Our story
Common Approach to Impact Measurement is working towards flexible, shareable impact measurement for social purpose organizations.
By developing flexible, community-driven standards, our aim is to change the underpinnings of impact measurement. We are committed to centering impact measurement on the needs of operating charities, nonprofits and social-purpose businesses and those they serve rather than foundations, grantmakers and impact investors.
The Common Approach is four community-driven standards: Common Foundations, Common Impact Data Standard, Common Framework and Common Form.
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In 2015, the Government of Ontario conducted a series of consultations that resulted in Ontario’s Social Enterprise Strategy. Following that, The Social Enterprise Measurement Task Force convened to inform the development of an impact measurement plan. The Task Force recommended a path forward: the Common Approach to Impact Measurement.
Today, Common Approach is a community-driven initiative that’s growing across Canada and beyond.
The Challenge for Social Purpose Organizations
Because of their distinct focus on mission and impact, social purpose organizations have specific information needs with respect to impact measurement:
- To effectively allocate resources to social value creation, which is at the core of their business model (and not just accessory to it)
- To be successful in the day-to-day pursuit of a social mission, they have to continuously improvise, experiment, innovate to stay relevant to the societal problems they aim to tackle.
- To Increase participation and collaboration both externally and internally, because they work with diverse stakeholders and pursue inclusive governance principles.
- To capture impact evidence to support their public and political advocacy activities.
These specific expectations may not be fully met by their choice of impact measurement methodologies, especially when these are determined by external funders. (credit: Dr. Hayley Beer)
A flexible standard for impact measurement
What makes the Common Approach different is that it is a flexible standard. The notion of “anything goes” means that there’s no “right way” to identify impact measurement indicators. The standard makes it possible to map the impact data in a way that creates sets of aggregated impact. So it is possible to communicate with a wide variety of collaborators and to evaluate and improve impact. A flexible standard supports a community of practice, which means that social purpose organizations can lead the way on social impact measurement.
There are three things the Common Approach holds as the key to social impact measurement. First, a surprising and recurring finding from people who study standards is that flexibility is needed to allow a standard to survive. Secondly, standards are communities, not documents. It’s about building collective action that sees the benefit and brings harmony to what we’re doing. Finally, the third thing is to make it possible for it to be adopted. Meet people where they are – and ratchet up the rigour later.
Adoption has to be easy, but simple is hard. It requires bringing together the collective knowledge and creating a movement of social purpose organizations, data platforms, funders and impact investors, trainers and consultants. We are making a fresh start by building on work that’s been happening for decades. The Common Approach is research-based and evidenced-informed. However, it’s also a community-driven effort to make it possible to develop a standard that works for social purpose organizations and their funders and investors.
Highlights of the Common Approach journey (so far)
2017
Impact Measurement Task Force recommends a ‘”common approach to impact measurement” and publishes a road map.
2018
An all-star team of partners is selected to create the common approach to impact measurement, housed at Carleton University.
2019
Common Approach is chosen by Employment and Social Development Canada’s (ESDC) Investment Readiness Program (IRP) as an ecosystem builder.
2020
Common Approach to Impact Measurement becomes a nonprofit organization.
2022
The Pathfinder Pilot launches, testing how the four standards work across networks of social purpose organizations (SPOs).
2023
The Common Impact Data Standard is selected to support the impact measurement for the Social Finance Fund.
The Common Approach theory of change is rooted in the belief that impact measurement can be improved by it more relevant to social purpose organizations (SPOs).
We believe that in order to address this problem, some systemic shifts to the ecosystem of SPOs are needed. By drawing on existing and ongoing work in this space to develop standards that balance flexibility and uniformity, we believe this change can be realized.
Supporting Partners
