What are baseline metrics?

Baseline Metrics are the ‘before’ intervention measurement, in year zero of your program. This is what you will compare your metrics to as time goes on to identify the change that has occurred. You may want to be able to compare with areas outside of your intervention, such as national or regional averages. This is called ‘benchmark data.’ You might only have one metric that you want benchmark data for, or you may decide that it’s needed for every metric.

The distinction between baseline metrics and benchmark data

• BENCHMARK DATA is used to compare your program to other settings. This could be similar interventions in different places, or to the population at large (e.g. wanting to bring educational attainment of a minority population up to the national average)
• BASELINE DATA is collected at the beginning of a project to establish the current status of a population before an intervention is rolled out. Without a baseline, it’s not possible to know what the impact of the intervention is!

Resources for Benchmark Data

• SOCIETAL DATA
  The General Social Survey (GSS)
  Since 1972, the General Social Survey (GSS) has provided politicians, policymakers, and scholars with a clear and unbiased perspective on what Americans think and feel about such issues as national spending priorities, crime and punishment, intergroup relations, and confidence in institutions.
• HOUSEHOLD COMMUNITY DATA
  The Living Standards Measurement Study (LSMS) is a household survey program focused on generating high-quality data, improving survey methods, and building capacity. The goal of the LSMS is to facilitate the use of household survey data for evidence-based policymaking.
• FAMILY LIFE SURVEYS
  The Family Life Surveys (FLS) are a set of detailed household and community surveys of developing countries conducted by the RAND Corporation, in collaboration with research institutions in the given countries. The currently available country surveys cover Malaysia (1976-77, 1988-89), Indonesia (1993, 1997, 2000), Guatemala (1995), and Bangladesh (1996).
• OECD REGIONAL DATABASE
  The OECD Regional Database provides a unique set of comparable statistics and indicators on about 2 000 regions in 35 countries. It currently encompasses yearly time series for around 40 indicators of demography, economic accounts, labour market, social and innovation themes in the OECD member countries and other economies.
• OECD METROPOLITAN DATABASE
  The OECD Metropolitan Database provides a set of economic, environmental, social, labour market and demographic estimated indicators on the 281 OECD metropolitan areas (functional urban areas with 500 000 or more inhabitants).
• NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STATISTICS AGENCIES
  OECD data are supplied by national statistical offices from member countries and presented in a comparative format. If you are seeking more detailed information or information on non-OECD countries, consult this list for an appropriate agency.

Resources at Sopact

• Best Practices for Social Impact Metrics Selection
• Demonstrating Impact: Choosing the Right Impact Metrics
• What to Know About Standardized Social Impact Metrics
• Selecting a Funder's Social Impact Metrics
• How to Get Social Impact Outcome Metrics
• Actionable Impact Management Guide Vol II (METRICS)

Resources in the World Wide Web

A bevy of resources exist for you and your organization to begin your social impact metrics journey. Below is a sampling of those resources that can help get you started, or revamp your current efforts.

Guides:

• Social Entrepreneurship: Social Impact Metrics (from MaRS)
• Introduction to Impact Metrics
• Social Metrics Primer (Carleton Center for Community Innovation)

Articles:

• Making sense of social impact metrics and measurements (Devex)
  
• Quantitative Social Metrics for Impact Investing (Acumen)
• MSCI ESG Sustainable Impact Metrics
• Impact Metrics: The Center for Social Impact Learning
• Making the case of social metrics and impact investing

Social Impact Metrics Standards

Each metrics standard can be thought of as its own 'language' because they help us communicate with different stakeholders. Keep in mind, the presence of standard metrics has both positive and negative consequences for social impact measurement.

Why Align to an Impact Metrics Standard?

• You’re communicating your impact to a particular audience (within a particular field). Think of standards as languages for communicating with particular audiences (including your funding source(s)). For example, if you need to communicate your impact to impact investors, 80 percent are likely to use IRIS metrics. There are lots of other languages as well: nonprofit languages, sustainability languages, environment languages, women’s empowerment languages, etc.

• You want to learn the best practices for writing metrics. Extensive research and development have already been completed. Even if you end up tweaking the standard to fit your needs, there are lessons you can learn from the standards catalogs.

How do I know which standards to align while selecting metrics?

Standards are specific to sustainability, impact investors, community developments, etc. As for example, IRIS metrics are designed to measure the social, environmental and financial performance of an investment.