Before you can measure the outcomes of your work you need to know what your intended outcomes are. The triangle below is a simple but highly effective way of clarifying your outcomes.
In the top of your triangle you write your overall aim - this is like a mission statement. It tells everyone why your organisation exists and the broad effect it wants to have. It summarises the difference that your organisation wants to make for a specific target group.
In the middle you write your specific aims - these are single statements about the differences an organisation hopes to make, often in the individuals it works with. These are the intended outcomes of your project and these are the things that you will measure.
In the bottom of your triangle you write your activities - these describe what you and the other staff in your organisation will do to help bring about the specific aims, which in turn contribute to achieving the overall aim.
COPYRIGHT Charities Evaluation Service
This is the triangle for Cricklewood Homeless Concern's Youth Service.
Authors: Sara Burns, Sally Cupitt