Jonathan Gardner from nef consulting draws on case studies to demonstrate how impact data can be used in internal decision making.

1. Using impact data for internal
decision making
Case studies and learnings from NEF Consulting
16 July 2014
Jon Gardner

2. © nef consulting
NEF (New Economics Foundation)
• Founded in 1986
• Economics think-tank working to promote high well-being, environmental
sustainability and social justice
• Created: Jubilee Debt Campaign, Ethical Trade Initiative, Social Auditing,
Inner City 100, Measuring National Progress, Banking Reform, Social Stock
Exchange etc.
• NEF Consulting founded in 2008 and owned by NEF
• We use NEF’s tools to put its ideas into practice and to help organisations
demonstrate their impact
• Clients include: The Crown Estate; British Land, London Borough of Camden;
Milton Keynes Council; Bridgend County Borough Council; WWF; The
Prince’s Trust

3. © nef consulting
Overview
• Case studies
– Gingerbread: SROI
– The Crown Estate: Total Contribution
Reporting
• Key learnings

4. © nef consulting
Gingerbread: Intro
• UK’s national single parent charity
• Runs four main programmes:
– Helpline
– Access to training
– Peer to peer support groups
– Online membership
• Gingerbread approached NEF Consulting to help them
professionalise their approach to understanding and
measuring the impact of their work with single parents

5. © nef consulting
Gingerbread: Our work
• NEF Consulting developed a social impact measurement
system for all four of Gingerbread’s services based on
the Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology
This involved:
• A common outcomes framework based on an
organisational theory of change
• Agreed indicators and data collection tools for four
services
• Socio-economic models for each service
• Impact reporting template

6. © nef consulting
Gingerbread: Impact on
decision making
• Gingerbread discovered the impact of their services and
a new set of learning
“We have concrete proof of the difference we make”
• Significant unintended impact
– Change in staff mind-set
– Impact on funding bids
– Influencing funders
– Integration of impact reporting into normal working practices

7. © nef consulting
Gingerbread: What did
we learn?
• Importance of inducting and engaging of senior people
• Importance of a champion in an organisation to drive
impact forward
• Need to reign in people’s enthusiasm for adding to and
amending a rigorous process and system
• Embedding impact takes time

8. © nef consulting
The Crown Estate (2013):
Our Contribution

9. © nef consulting
The Crown Estate: Total
Contribution Economics
ECONOMIC SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTAL
DIRECT
INDIRECT
ENABLED

10. © nef consulting
The Crown Estate: Impact on
decision making
• Bottom up approach
– Workshops and meetings with project teams, understanding the contribution they
make
• Top down approach
– Total Contribution incorporated into integrated report
• Management decision making
– Moving forwards from baseline data
– Index and/or Natural Capital Coalition approach (valuation)
• Strong commitment internally to use data to improve performance
across the triple bottom line
“…creating significant value beyond financial return”

11. © nef consulting
The Crown Estate: Learnings
• Economic and environmental data more easily
standardised than social impact data
• Process is resource intensive and intellectually
demanding
• Need to be pragmatic

12. © nef consulting
NEF Consulting Key Learnings
What key factors ensure internal decision makers
continue to use social impact data?
1. Leadership
2. Measuring things that are meaningful to staff and
funders
3. Embedding good quality social impact data takes time
4. Strong narratives