Our services
Impact studies
Understanding the transformations an initiative has contributed to, for individuals, communities and organisations, and the mechanisms that explain them.
Measuring and understanding contribution to change
An impact study first seeks to identify, measure and understand the contribution of an initiative, a programme or a policy to deep, multidimensional changes at individual, collective, sector or macro level. It also seeks to quantify these impacts and to analyse the contribution or contributions to these changes. It requires a degree of hindsight on the process being analysed and the use of both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools.
In our impact studies, we first reconstruct a theory of change and its assumptions, then test it against reality, drawing on the lived experience of participants, the quantitative data collected and an analysis of broader macro trends. We carry out quantitative and qualitative surveys, as well as case studies and stories of change that shed light on the “how”.
We pay particular attention to the less visible dimensions of change, such as empowerment, agency or shifts in social norms, which we approach in a multidimensional way, as well as to effects that differ according to gender, age or social situation.
What we offer
Change-oriented impact studies
Analysis of individual, collective and sector-level changes, using mixed data collection tools.
Impact surveys
Online surveys of the people concerned to identify and quantify perceived impacts, as well as the degree and types of contribution.
Case studies and stories of change
Qualitative case studies that give ample space to participants’ voices, to better understand the context, the mechanisms of change at work, what they have brought and their limits.
Outcome monitoring systems
Support in designing tools that enable organisations to track, over time and on their own, the changes they contribute to.
Developing theories of change
Co-construction or reconstruction of the theory of change of a project, a programme or a strategy, identifying assumptions, domains and pathways of change.
Outcome harvesting
Collecting the outcomes and impacts of a project, a programme or a policy using the outcome harvesting method, which we use regularly.
How an impact study unfolds
Each study is tailor-made, but it usually follows five stages.
Inception
Defining the study questions, the changes to observe and the people concerned, together with the steering committee.
Reconstructing the theory of change
Spelling out the expected pathways of change and the assumptions behind them.
Mixed data collection
Surveys, interviews, stories of change and participatory workshops with the people and organisations concerned.
Contribution analysis
Testing the data against the assumptions to understand what has changed, for whom, and what the initiative contributed.
Restitution and discussion
Sharing the findings and holding workshops to draw lessons for strategy and advocacy.
What makes the difference
Our references
- Impact study of the SMA project of the Engagé·e·s & Déterminé·e·s network, 2010-2020 (Engagé·e·s & Déterminé·e·s)
- Impact study of pS-Eau’s SMA programmes since 2014 (pS-Eau, F3E)
- Impact study of five citizen participation projects in Bolivia, Burkina Faso, El Salvador and Mozambique (SOLIDAR Suisse)
- Impact study of four youth employability projects (SOLIDAR Suisse)
- Impact study and evaluation of the Occurrens project (Apprentis d’Auteuil)
- Study on reciprocity in volunteering: overview and impacts (France Volontaires)
- Study on the impact of patriarchy (CCFD-Terre Solidaire)
Planning an evaluation, a capitalization or a strategic process?
Let’s talk about what you need. We respond to calls for tenders as well as direct requests, in French, English and Spanish.