Impact Measurement & Evidence: Proving the Difference You Make
Move beyond describing what your organisation does and start building credible evidence of what changes because of it. Over two practical days, learners examine activities, outputs, outcomes and impact, decide what should actually be measured and create a structured evidence system that can support reporting, funding conversations, tenders, procurement and better internal decision-making.
Impact Measurement & Social Value Evidence Training from West Yorkshire
Qualia Academy is based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire and provides social impact measurement and evidence training for businesses, charities and organisations across Yorkshire and the North West. This programme is designed for organisations that already carry out valuable activity but need a stronger way to demonstrate what difference that activity is making.
Learners work with their own organisational activity to develop measurable outcomes, practical indicators and more reliable evidence. This can help organisations become better prepared for funders, commissioners, tenders, procurement exercises, stakeholders, trustees and internal reporting without creating unnecessary measurement that nobody ultimately uses.
When You Know the Work Matters but Struggle to Prove the Difference It Makes
Organisations often collect large amounts of information: attendance figures, volunteer hours, training numbers, testimonials, environmental statistics and case studies. The problem is not always lack of data. It is knowing which evidence actually demonstrates progress towards the outcome the organisation is trying to achieve.
The organisation reports how many activities it delivered but cannot explain what changed afterwards.
Separate delivery from outcome.
Learners distinguish what was done, what was delivered and what change the activity was intended to contribute towards.
Evidence is scattered across spreadsheets, inboxes, surveys, photographs and individual employees.
Build one evidence structure.
Learners identify where evidence currently sits, what is useful and how it can be brought into a more organised Social Impact Evidence Bank.
Staff collect information because somebody asked for it once, even though nobody uses it to make decisions.
Measure with a purpose.
Learners challenge whether each indicator is useful, realistic and connected to an intended outcome before continuing to collect it.
A powerful case study is used as though it proves every participant or community experienced the same result.
Use qualitative evidence appropriately.
Learners examine how stories, feedback and case studies can add depth without making claims that the available evidence cannot support.
Different teams measure similar work in completely different ways.
Create common evidence principles.
Learners establish clearer indicators, definitions, responsibilities and evidence standards across priority activities.
Impact evidence is pulled together in a rush when a funder, commissioner or tender asks for it.
Create evidence as part of delivery.
Learners design more consistent collection points so useful evidence is built during the work rather than reconstructed months later.
Measure What Matters — Not Everything That Can Be Counted
Impact measurement can easily become an administrative exercise.
Organisations create spreadsheets full of numbers but still struggle to answer the simplest question: what difference did the activity make?
Package 2 starts with the outcome rather than the spreadsheet.
Learners define the intended change, identify practical indicators, determine what information is already available and decide what additional evidence would genuinely improve understanding.
Quantitative information is considered alongside qualitative evidence such as feedback, observations and case studies so the organisation can build a more credible picture of its contribution.
The objective is not to claim that the organisation caused every positive change. It is to develop evidence that allows it to explain its contribution more clearly and responsibly.
Define → Measure → Collect → Analyse → Evidence
Define
Clarify the change the organisation expects its activity to contribute towards.
Measure
Decide which indicators could reasonably demonstrate movement towards that outcome.
Collect
Establish practical evidence sources, collection points, responsibilities and frequency.
Analyse
Examine what the evidence says, including variation, limitations and unexpected findings.
Evidence
Organise findings so they can support reporting, decision-making, funding and procurement activity.
Build a Measurement System Around the Difference You Are Trying to Make
Outcomes, Indicators & What You Should Actually Measure
Build the logic between organisational activity and the change the organisation is trying to contribute towards.
- Revisit organisational priorities
- Define the problem or need being addressed
- Inputs and resources
- Activities
- Outputs
- Short-term outcomes
- Medium-term outcomes
- Longer-term impact
- Contribution versus causation
- Develop outcome statements
- Identify meaningful indicators
- Leading and lagging indicators
- Quantitative measures
- Qualitative measures
- Baseline information
- Targets where appropriate
- Proportional measurement
- Avoid vanity metrics
- Identify existing organisational evidence
- Identify priority evidence gaps
- Begin the Impact Measurement & Evidence Framework
Collect, Analyse & Build the Social Impact Evidence Bank
Design a realistic system for collecting and organising evidence so it can be used rather than simply stored.
- Evidence collection methods
- Surveys and questionnaires
- Feedback forms
- Interviews and conversations
- Focus groups
- Observation
- Case studies
- Testimonials
- Operational data
- Employment and skills data
- Procurement and supply-chain evidence
- Environmental evidence
- Community evidence
- Customer and service-user evidence
- Triangulating evidence
- Recognising limitations
- Avoiding overclaiming
- Evidence ownership
- Collection frequency
- Evidence-storage structure
- Build the Social Impact Evidence Bank
- Create reporting-ready evidence summaries
Build the Evidence in the Right Order
Package 2 develops the simple structure introduced in Package 1 into a more useful measurement framework.
What did the organisation actually do?
What was directly delivered as a result of the activity?
What changed for the people, organisation, community or environment involved?
What wider or longer-term difference is the organisation seeking to contribute towards?
What credible information supports the organisation's understanding of those changes?
Numbers Matter — but They Do Not Tell the Whole Story
Quantitative Evidence
Numbers, percentages, volumes, completion rates, progression data, employment figures, environmental measures, procurement spend and other measurable indicators.
