Measuring Impact - Nicva

Impact assessment involving users 43
6.3.1 The influence of stakeholder type on perception of impact
There were some differences in the way each stakeholder (service providers, service users and
front-line staff) identified the impact of organisations.
Service users were clearest on how the organisation made a difference to their personal
circumstances. They had a limited awareness of the alternative options (such as local
authority social services), but were clear that different organisations offered different services.
Some users expressed an interest in the way in which the organisations might help with the
development of their community. The organisation was then presented as the vehicle by
which they could make a difference at the community level.
Front-line staff had built their own perception of the differences made by both their own and
other organisations. It predominantly focused on the community level of needs and concerns.
They had a very clear and coherent view of the community needs met and not met by the services
accessible to service users. This appeared to be their primary way of seeing impact, within
which they fitted the personal circumstances of clients. However, they also had their own
personal network of front-line contacts in other organisations, to which they would refer
clients. Their perception of the organisational context within which they worked was based on
this informal network of contacts. It follows that their broader view of impact at the level of
the community, combined with their own contact network with other front-line staff, influenced
the way in which they used the activities and resources of the organisations to engage
service users. For example, they might use the resources in other ways to their original
purpose, such as using training courses to “get the service users away for a while”, or using the
employment counselling sessions to “help service users get over their resentment at their situation”.
This is a particularly important learning point for the delivery of public services, as it
suggests that organisations with the necessary flexibility and devolved decision making have a
greater potential to achieve impact at the local level, where services are ultimately delivered.
By contrast, project co-ordinators focused on sustaining their organisations, and ensuring the
uniqueness of their organisation’s services. They were likely to think about how they could
grow, develop and sustain their organisation, and how they engage funders. Their internal
map appeared to be based on the organisation’s key partnerships with public sector and other
voluntary sector agencies. Consequently, their view of impact was based around the contribution
of (and impact on) their organisation in relation to other key partnerships and agencies.
6.3.2 The relevance of gender and ethnicity on perception of impact
Service users are a heterogeneous group, with gender and ethnicity being key lines of division.
This needs to be taken into account when planning any kind of impact assessment.
Perceptions of impact among service users and front-line staff seemed to vary depending on
gender and cultural background. Voluntary organisations were perceived by minorities to be
particularly helpful, as they were more able to relate to users’ cultural needs and values. This
was particularly the case where previous users or community members had been recruited
into the organisation.