Making Stories Count: Why and How should we be evaluating the impact of social action?

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is working in partnership with the universities of Sheffield and Hull on Phase 2 of the Enabling Social Action programme. The Enabling Social Action programme aims to support local authority commissioners to co-design, co-produce and co-deliver services with local people, service users, and civil society organisations, to embed social action in their routine working.

You are invited to take part in their third workshop which is being hosted in partnership with Leeds City Council. As well as providing updates on the Enabling Social Action programme, the event offers local authority commissioners, elected officials and VCSE organisations the chance to share experiences and develop learning regarding the ‘what, whys and hows’ of evaluating and measuring impact. They have a variety of panel speakers and will be introducing their regional Social Action Champions. In addition, they will be bringing together a cross-section of organisations at the forefront of designing and delivering impact measurement toolkits and processes. The afternoon workshop sessions offer participants the chance to hear from a number of these organisations about their work in a ‘speed-dating’ format, ask questions and discuss the challenges of applying measurement tools.

You will be able to hear from organisations including

• Social Value Engine,
• New Economics Foundation,
• What Works Wellbeing,
• Triangle Consulting (Outcomes Star),
• Grapevine Ltd,
• Social Enterprise Mark
• Leeds City Council.

It will look at the different ways of evaluating the impact of social action from individual stories, to case studies and more quantitative metrics. It will also provide an opportunity to consider not only how we should seek to measure impact but also assess why and how we are utilising impact measures and whether we can be confident that we are really measuring what counts.

Places at the event are limited, so reserve you place early by booking online using the password ‘Social Action’:

http://management.sheffield.ac.uk/events/50689053323/

If you would like more information about the event, please contact Jenny McNeill: [email protected]