Maximising and Measuring Impact

My more than 10 years of researching the nexus between peacebuilding, migration and integration and my work with local civil society organisations have given me a unique insight into a wide range of interrelated areas. This includes what makes people feel welcome, how to support their agency and what really helps their cultural, economic, political, religious and social integration. It also includes how civil society organisations can support the development and strengthening of inclusive and cohesive communities. I also have a thorough understanding of how local civil society organisations work internally and how they are affected by their external environment.

To learn more about my approach to maximising and measuring impact see: My Approach to Maximising and Measuring Impact

I mainly offer three kinds of support for local civil society organisations:

  • Developing Clear, Realistic and Actionable Objectives that Maximise Impact and a Theory of Change that Connects them.

I facilitate participatory processes with your key stakeholders that focus on developing clear, actionable and realistic objectives that will maximise the intended impact of your projects and activities and align with your mission, vision and values. This also includes developing a theory of change that clearly explains how your objectives, activities, outputs, outcomes and impact are linked and critically sets out the underlying key assumptions you are making about these links.

  • Developing and Implementing Robust Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Frameworks and Processes.

I facilitate participatory processes with your key stakeholders that focus on developing robust MEAL frameworks and processes. Traditionally monitoring and evaluation frameworks involve the continuous and systematic collection of data on project activities to track if objectives are being met and periodically carrying out a deeper assessment of project design, implementation and impact. Accountability adds a commitment to sharing information, valuing local communities and establishing inclusive and transparent feedback mechanisms to ensure accountability to participants, funders, trustees and other stakeholders. Learning adds a responsibility to extract lessons learnt from data and feedback and reflect on how it can be used to adapt and improve current and future projects. I specialise in designing MEAL frameworks and processes that reflect and capture changes that are notoriously difficult to measure such as relationship-building, changes in attitude and culture and the development of soft skills.

  • Analysing, Evidencing and Maximising Impact in Specific Areas

I facilitate participatory processes with your key stakeholders that focus on analysing, evidencing and maximising impact in specific areas. If you have an area, where you think, your project is having a positive impact, but you are not sure how and how much, I can help improve your understanding of that impact and how you can maximise it. This normally includes a desk review of relevant research and thorough engagement through focus groups, interviews and/or surveys with the people participating in the project to carefully analyse and evidence, how your project is impacting them. The engagement also focuses on how the impact can be improved. Subsequently the data and feedback can be used in funding applications and the development of future objectives.

Examples of my work:

  1. Analysing, evidencing and maximising the impact attending a language café has on participants becoming active citizens in their local community and evidencing and analysing participants’ engagement with complementary language learning.

This work included:

  • A desk review of relevant concepts, theories and methodologies.
  • Engaging with key stakeholders.
  • Interviewing a diverse group of people, who attended the language café regularly about their experiences.
  • Analysing the data and extracting lessons learned.
  • Developing recommendations for improvements that are easy to implement.
  • Developing a report about the findings and presenting them to key stakeholders.
  • Supporting the implementation of the recommendations.

You can find the report here: An Evaluation of a Language Cafe in Aberdeen: Focusing on Complementary Language Learning and Active Citizenship.

  1. Analysing, evidencing and maximising the impact attending a language café has on participants developing a sense of belonging and recognition.

This work included:

  • A desk review of relevant concepts, theories and methodologies.
  • Engaging with key stakeholders.
  • Interviewing a diverse group of people, who attended the language café regularly about their experiences.
  • Analysing the data and extracting lessons learned.
  • Developing recommendations for improvements that are easy to implement.
  • Developing a report about the findings and presenting them to key stakeholders.
  • Supporting the implementation of the recommendations.

You can find the report here:  An Evaluation of the Diaconia ČCE Language Cafes in Prague, with a Special Focus on Belonging and Recognition.