Compelling Longer-term Change Impact Stories
Critical Must Haves
September 24, 2024
Maryfrances Porter
In a past blog post, I noted that the vast majority of social sector partners simply CANNOT measure the longer-term impact for their clients.
This is true for two reasons:
(1) Staying in touch with your clients over the long-term is very hard (whether it’s over six weeks or six years). Scientists, who do research over years and years, have staff dedicated to staying in touch with people and even hire private investigators when needed. They also have specific permission from people to get back in touch with them, and are usually paying them (well) to participate in the research.
You don’t have any of these resources available.
(2) Even more importantly, you are not a scientist. Scientists set up their studies so they can isolate the cause of any long-term change people make (for the scientifically minded out there, I’m talking about study designs like randomized treatment control trials).
You are simply delivering an intervention and then your clients go out into the world and live their lives. You’ve (hopefully!) given them knowledge, skills, confidence, and motivation to make change in their lives, and have likely reduced barriers to their success.
But, once they leave your office, literally anything can happen. They could succeed or struggle in making change for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with what they received working with your organization.
Programs That Work
This last session of the ImpactStory™ Academy, we talked about how social sector partners should use programs which have some evidence that they work, instead of trying to measure longer-term change.
You should use programs which have scientific citations backing up why they are likely to lead to people making longer-term change in their lives. This shows the missing link between the immediate impact you can measure and the longer-term change you can’t measure.
One of the most well-known examples of a program which leads to longer-term change for people is the Perry Preschool Project. A scientific study starting in 1962-1967 has followed preschool students through middle age. By their 40’s, these students were more likely than their peers to not have avoided being pregnant before age 24, were more likely to be employed, and less likely to have been in jail! The scientific research has shown that “early childhood education is the most efficient way to provide the tools for upward mobility and build a highly educated, skilled workforce.” Therefore, if you are providing preschool students using the Perry Preschool program, you can be sure they will be much more likely to succeed as adults – even if you are not staying in contact with them to find out.
Using an evidence-based program, like the Perry Preschool Project, which has been studied for years, is ideal; but, it’s almost never the case in the social sector.
You are most likely either (a) adapting an evidence-based program to meet the needs of the community, or (b) you’ve designed a program that should work based on what we know. That’s also OK!
I created an explainer for you to help you identify programs which are most likely to result in your clients having the ability to make longer-term and lasting change in their lives.
I’ve also compiled the all the citations I and my clients/learning partners have used over the years and put them in the ImpactStory™ Resource Library – so you can find them easily!
The ImpactStory™ Strategy and Powerful Impact Stories
The ImpactStory™ Strategy starts with creating a Strategic Impact Map.™ A Strategic Impact Map™ is a tool, similar to a logic model, which clearly links your programs to the immediate impact your clients receive.
By putting simple, accessible citations in your Strategic Impact Map, you can show how your programs are likely to help clients achieve longer-term change. Now all the links are clear, and everyone is on the same page.
The Strategy straightforwardly and practically supports telling powerful and compelling impact stories.
You can measure and show the immediate impact clients receive, and link that to reliable scientific evidence that your clients are now better resourced to make longer-term change in their lives.
Here’s how Project GROWS put together their Strategic Impact Map and citations. Now, they are always ready to talk about what they do and why it’s expected to work in the longer-term.
That’s compelling.
Partnerships for Strategic Impact®
At Partnerships for Strategic Impact®, I have all the tools to build out the structures and strategies you need for tracking and using impact. I train social sector staff in how to use these tools, in how to analyze data, in how to make action steps for change, and how to tell powerful impact stories. My goal is your sustainability: I provide just the right amount of coaching and ongoing support to ensure success.
This is within reach. It’s not harder than managing your budget. Plus, you, your funders, and the people you serve deserve to know more about the value your organization delivers.
If you’re reading this, then you’re already part of my network. Schedule some time on my calendar. There’s no sales pitch and no obligation. Just curiosity and answering your questions. I am the seasoned program-evaluation, program-development, data-storytelling partner you need, right in your back pocket. I am here to bring order to the process of figuring out how to track and use your impact story.
– Maryfrances
Your ImpactStory™ Coach
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