Example Outcomes Frameworks
This page is relevant to Australia and New Zealand Accounts only.
Below are some examples of published outcomes frameworks that have been transposed into the SmartyGrants Outcomes Framework Template.
Please note that many of the below outcome frameworks were designed for population-level data, i.e. the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 4.2.2 is Grade 2/3 literacy level for Australia. Where possible we have adapted the indicators so they can be used at a cohort level e.g. your grantee could report on the Naplan results for Grade 3 of a particular school they are working with (rather than the whole of Australia or Victoria).
All the frameworks have been adapted into the SmartyGrants Outcomes template so you can download, update for your context as required, and then uploaded into SmartyGrants for use with the Outcomes Engine. Please read carefully the advice on each framework before making adaptions to ensure you maintain the integrity of the framework, outcomes and metrics.
Australian Social Value Bank
The Australian Social Value Bank (ASVB) Outcomes List is a continually expanding list of measures that cover a broad range of policy areas including Social and Community, Home, Health, Employment, Education, Drugs and Alcohol and Crime. Currently, the list contains 88 social outcomes across across these domains.
These outcomes have been derived using a statistical methodology called Wellbeing Valuation, using the HILDA (Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia) Survey and the Journeys Home survey. Both of these datasets are longitudinal studies funded by the Australian Government and created by Melbourne University.
"You can not only use the ASVB outcomes list to standardize your measurement approach alongside many others, but you can also leverage this data, along with a few additional data points*, to assess your social return on investment through the ASVB subscription service."
To ensure you collect all the necessary data points to use in the ASVB calculation please see this help sheet. We have also developed an ASVB application and acquittal template. Please email the service@smartygrants.com.au to have these templates copied into your account.
The ASVB can be used before a program has been run, to help inform where you can direct your grant funds to create the greatest social value, as well as after a program has been delivered, so you can understand the social value that has been created.
More information can be found on the Australian Social Value Bank website or you can get in touch via info@asvb.com.au. You can download a copy of the ASVB Outcomes SmartyGrants template below.
Cultural Development Network Outcomes Schema
The Cultural Development Network (CDN) schema has been developed to facilitate the measurement of outcomes of cultural engagement, including arts participation, across the spectrum from ambient to creative and receptive participation. The measurable outcomes enable government and arts agencies to undertake outcome-focused planning and evaluate their progress in meeting desired outcomes. This schema enables the contributions of cultural engagement to be assessed using a systemised approach. This, in turn, enables organisations to understand how effective they are being in achieving their objectives, thus contributing to evidence-based practice, which is increasingly required by funders and decision-makers.
More information including the full framework can be found on the Cultural Development Network website including the survey questions that link to the metrics in the below framework.
You can download a copy of the CDN Outcomes SmartyGrants template below.
The Community Services Outcome Tree
The Community Services Outcomes Tree (CSOT) has been developed by the Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology, in partnership with Uniting Vic Tas.
The CSOT is designed to help community sector organisations measure the effect they are having on individuals’ lives.
The framework encourages a ‘whole of life’ approach and recognises the way in which life domains interrelate. For example, while your organisation may focus on education it would be worthwhile to consider the impact of your work in other areas of a person’s life such as employment, health, finances etc.
The CSOT is designed for the community sector. This includes community service organisations, not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises. The framework can also be used by funders of community services such as governments and philanthropics.
More information including the full framework and how it was developed can be found on the Community Services Outcome Tree website including the survey questions that link to the metrics in the below framework.
You can download a copy of the CSOT Outcomes SmartyGrants template below.
The Nest by Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth
The Nest is Australia’s wellbeing framework for children and young people aged 0 to 24 years, developed by ARACY – Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth. The Nest is an evidence-based, holistic framework that considers all aspects of a child’s wellbeing in the context of their daily life.
