What are the types of outcomes?

Whatever the business reasons they need to be definable and quantifiable. If you want to increase take up by target groups, how many are in that group, can you define them by age, gender, income, or other criteria, and by what number or percentage do you want to increase take up. Whatever target you set needs to be measurable to see if you have achieved your outcomes.

You also need to know whether or not you require behaviour change from your customers, or whether this is simply informing them of changes in the hope they will take up services at the point they become relevant. Behaviour change means you want them to do something differently. This may be as simple as going online to find information or access services or more profound social marketing such as encouraging healthy exercise or stopping smoking.

Informing is aimed at letting them know services which are relevant to them are available and hoping they take them. Services could be as simple as a new country walk in their area or as complex as talking to professionals because they feel their child needs extra help to help them achieve their potential.

Indicators 

In England there are National Indicators (NIs) http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/performanceframeworkpartnerships/nationalindicators/ which are the outcomes central government expects local agencies and partnerships to deliver. Where possible you should relate the outcomes you want to achieve to these NIs or other local indicators your authority or partnership monitors and delivers and to any targets which you have set.

Often the improvements you are seeking are also important to other local partners. In England there is a programme called Total Place (http://www.localleadership.gov.uk/totalplace/) which seeks to achieve efficiencies and improvements in customer service and outcome indicators across an area by working together. A useful guide to how partners can work together on customer insight is  attached below.

Goals 

Once you have decided what the project is you can set short, medium and long term goals. In the Leiedal example a short term goal may be more people knowing about or  using the online system. A medium term goal may be more people from the lower income groups accessing childcare. A longterm goal may be more people from these groups accessing work and reductions in welfare benefits.

The goals may not just be about increasing things – they may be about reducing inequalities like income gaps between low income families and the average income.

Scorecard 

One way of quickly establishing what benefits or outcomes are relevant to different keystakeholder groups is to use a balanced scorecard approach. Use a grid like the one below to show what will be delivered for who. The example is for increasingthe use of the Common Assessment Framework in Norfolk to improve early intervention.

Benefits mapping 

A more rigorous approach is to do full benefits mapping. An example can be found in themynorfolk bid at http://www.my.norfolk.gov.uk/mynorfolk/our-bid.htm on page 48 onwards. A sample benefits map is attached.