Measuring & Communicating Program Benefits

Not for Profit Organisations must consider what their impacts are and how these can be measured and communicated, say Tim Bradley and Alastair McArthur from The Allen Consulting Group.

OPINION: In the current economic environment, identifying the impacts of government funded projects is important. Fiscal constraints and efficiency savings have put a strain on many government policies and programs and associated organisations, leading to greater focus on the demonstration of impacts by the recipients of funds.

Effective communication of impacts is essential. Those programs that are unable to do so are placed at a significant disadvantage when competing for funding.

The diverse nature of impacts

The impacts of an organisation, policy or program, are likely to be diverse, wide reaching and affect different parts of the community and the economy. They may be a result of original objectives, or occur as spill-over from other work being undertaken. Impacts can be economic, environmental or social.

A focus on economic impacts

Many studies focus on assessing the economic impacts of an organisation, policy or program. Economic impacts may include changes to Gross Domestic Product, employment or investment output.

Techniques utilised to estimate these impacts, include:

•     computable general equilibrium modelling
•     cost benefit analysis
•     financial modelling
•     multi-criteria decision analysis.

Traditionally, the majority of organisations, policies and programs have focused on achieving economic impacts, however this has begun to shift. Increasingly the role of Government and the focus of organisations has begun to consider social and environmental outcomes, as well as economic outcomes.

The importance of considering a full range of impacts

Measuring and communicating social and environmental impacts, as well as economic impacts, is vital. For example, the Allen Consulting Group recently undertook a study of the economic, social and environmental impacts of the Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) Program. In addition to assessing the economic impacts, the study identified the breadth and scope of environmental and social impacts the CRC Program has produced.

Impacts identified included:

•     reduced greenhouse gas emissions
•     protection of endangered species
•     improved health and well-being
•     improved safety
•     increased business diversity.

The quantity and extent of environmental and social impacts demonstrated that purely focusing on economic impacts would have underestimated the true value of the CRC Program to Australia.

Measuring environmental and social impacts

The concentration on the economic impacts of an organisation, policy or program, makes theoretical sense. Most economic impacts can be readily measured, valued and communicated in a way that is understood by key stakeholders for example through expression as a dollar figure.

While some environmental and social impacts can be valued in dollar terms, not all of these impacts naturally lend themselves to this type of quantification. Assigning values to such impacts is highly sensitive with, in many industries, very little supporting data and information.

The approaches used to measure and value social and environmental impacts are not as well recognised as economic approaches, particularly for social impacts. Environmental economists have developed a number of techniques to value the environment, including methods such as the market price, travel cost, benefit transfer and the hedonic pricing approach.

The importance of communicating impacts

Although the commodification of impacts may seem unsuitable, it is the direction public policy is taking. The impetus falls on the organisation, policy or program to ensure that impacts are articulated in language understood by funding bodies. This approach is consistent with principles of accountability, performance monitoring and efficiency.

For many programs, policies and organisations with large economic impacts, a focus on these impacts provides sufficient evidence that they are performing well, however this may understate the benefits to the wider community. With continued fiscal pressures, the ability to identify and express diverse impacts will remain at the forefront of demonstrating success and benefit to the community.

Those organisations best able to gather, measure, value and articulate their impacts are at an advantage when talking to funding bodies and policy makers. Organisations must consider what their impacts are and how these can be measured and communicated.
 

About the authors: Tim Bradley is Principal Consultant with The Allen Consulting Group and provides policy advice to government, industry and the private sector on regulatory matters and other issues. Alastair McArthur is a senior consultant with the firm.