---
name: social-impact-measurement
description: "Designs social impact measurement frameworks with indicators, data collection methods, and reporting templates."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Social Impact Measurement

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Design a framework to measure the social impact of programs or initiatives
- Define indicators, data collection methods, and reporting structures
- Create a logic model or theory of change for impact tracking
- Build reporting templates that communicate impact to funders and stakeholders

**DO NOT** use this skill for business KPI dashboards, financial ROI calculations, or customer satisfaction measurement. This is for measuring social, community, or environmental impact.

---

## Core Principle

MEASURING IMPACT IS NOT ABOUT PROVING YOU DID SOMETHING — IT IS ABOUT UNDERSTANDING WHETHER WHAT YOU DID ACTUALLY CHANGED LIVES, AND USING THAT UNDERSTANDING TO DO IT BETTER.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Program or initiative** | "What program are you measuring impact for?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Intended impact** | "What change are you trying to create in the world?" | No default — must be provided |
| **Stakeholders** | "Who needs to see these impact measurements? (funders, board, public)" | Funders and board |
| **Current tracking** | "What data are you already collecting?" | Minimal or none |
| **Resources for measurement** | "What time and budget can you dedicate to data collection?" | Low — needs to be lightweight |

**GATE: Confirm the brief before proceeding.**

---

## Phase 2: Framework Design

### Logic Model

```
## Logic Model: [Program Name]

**Inputs** → **Activities** → **Outputs** → **Outcomes** → **Impact**

**Inputs:** [Resources invested — staff, money, materials, time]
**Activities:** [What the program does — training, services, events]
**Outputs:** [Direct products — people served, sessions delivered, materials distributed]
**Outcomes:** [Changes in participants — knowledge gained, behavior changed, conditions improved]
**Impact:** [Long-term change in the community or system]
```

### Indicator Selection

For each outcome, define measurable indicators:

```
| Outcome | Indicator | Data Source | Collection Method | Frequency |
|---------|-----------|-------------|------------------|-----------|
| [Outcome 1] | [Measurable indicator] | [Where the data comes from] | [Survey, observation, records] | [Monthly, quarterly, annually] |
| [Outcome 2] | [Measurable indicator] | [Source] | [Method] | [Frequency] |
```

### Indicator Types

- **Quantitative:** Numbers, percentages, counts (e.g., "85% of participants report improved confidence")
- **Qualitative:** Stories, quotes, observations (e.g., participant testimonials about life changes)
- **Leading:** Early signals of progress (e.g., workshop attendance rate)
- **Lagging:** Long-term results (e.g., employment rate 6 months after program)

**GATE: Present the logic model and indicators for approval.**

---

## Phase 3: Build

### Data Collection Tools

For each indicator, create or recommend a collection tool:

**Surveys:**
```
## Pre/Post Survey Template
Administer at program start and end to measure change.

1. On a scale of 1-5, how confident are you in [skill]? (Pre and Post)
2. How often do you [desired behavior]? (Pre and Post)
3. What is your biggest challenge related to [topic]? (Pre — open-ended)
4. What changed for you as a result of this program? (Post — open-ended)
```

**Tracking Sheets:**
```
## Output Tracking
| Date | Activity | Participants | Hours | Notes |
|------|----------|-------------|-------|-------|
```

**Interview Guide:**
```
## Beneficiary Interview (15 minutes)
1. What was your situation before the program?
2. What did you learn or gain from participating?
3. How has your [specific area] changed since the program?
4. What would you tell someone considering this program?
5. What could we do better?
```

### Reporting Template

```
## Impact Report: [Period]

### Summary
[One-paragraph overview of impact during the period]

### Outputs
| Metric | Target | Actual |
|--------|--------|--------|
| People served | [X] | [Y] |
| Sessions delivered | [X] | [Y] |

### Outcomes
| Indicator | Baseline | Current | Change |
|-----------|----------|---------|--------|
| [Indicator 1] | [X] | [Y] | [+/-Z%] |

### Stories
[1-2 beneficiary stories illustrating the data]

### Lessons Learned
[What the data tells you about how to improve]
```

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Measurement Calendar

```
| When | What | Who |
|------|------|-----|
| Program start | Pre-survey, baseline data | Program staff |
| Monthly | Output tracking update | Program staff |
| Quarterly | Outcome review, beneficiary interviews | Impact lead |
| Program end | Post-survey, final data collection | Program staff |
| Annually | Annual impact analysis and report | Leadership |
```

### 2. Data Quality Checklist

```
- [ ] Baseline data is collected before the program starts
- [ ] Surveys use validated questions where possible
- [ ] Sample size is large enough to draw conclusions
- [ ] Data is collected consistently (same method, same timing)
- [ ] Qualitative data supplements quantitative data
- [ ] Data is stored securely and ethically
```

### 3. Right-Sizing the Framework

Match measurement effort to organizational capacity:

```
**Lightweight (1-2 hours/month):** Track 3-5 output metrics + annual survey
**Moderate (4-6 hours/month):** Outputs + quarterly outcome surveys + beneficiary interviews
**Comprehensive (10+ hours/month):** Full logic model tracking + comparison groups + longitudinal data
```

---

## Example 1: Youth Mentorship Program

```
Logic model: Trained mentors (input) → weekly meetings (activity) → 100 youth matched (output) → improved academic confidence (outcome) → higher graduation rate (impact)
Key indicator: Pre/post survey on academic confidence (1-5 scale)
Target: 80% of participants show improvement of 1+ point
```

## Example 2: Small Business Incubator

```
Logic model: Training curriculum + mentors (inputs) → 12-week program (activity) → 30 businesses launched (output) → increased revenue (outcome) → community economic growth (impact)
Key indicator: Average revenue change 6 months post-program
Target: 70% of participants increase revenue by 25%+
```

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Measuring only outputs** — counting people served is not impact. Impact is whether their lives actually changed.
- **Over-measuring** — collecting data you never analyze wastes everyone's time. Only measure what you will use.
- **No baseline** — you cannot prove change without knowing where people started. Always collect pre-program data.
- **Ignoring qualitative data** — numbers tell what happened, stories tell why it matters. You need both.
- **Confirmation bias** — designing measurements to prove your program works instead of honestly assessing it.
- **One-time measurement** — impact happens over time. Build in follow-up measurement at 3, 6, and 12 months.

---

## Recovery

- **No baseline data for current participants:** Start collecting now for future cohorts. For current participants, use retrospective surveys ("Thinking back to before the program...").
- **Organization has no measurement capacity:** Start with the lightweight option — 3 output metrics and one annual survey. Build from there.
- **Funders want specific metrics you do not track:** Be honest about what you can measure now, commit to adding their priority metrics, and provide qualitative data in the interim.
- **Impact is hard to attribute to your program:** Acknowledge external factors honestly. Use comparison data where possible and focus on the change you can credibly claim.
