Evaluating impact through stories
[Written in haste – I'm supposed to be clearing the decks and preparing material for a trip to Bangladesh that starts tomorrow morning. I'm also preparing for the return of the family early this evening, having had the house to myself for a couple of days.]
The first fruits of conversations I've been having with various people in the non-profit sector are starting to appear. And others are becoming evangelists for the value of narrative work in this field.
Tuesday's Guardian included this great article from Kieron Kirkland at Nominet Trust, who's got a pilot project in the pipeline. (For transparency, I'm slightly involved in it, but Kieron's the man who's the driver behind it all.)
How alternative storytelling can help impact evaluation
It's a great, plain English description of the method (something I rarely manage to produce, slipping into jargon too often).
For me, one of the real benefits comes in here:
Using this approach requires a slightly different mindset. Instead of looking for ways to "prove" x or y has happened, it offers a means to create a continual feedback loop where information is flowing in to help adjust delivery of programmes as time goes on.
More to follow, as things get going…