moving to a framework of outcomes for young people community action southwark january 15 th 2013...
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MOVING TO A FRAMEWORK OF OUTCOMES FOR YOUNG PEOPLECommunity Action Southwark
January 15th 2013
Gemma Rocyn Jones For the Catalyst consortium, the Department for Education's strategic partner for young people
1. Context and background2. The ambition for the
Framework3. What it isn’t…4. ….what it is (and how we got
there)5. Questions 6. Making it real 7. Discussion and reflection
STRUCTURE
WHAT IS THE YOUNG FOUNDATION
• Research – emerging social needs and how to innovate to meet them
• Collaborations – piloting innovations in public services
• Advising governments – on supporting innovation and social entrepreneurship
• Social ventures – supporting and spinning out start-ups
THE CATALYST CONSORTIUM
The sector lacks a common language and good process for sharing
knowledge
Not all youth sector providers are:• Considering their impact
as part of their core business; or
• Presenting outcomes in a consistent way.
Not all commissioners are:• Specifying social
outcomes in tenders; or• Accounting for social
impact in a ‘smart’ way when buying goods and services.
Not all investors are:• Accounting for social
impact in a way that is appropriate for the youth sector when making investment decisions; or
• Asking investees to report on their social impact.
WHERE DID WE START
“There is little doubt that good youth services can have a transformational effect on young people's lives and often play a vital role in supporting both vulnerable young people and those without particular disadvantage.
However, we find that many services are unable or unwilling to measure the improvements they make in outcomes for young people. The lack of a common measurement framework across the sector makes it extremely difficult for authorities to decide which services to fund.
Although we accept that 'you know good youth work when you see it', we believe it is essential that publicly funded services are able to demonstrate what difference they make to young people.
Some robust but sophisticated tools are already in existence which allow services to do this, but agreement is needed on a common
set of standards.”
Education Select Committee Inquiry into Youth Services, 2011
ALONG THE WAY…
WHAT’S OUR AMBITION FOR THE FRAMEWORK?1. Bold, yet flexible
2. Straight forward to use whilst also reasonably robust
3. Based on a coherent ‘theory of change’
4. Evidence the difference made to young people’s lives
5. Use of a common language to promote consistent measurement
6. Accepted by key champions amongst commissioners, providers and social investors
• The answer• A silver bullet • A measurement tool• A performance management
framework• A training programme • A new way of doing things• Specific to youth work
WHAT IS IT NOT?
THE FRAMEWORK OF OUTCOMES AIMS TO UNDERPIN ANSWERS TO FIVE KEY QUESTIONS1. What are we trying to achieve?
To build consensus on what we aim to achieve with and for young people
2.What difference do services make?To measure the change in outcomes from services for young people
3.Why should someone commission, fund or invest in a service?To articulate the value of a youth service or programme
4. With limited resource, who and what is our focus? To target and tailor support for different young people 5. How can we make the biggest difference for young people?To inform practice and the sector’s development
OUTCOMES: WHAT MATTERS?
KEY TO OUR APPROACH IS A LINK BETWEEN CAPABILITIES, INTRINSIC & EXTRINSIC OUTCOMES
Educational Development
Results In
Increased Protective Factors
Decreased Risk
Factors
Producing
Personal Development
SocialDevelopment
Intrinsic Outcomes (individual well-being)
Extrinsic Outcomes (wider social good)
…THAT CAN BE SUMMARISED AS A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXTRINSIC OUTCOMES AND SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL CAPABILITIES
WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY A STRONG EVIDENCE BASE
AT THE HEART OF THE OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK ARE 7 CLUSTERS OF CAPABILITIES
HOW MIGHT THIS OUTCOMES MODEL WORK FOR YOU?
• Improving quality – understanding what works… and what doesn’t
• Building confidence and endorsing professionalism
• Learning and building the evidence base
• Demonstrating success and securing/informing investment
WHAT’S THE POINT?
• Confidence in links between clusters and extrinsic outcomes is only part of the story…
• Consistently and robustly measuring the difference is vital
• We have collated information on commonly-used and referenced measurement tools
• Information includes an overview of which clusters are covered; the cost of using the tool; and the robustness of the underlying evidence base
MATRIX OF TOOLS
STAGES IN USING THE FRAMEWORK
• Starting with an outcomes focus, based on
analysis of need and trajectory
• Mapping outcomes and identifying clusters
• Designing services and developing the theory
of change
• Establishing an approach to measurement, and
selecting a tool
• Reviewing and growing the evidence base
USING THE FRAMEWORK
Slide 20 The Young Foundation 2012
Theories of change – the missing link?
“If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there”
Alice in Wonderland
Slide 21 The Young Foundation 2012
Theory of change
LOGIC MODELS
Impact: the long term or cumulative results you want to see
Inputs Activity or Process
Outputs Outcomes
The costs, staff, materials and equipment you will need
The types and range of activities you will deliver to achieve the outcomes
The amount of activity that will take place; the number of young people participating
The difference you will make to the young person
• What is the question you are seeking to
answer?
• What standards of evidence do you want to
achieve?
• What about proportionality?
• Who are you working with, and how?
• What outcomes are you focused on?
• What resources are available?
DECIDING ON YOUR APPROACH TO MEASUREMENT
• Become ‘industry standard’ common language around
outcomes
• Develop greater awareness of the evidence that links
personal capabilities to extrinsic outcomes
• Signpost investors, funders, commissioners and providers
to a range of tools that can be used to measure progress
in developing these capabilities
• Build confidence in focusing on personal and social
development outcomes
• Encourage robust demonstration and articulation of impact
THE OUTCOMES FRAMEWORK IN POSITIVE FOR YOUTH
Slide 25 The Young Foundation 2012
What does this mean for me?
For my organisation? For my partners?For my region?
26
We are currently working with three youth organisations who are piloting the use of the Outcomes Framework in their impact assessment:
THE FRAMEWORK IN ACTION
WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NEXT?
