The Bankwest Foundation has partnered with the University of Western Australia Centre for Social Impact (UWA CSI) to undertake a research program Supporting Development and Growth in the Community Sector in Western Australia. The aim of the research program is to increase our understanding of the difference community programs make and what factors can enhance the resilience and long-term financial viability of Western Australia’s emerging social enterprise sector. Improving the evidence base on the measurement of the outcomes of community programs and of the financial sustainability of WA’s social enterprises will support growth and innovation in the community sector and build community resilience.

Outcomes of the research program will be delivered through the Social Impact Series and through community workshops and forums. The present paper Measuring Outcomes for Impact in the Community Sector in Western Australia is the first issue of the Social Impact Series.

As community organisations seek to understand more about how to measure their impact and effectiveness, and governments, philanthropists and investors aim to better track and measure the impact of their funding, outcome measures, tools, frameworks and systems have gained more currency across the community sector and in policy circles. In 2011, an outcomes-based procurement reform was introduced in Western Australia (WA) to fund programs for increased social impact in the not-for-profit sector. This reform has generated increased interest in outcomes measurement in Western Australia and in the development of a more systematic approach to outcomes measurement in Western Australia.

This paper provides an introduction to the outcomes measurement field and examines the international context of outcomes measurement in the not-for-profit sector, focusing on trends in outcomes measurement, policy and practice developments in the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Canada. It explores the evolving relationship between funders and community organisations in terms of the establishment of an outcomes measurement framework. Finally, it outlines some potential challenges and considerations facing the Western Australian community sector, funders and policy makers in implementing a richer, more effective and sustainable outcomes measurement framework.

Please find full report here.