Measuring Volunteer Impact

MEASURING VOLUNTEER
IMPACT
JOANNA STUART,
INSTITUTE FOR VOLUNTEERING
RESEARCH
AVM CONFERENCE 2016
OUTLINE OF SESSION
• WHY MEASURE IMPACT?
• PLANNING FOR MEASURING IMPACT
• COLLECTING INFORMATION
• COMMUNICATING AND USING FINDINGS
WHY MEASURE IMPACT?
Learning and
Accountability
improving
WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ‘IMPACT’?
• The difference that volunteering makes

• Distinction between the ‘work you do’ and the
‘difference it makes’
• The ‘difference you make’ includes outcomes
and impact
• Outcomes – changes, benefits, learning or
other effects of the programme or project
• Impacts - the broader or longer term effects of
the programme or project
Source: NCVO (2015) Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit
PLANNING – UNDERSTANDING YOUR
PROJECT
Can you tell the story of your work and what it
should achieve?
THEORY OF CHANGE
A project or programme’s story of how change
happens
Often presented as a map, diagram or chart with a

narrative
Useful for planning, communication and evaluation
Emphasis on what you want to achieve rather than

what you do
• Starts with the needs you want to address
• Changes you want to bring about
• The activities you will deliver

A BASIC TOC: NCVO CES PLANNING TRIANGLE
For examples of planning triangles from Charities Evaluation Services see:
http://www.ces-vol.org.uk/tools-and-resources/outcomes-and-outcome-
indicators/example-planning-triangles.html
Reduction in youth unemployment regionally YOUTH
EMPLOYMENT
More clients get and sustain jobs
PROJECT
More Increased
appropriate Greater knowledge
behaviour at confidence of job
work market
Improved work experience
Work Peer
placements mentoring
Improved basic skills
Skills
workshops
(Source: adapted from CES (2011) Making Connections: using a theory of change
to develop planning and evaluation)
SUPER QUICK THEORY OF CHANGE
Create your own mini theory of change in three
sentences:
1. Describe what you do
2. The changes you want to bring about
3. The long-term, wider change that your work
contributes to
Max 20 words a sentence!
Share it with your neighbour. Can you help

improve each others’?
(Source: adapted from CES (2016) Winning Hearts and Minds, NCVO
Annual Conference 2016)
WHY IS THEORY OF CHANGE USEFUL?
1. Planning and strategy

2. Communication
3. Evaluation
Source: VSO (2014) VSO’s Global Theory of Change:
https://www.vsointernational.org/sites/default/files/VSO%20Theory%20of%20Change.pdf
PLANNING – KEY PRINCIPLES
• Understand your project and what you want it
to achieve
• Be clear on why you want to assess impact and
who it is for
• Involve others
 Service users
 Volunteers
 Staff
 Other stakeholders
COLLECTING INFORMATION
Most commonly used methods are:

• Surveys
• Interviews
• Focus groups
But you can also use….
• Observation sheets
• Records and forms (e.g. case notes, feedback
forms)
• Participatory and visual methods
USEFUL TOOLS
- Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit –
template questionnaires and topic guides
www.ncvo.org.uk/practical support/publications
- Tried and tested scales and surveys in specific
areas e.g. NPC well being measure
http://inspiringimpact.org/resources
http://www.ces-vol.org.uk/tools-and-resources
- Volunteer Investment and Value Audit

http://www.ivr.org.uk
- Focus groups and interviews
http://www.evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/resources/evaluation-
methods/
VIAT – volunteer questionnaire
Source: NCVO (2015) Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit

PARTICIPATORY AND VISUAL TOOLS
• Mapping (relationships, service use)
• Evaluation wheel
• Voting/sticky dots
• Choosing games
• Photos/videos
See:
http://www.evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk/reso
urces/evaluation-methods/
COLLECTING INFORMATION – KEY PRINCIPLES
• Focus on what you need to know and choose
methods which help you measure your
outcomes
• Capture unexpected outcomes
• Choose methods appropriate for your service
users/volunteers
• Adapt existing tools to ensure they fit with
your needs
• Test your tools first
• Be proportionate and prioritise - what do
your service users, volunteers or organisation
value most?
COMMUNICATE AND USE YOUR FINDINGS
• Reports
• Summary bulletin/leaflet
• Case studies
• Videos
• Press releases
• Annual reports
• Social media/blog/webpages
• Presentations/workshops
• Funding applications
Imperial Volunteer Centre (Imperial Churches Conservation Trust
College)
• Used the toolkit in their study of
• Used the Volunteering Impact nine case study churches
Assessment Toolkit to identify the • 28 page glossy report
outcomes of volunteering for - sent to all volunteers
- sent to partner orgs
student volunteers
- presented to MPs
• Adapted the toolkit questionnaire - grant applications
for volunteers
• Communicated findings via:
 Presentations to senior staff

 Poster presentation at
education day
 Report on website
 Workshop at annual
conference
 Short article for in-house staff
magazine
HOW TO USE YOUR FINDINGS
• LEARNING!!!! To help develop and improve
your volunteering programme
• To provide evidence of impact to existing
funders
• To develop funding applications and attract
new funding
• To raise the profile of volunteering internally
and externally
• To raise the profile of your organisation
• To recruit volunteers
COMMUNICATE AND USE YOUR FINDINGS
– KEY PRINCIPLES
• Think about the audience and what format
will engage them
• Make the most of stories and quotes
• Be creative
• Share findings with participants
• Be willing to learn and act on what you find
• Reflect on your approach and how you would
improve it
USEFUL RESOURCES
Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit
www.ncvo.org.uk/practical support/publications
NCVO CES tools on outcomes and impact
http://www.ces-vol.org.uk
NPC (developing a theory of change)
http://www.thinknpc.org/
Evaluation Support Scotland guides and resources
http://www.evaluationsupportscotland.org.uk
Inspiring Impact
http://inspiringimpact.org/resources
NCVO training for Volunteer Managers
www.ncvo.org.uk/training-and-events
KEEP IN TOUCH!
www.ivr.org.uk
Joanna.stuart@ivr.org.uk
@IVRtweets
NCVO champions the voluntary sector and
volunteer movement to create a better society.
We connect, represent and support over 11,500
voluntary sector member organisations, from the
smallest community groups to the largest
charities.
This helps our members and their millions of
volunteers make the biggest difference to the
causes they believe in.
• Search for NCVO membership
• Visit www.ncvo.org.uk/join
• Email membership@ncvo.org.uk
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MEASURING VOLUNTEER

• The difference that volunteering makes

Often presented as a map, diagram or chart with a

Useful for planning, communication and evaluation

Emphasis on what you want to achieve rather than

• Starts with the needs you want to address

• Changes you want to bring about

• The activities you will deliver

For examples of planning triangles from Charities Evaluation Services see:

Improved work experience

Improved basic skills

Share it with your neighbour. Can you help

1. Planning and strategy

Most commonly used methods are:

- Volunteer Investment and Value Audit

Source: NCVO (2015) Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit

 Presentations to senior staff

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