The above quote comes from management guru Peter Drucker. At Partners Worldwide, we firmly believe he is correct; collecting and analyzing impacts is essential in managing and building local community institutions. If you don’t measure the impact of your work, how will you know if you’ve truly had an impact?

The first step is to gather information - results, statistics, stories, impacts, etc - from your clients/members. For many LCIs, getting started is the hardest part. Data gathering can be time-consuming, it can feel like guesswork, and sometimes it seems unfruitful. Some LCIs say they don’t have time to gather client information, because they need to focus on the true mission of the organization, serving their clients! But without gathering information, how can you understand your clients? And without understanding them, how can you serve them effectively? Step one is really about listening and understanding.

Next, it’s important to take the information you gather and put the data to work. Don’t let it collect dust on a shelf. Set goals. Make them realistic, specific, and measureable. Use your client impact data to create appropriate benchmarks for success, in alignment with your existing strategies and goals.

And lastly, set your eyes on continual improvement. Don’t settle for the status quo. Always seek to improve and refine your processes in order to meet your goals.

“If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it.”