The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have put together a guide on how to measure the results of your not for profit’s actions with a view to learning from them and creating new ways to work.  It is called A Guide to Actionable Measurement.

What is actionable measurement?  Well, it’s as much a mind-set as anything else.  The report describes it as “measurement that has the potential to be acted upon, or is designed with action in mind. We measure the results of our work to improve what we do and, ultimately, to improve more people’s lives.”

One of the issues confronting many not for profits, particularly the smaller organisations, is that they know they need to track their figures but they don’t know what to do with them.  They are filed away and not looked at again until they are dusted off to be compared with the next year’s results.

This report shows how the Gates Foundation actively gathers data, takes the time to assess it against their goals, and track what has worked and what hasn’t.  From the results they can then make informed decisions about their future plans and actions.  The data is gathered knowing that it will possibly require a change in the way they work and instead of seeing that as a problem the Foundation views it as an opportunity to improve and make even more difference in the lives of the people they help.

This diagram explains it well.  Measure the way your organisation works and then measure the change it has brought about.  Have you achieved the results you hoped for?  If not, this is your chance to change what you’ve been doing.  Revise your strategies, develop new ideas or products, and look for new sources of income that will boost your end results.

The Foundation does not measure everything but it uses three frameworks to guide its approach to measurement:

1. “Measurement should inform specific decisions and/or actions.
2. “We do not measure everything, but we do strive to measure what matters most.
3. “The data we gather help us learn and adapt our initiatives and strategies.”

Read the guide and pay attention to the mindset which seeks continuous improvement.  Results measurement should never be just about the data.