Qualitative Evidence
Feedback, experiences, observations, interviews, testimonials and case studies that help explain what changed and why it mattered.
Triangulated Evidence
Bringing different forms of evidence together to create a more credible understanding rather than relying on a single statistic or individual story.
Build Evidence That Can Be Used — Not Just Stored
Define Clearer Outcomes
Move beyond broad intentions and describe the change the organisation actually expects its activity to support.
Measure More Intelligently
Prioritise indicators that help answer meaningful questions instead of collecting data simply because it is available.
Strengthen Funding Evidence
Build a more organised evidence base that can support conversations with funders and commissioners.
Improve Tender Readiness
Retain clearer evidence of existing delivery and outcomes so social-value responses are not created from memory at the point of submission.
Report More Credibly
Combine appropriate quantitative and qualitative evidence while being clearer about limitations and avoiding unsupported claims.
Improve Future Delivery
Use evidence to identify what appears to be working, where results differ from expectations and what should change next.
Develop Someone Who Can Ask for Evidence Before Making the Claim
What the Learner Becomes Better Able to Do
Distinguish activities, outputs, outcomes and longer-term impact.
Create clearer outcome statements around the organisation's work.
Select indicators that are proportionate, useful and connected to decision-making.
Use quantitative and qualitative evidence appropriately.
Recognise limitations and avoid making claims stronger than the evidence supports.
Develop more consistent systems for gathering and organising impact evidence.
What the Organisation Gets
A structured Impact Measurement & Evidence Framework.
Clearer outcome statements and associated indicators.
Visibility of existing evidence and important gaps.
A more consistent approach to how evidence is collected across teams and projects.
A Social Impact Evidence Bank that can be maintained over time.
Stronger evidence for management, trustees, funders, commissioners, tenders and future reporting.
Impact Measurement & Evidence Framework + Social Impact Evidence Bank
The final outputs are designed to give the organisation a repeatable way to measure and evidence impact rather than relying on one-off reports.
Learners build the framework around their own organisational priorities, activities and stakeholders.
For Organisations That Need to Move from Good Intentions to Stronger Evidence
The programme works across businesses, charities and other purpose-led organisations because the focus is on the same underlying challenge: defining the intended change and developing proportionate evidence to understand whether it is occurring.
Impact Measurement & Evidence: Proving the Difference You Make
£590 per person · 2 training daysTwo practical days focused on outcomes, indicators, quantitative and qualitative evidence, evidence collection and more credible impact reporting.
Learners complete an Impact Measurement & Evidence Framework and begin building a Social Impact Evidence Bank based on their own organisation.
If Somebody Asked You Today to Prove the Difference Your Organisation Makes, How Quickly Could You Find the Evidence?
Tell us what you currently measure, where the evidence sits and who needs to see it. We can help determine whether Package 2 is the right stage for strengthening your impact measurement and evidence.
Discuss the Programme →Impact Measurement & Evidence FAQs
Is this only for charities?
No. The same principles apply where a business, charity or other organisation needs stronger evidence of the social, economic or environmental outcomes associated with its activities.
Do we need an existing impact framework?
No. Learners can develop the framework during the programme using their organisation's current activities, intended outcomes and available evidence.
Does it cover quantitative and qualitative evidence?
Yes. Learners consider numbers and measurable indicators alongside feedback, interviews, observations, testimonials and case studies.
Will this help with funding applications?
It can help organisations build a more structured evidence base showing what has been delivered and what outcomes have been observed. The exact evidence required will still depend on the individual funder or funding opportunity.
Will this help businesses with social-value tenders?
Yes. Package 2 helps organisations organise evidence of previous delivery and outcomes. Package 3 then focuses more specifically on applying social value, sustainability and evidence within procurement, tenders and reporting.
What is an evidence bank?
It is an organised collection of evidence that the organisation can maintain over time, such as performance data, outcomes, case studies, feedback, photographs where appropriate, testimonials and other supporting information.
Is Package 1 required first?
Not necessarily. Package 1 is useful where the organisation first needs to clarify its responsible business and social-value priorities. Package 2 can also work directly for organisations that already know what activity and outcomes they need to measure.
What comes after Package 2?
Package 3 is Sustainability, ESG & Social Value: Procurement, Tenders & Reporting. It takes the organisation's strategy and evidence into more advanced commercial and reporting applications.
What does the learner produce?
The learner develops an Impact Measurement & Evidence Framework and Social Impact Evidence Bank structure covering outcomes, indicators, evidence sources, collection methods, responsibilities and reporting-ready evidence.
How much does Package 2 cost?
The two-day Impact Measurement & Evidence programme costs £590 per person.
We Do Not Confuse More Data with Better Evidence
Start with the Outcome
Learners first establish what change they are trying to understand before deciding which information should be collected.
Evidence without Overclaiming
Quantitative and qualitative evidence are used to build a credible picture while recognising uncertainty, limitations and the difference between contribution and causation.
Build It into the Work
The aim is to create practical collection systems and an evidence bank that can be maintained throughout normal delivery rather than reconstructed at reporting time.
Turn Good Work into Stronger Evidence of the Difference Your Organisation Makes
Over two practical days, learners define outcomes, identify meaningful indicators, review existing evidence, close evidence gaps and create an Impact Measurement & Evidence Framework and Social Impact Evidence Bank that can support future reporting, funding and procurement activity.