Shared Measurement Systems is the second point in Clear Impact’s Collective Impact approach for efficient management. It is important to remember the importance of continuity when using Collective Impact, and to understand that a common agenda should be achieved before considering measurement systems. If you have already consulted with your organization and community to reach consensus regarding the broad overall vision of your work, then you should begin to discuss what specific measurements will be taken to assess your degree of success. 

Organizations find success through shared measurement systems because of the reliable and objective nature of computer software. This success reveals a fact about the modern world which you should already understand: data is king. The more data your organization is habitually creating, the easier it will be to evaluate and measure your success in your own terms. For example, a food-supplying organization that agrees on a common agenda to provide more meals for families in a given neighborhood may decide that the best metric of success is not meals provided but general food drive attendance numbers. Whatever the metric, a data-driven organization will find much more success and versatility by providing access to a wider range of measurement systems. 

If your organization has decided on a common agenda, it might not be immediately clear which measurement system benefits that agenda the most. In the above example of food drives, some organizations may find it more helpful to measure volunteer participation or donation numbers as markers of success. In other cases, you might be working with outside groups who have limited access to their own data. If you are a data-driven organization, however, you will have more options of indicators to choose from to measure your success. You may also choose to have multiple indicators working in tandem with numbers from your community, volunteers, and other organizations. This choice requires weighing factors against each other- namely your values, budget, and common agenda. 

In using shared measurement systems, the importance of one idea cannot be overstated: your systems should be shared amongst any and all parties involved. If you aim to serve food to more families, you need to be transparent about how that will be measured. Your community, donors, and volunteers should all understand- today will be considered successful if we give out 50 meals, or, we should have 20 volunteers to participate today. Likewise, it is just as important to share these measurements once they have been collected. All involved parties should understand whether or not your goals were reached. Not only does this facilitate trust, but also helps to build an understanding that will aid your future efforts.

When planning your measurement systems, remember that everything relies on good data management. Your measurements will provide the basis for communication, planning, and evaluations of your organization as you aim to improve and build in your community. Be sure to take care when considering shared measurements, and to always facilitate a community of transparency, communication, and cooperation through your data and common agenda. 

About the Author: