We believe: In our role supporting CSOs
We believe CSOs can rise to the challenge
We see our role as supporting the sector address 21st Century challenges
The economic downturn is affecting the financial outlook for citizens and organisations alike. Whether in the public sector, the private sector, or the non-profit sector, the impact of the economic downturn has had immediate and catastrophic effects which are continuing to affect the forecast for the coming years. Since the beginning of the financial downturn, civil society sectors in many European countries have been facing a particularly damaging whirl storm of public sector funding cuts, diminishing corporate philanthropy, combined with an increase in demand for services and activities spearheaded by the Sector. Now more than ever, every euro spent has to lead to the maximum return on the investment.
ENNA’s members believe that as infrastructure bodies, ENNA and its member have a critical role to play in supporting the sector to address these 21st Century challenges by ensuring actions, training, and support is given to the sector to maximise effectiveness and measurement of outcomes and impact to ensure the sector delivers all of its actions in a cost-effective, and impact-driven manner.
ENNA’s members believe that as infrastructure bodies, ENNA and its member have a critical role to play in supporting the sector to address these 21st Century challenges by ensuring actions, training, and support is given to the sector to maximise effectiveness and measurement of outcomes and impact to ensure the sector delivers all of its actions in a cost-effective, and impact-driven manner.
Effectiveness begins with measuring impact
Effectiveness and impact measurement go hand in hand
ENNA’s members believe strongly in the value of impact measurement being embedded in civil society organisations’ operating DNA. We believe that civil society organisations regardless of their activities should ensure that every action they undertake makes an impact, so that civil society organisations focus their resources on the actions that are proven to work and can discontinue programmes which do not.
As civil society organisation’s funding sources become more strapped, civil society organisations will be expected to be better able to describe convincingly how their previous work has led to measurable changes in local communities. Impact measurement is therefore not simply a question of good, transparent governance within the sector, it is also an important tool for fundraising (and justifying continued funding in the face of cuts).
As civil society organisation’s funding sources become more strapped, civil society organisations will be expected to be better able to describe convincingly how their previous work has led to measurable changes in local communities. Impact measurement is therefore not simply a question of good, transparent governance within the sector, it is also an important tool for fundraising (and justifying continued funding in the face of cuts).
Promoting a robust model for impact measurement
Ensuring that the impact measurement meets exacting standards
ENNA believes that a consistent model for impact measurement needs to be considered and that this model needs to meet exacting standards to be validated by external stakeholders.
ENNA’s members believe its contribution can to the development of such a model could include:
- Supporting CSOs develop evidence-based working and increase the use of evaluative approaches;
- Publicising the different ways of measuring impact and promoting the importance of demonstrating add-value including:
- Theories of Change,
- Balance Scorecard,
- Acumen Scorecard,
- Ongoing Assessment of Social Impact (OASIS),
- Social Return on Investment (SROI)
- Poverty and Social Impact Analysis,
- and others.
Raising awareness of (and developing new) measurement indicators and methods; - Supporting CSOs being strategic – involving stakeholders – working in partnership;
- Supporting CSOs to work collaboratively when possible;
- Lobbying for statutory funding systems to support the way we work;
- Lobbying national governments to ensure availability of a support-infrastructure to maximise the effectiveness of CSOs in doing their work.
ENNA’s members believe its contribution can to the development of such a model could include:
- Supporting CSOs develop evidence-based working and increase the use of evaluative approaches;
- Publicising the different ways of measuring impact and promoting the importance of demonstrating add-value including:
- Theories of Change,
- Balance Scorecard,
- Acumen Scorecard,
- Ongoing Assessment of Social Impact (OASIS),
- Social Return on Investment (SROI)
- Poverty and Social Impact Analysis,
- and others.
- Supporting CSOs being strategic – involving stakeholders – working in partnership;
- Supporting CSOs to work collaboratively when possible;
- Lobbying for statutory funding systems to support the way we work;
- Lobbying national governments to ensure availability of a support-infrastructure to maximise the effectiveness of CSOs in doing their work.
