measurement. They come from diverse backgrounds and they work in a wide range of sectors, but their work reflects the five essential practices of impact measurement called the Common Foundations (see below). Meet the champions.

Five Common Foundations

The Common Approach to Impact Measurement is being implemented in the social innovation sector by impact-oriented evaluators, consultants, and trainers who reflect five essential practices or “Common Foundations”:

• Plan your intended change
• Use performance measures 
• Collect useful information
• Gauge performance and impact
• Report on results

A sixth essential practice is to involve key stakeholders in all practices, as they are central to understanding and describing impact well.

These Common Foundations constitute a minimum standard for carrying out impact measurement. They mirror the practices described in a range of the other leading impact measurement models. As such, they provide guidance for organizations just beginning to measure their impact as much as they help evaluators, consultants and trainers fine-tune and expand impact measurement in more experienced organizations.

Looking for Evaluators, Consultants and Trainers Using the Common Foundations

Eupraxia Training (Winnipeg) has been engaged by CCEDNet to invite Canadian evaluators, consultants, and trainers whose work reflects the Common Foundations to be part of this exciting initiative. There is also an opportunity for a number of these impact evaluators, consultants or trainers to be highlighted by the project during the coming months if their work aligns with the Common Approach’s five Common Foundations.

All aligned impact evaluators, consultants, and trainers are invited to use the Common Approach logo and the Common Foundations icons on their website and promotional materials, which would signal to others in the field that they are leading the growing Common Approach community of practice across the country.

If you have any questions, please email Margerit Roger at margerit at ccednet-rcdec.ca or Kirsten Earl McCorrister at kirsten at ccednet-rcdec.ca.

Common Foundations: Learning Packages

Learn about the Common Foundations of Impact measurement and take away practical insights into planning, measuring, and communicating your impact. There are two ways to learn. 

A. LEARN ON-DEMAND

Learn quickly with interactive, video-based training, completed online at the pace, location and time of your choosing. Get the full e-learning package, which includes unlimited access to all 5 online courses, together with exclusive downloadable templates and worksheets, plus an array of relevant examples, reading and further resources.

• Course 1: Plan Your Intended Change
• Course 2: Use Performance Measures
• Course 3: Collect Useful Information
• Course 4: Gauge Performance and Impact
• Course 5: Report on Results

Watch a short overview of the content of each course here.

Simply email tegan@socialenterpriseinstitute.co quoting the code CFDIGITAL001 to register interest in access to the digital learning package.

B. LEARN WITH PEERS

Deepen your experience with a virtual, group-based program where you will learn among a supportive group of peers and work to apply the learning in our organization.

This program is delivered over 12 weeks through a combination of facilitator-guided webinars, video conferencing and access to e-learning, and includes:

• An introductory Masterclass on the Common Foundations
• Access to the full package of on-demand elearning courses
• Five supported peer-based sessions to support your learning
• Access to additional personalized advice, content and resources

Just email tegan@socialenterpriseinstitute.co quoting the code CFPEER002 to register interest in participation in the next scheduled program.