Touchstones, Rural Action Yorkshire: measuring social impact
The Touchstones Project was delivered by Rural Action Yorkshire (RAY), in partnership with Age UK. It helped bereaved older people to learn practical new skills and to build valuable social connections.
Hall Aitken was asked to help RAY to develop:
- a better understanding of the measurements and information needed to produce a cost-benefits analysis or SROI review of the Touchstones project.
- basic value measurements based on the project’s existing data.
- measurement techniques that would allow Touchstones to report on its benefits and social impact in the future.
Stage one: evaluating progress. We interviewed key staff and examined the project’s results, considering its:
- its activities
- key outcomes
- performance indicators
- deadweight and attribution
- project legacy
Stage two: a clear strategic plan. Having identified the significant progress that RAY and Touchstones had made, we were able to deliver a plan that embedded a system of self-evaluation that allowed them to report effectively on the wider impact of their work.
"Thanks for your help on such a deadline driven piece of work – we got a great deal from working with you."