The Nest conceptualises wellbeing as six interconnected and interdependent domains that support each other to help children thrive and reach their full potential. To have optimal wellbeing, a child or young person needs to be adequately resourced in all six domains. The domains are:
Valued, Loved and Safe
Material Basics
Healthy
Learning
Participating
Having a Positive Sense of Identity and Culture
Population level measures using available datasets are mapped to the domains of the Nest in the Australian Children’s Wellbeing Index, jointly developed by ARACY and UNICEF Australia, and historically in The Nest Report Card.
A review of the measures (or metrics as referred to in the below spreadsheet) to reflect positive strength-based changes will begin in the near future. In the meantime, grant-makers are encouraged to consider reframing the measures from a deficit to strengths-based perspective (e.g. Percentage of children who do not feel positive about their future to Percentage of children who do feel positive about their future).
The Nest forms the basis of The Common ApproachTM, ARACY’s best practice approach to better conversations about wellbeing with children and families. The Common ApproachTM and the Nest can support the development of individual and service level outcomes for child and family wellbeing.
You can download a copy of the Nest SmartyGrants template below.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was ratified in September 2015 by 193 United Nations member states. It builds on the work of the Millennium Development Goals, which were in effect from 2000 – 2015.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is built around 17 diverse, yet interdependent Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ranging from ending poverty, and hunger, improving health and wellbeing, to sustainable economic growth and protecting the environment. “They [The SDGs] recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.”
Achievement of the SDGs by 2030 will require cooperation of governments, civil society, the private sector (as emphasised by Goal 17 – Partnerships for the goals). Many grantmaking and grantee organisations are aligning their work to the SDGs.
The SDGs are composed of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (Domains), 169 targets (outcomes) and 232 indicators (metrics).
You can download a copy of the SDGs and indicators in the SmartyGrants template below.
We have also included the Transforming Australia list of indicators below.
National Disaster Recovery Monitoring and Evaluation database
The National Strategy for Disaster Resilience (COAG 2011) highlighted the increasing incidence and cost of disasters in Australia. To better deal with the increasing incidence of disasters, the national strategy affirms a cooperative response that emphasises shared responsibility and empowering communities.
To address this, the Australian Government, in partnership with state and territory governments, the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG) and the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) developed the National Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Disaster Recovery Programs and the National Disaster Recovery Monitoring and Evaluation Database.
The National Disaster Recovery Monitoring and Evaluation Database (the ‘Database’) contains 61 nationally agreed outcomes and 369 indicators (metrics) across five domains.
The Database is intended to assist those designing disaster recovery program to learn from past practice and facilitate a nationally consistent approach to the design and evaluation of disaster recovery programs.
In addition to the ability to search outcomes and indicators, the online database also allows grantmakers to search the types of activities that have previously been linked to outcomes and view evaluation reports from previous disaster recovery programs.
The Australian Institute of Disaster Resilience recommends that the database be used in conjunction with the National Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for Disaster Recovery Programs.
A copy of the NRME Outcomes in the SmartyGrants template will appear below very soon!
Shared Outcome Framework for the Housing and Homelessness Sector
The Shared Outcome Framework for the Housing and Homelessness Sector was developed in 2017 as a collaboration between the Centre for Social Impact (CSI) in collaboration with Homelessness Sector Development (a partnership between Homelessness NSW, Domestic Violence NSW and Yfoundations).
The objective of the project was to “…foster the development of a shared language and understanding of outcomes and indicators across the sector.” and “…give service providers access to information they can use in tracking and evaluating their impact on people’s lives.”
For further information about this framework, including the Information on how the framework was developed, the data dictionary, and the data collection guide – visit the Homelessness NSW website.
A copy of the Shared Outcome Framework in the SmartyGrants template is below.
Goodtown Council Outcomes Framework
The Goodtown Council Outcomes framework was developed by the SmartyGrants team as a good practice example of an outcomes framework for a typical small local government grantmaker.
It tracks progress towards outcomes across 5 domains common to local government grantmakers: Arts and Culture, Community Development, Economic Development, Health and Wellbeing, and Environment.
You can download a copy of the Goodtown Council Outcomes Framework below.