Workshops or Coaching in Social Impact Evaluation and Process Creation

Social Impact Evaluation

Target audience: Programme directors, impact leads, fundraisers, policy and advocacy staff in charities and social enterprises.

Duration: 2 days (12–14 hours) or four half‑day sessions 

Delivery format:  Workshop with real‑world examples (SROI, Theory of Change)

Learning objectives

- Understand the concept of social impact and how it differs from outputs/outcomes.

- Apply frameworks like Theory of Change, Logic Model, and SROI.

- Measure and value social outcomes using qualitative and monetisation approaches.

- Use impact evidence for funding bids and reporting to donors.

- Address common challenges (attribution, deadweight, displacement).

Example Modules

1. What is Social Impact? 

   - Defining impact for charities (long‑term, systemic change) 

   - Attribution, contribution, and the ‘counterfactual’

2. Theory of Change 

   - Building a detailed ToC with stakeholders 

   - Linking activities, outputs, outcomes, and impact 

   - Testing assumptions and identifying risks

3. Measuring Outcomes

   - Selecting validated outcome measures (e.g., wellbeing scales) 

   - Using proxies and participant‑defined indicators 

   - Data collection with vulnerable groups (ethical approaches)

4. Monetising Impact (SROI) 

   - Introduction to Social Return on Investment 

   - Identifying financial proxies and valuing outcomes 

   - Calculating the SROI ratio and sensitivity analysis

5. Reporting Impact

   - Impact reports for donors, trustees, public 

   - Using impact data to improve services 

   - Communicating uncertainty and limitations

6. Common Pitfalls and Solutions 

   - Deadweight, attribution, drop‑off 

   - Balancing rigour with proportionality 

   - Building internal capacity for ongoing impact measurement

Outcomes:  Participants will be able to create a Theory of Change, design a basic impact measurement framework, and produce credible impact evidence for stakeholders.