1. ICT for Outcomes Monitoring
27th November 2012
Raising awareness of a range
of ICT tools that can be
deployed to improve the
efficiency and effectiveness of
outcomes monitoring.

2. Session objectives
• Learn how ICT can help with collecting, storing, retrieving and
presenting outcomes information
• Understand more about the processes involved in implementing a
holistic system
• See demonstrations looking at ‘off the shelf' systems selected for
relevance in terms of services, client group and cost
• Start identifying specific tools that will enable you to better capture
information relating to your organisations outcomes
• Draft an action plan to support adoption of these tools over the next
year 6 – 12 months

3. Your current practice
How are you currently using ICT to capture
& evidence Outcomes?
What challenges do you face?
Do you already have ideas for how you can
improve this process?

4. Why ICT can help?
Greater efficiency:
• Automating manual processes
• Reducing paperwork
• Reducing staff time
Greater effectiveness:
• Sharing / accessing information
• Analysing data in more sophisticated ways
• Presenting information with greater impact & to a
wider variety of audiences

5. Collecting Outcomes information
• Online surveys
• Website feedback
• Outreach laptops
• Digital / video cameras
• Dictaphones / mobile phones
• Diaries / blogs

6. Source: London
Housing
Foundation

7. Storing Outcomes information
• Spreadsheets
• Databases
•
Developed in-house
• Custom built
• Off the shelf
• Digital filing

8. Source: London Housing Foundation

10. Online repositories
• e.g. Huddle, Dropbox, Flickr,
Evernote
• Can be shared with team or external
partners
•Can be accessed from anywhere
including mobile devices

11. Retrieving & analysing
Outcomes info
• Spreadsheets – filtering, sorting,
pivot tables
• Database - queries & reports
• Exporting as csv files & importing to
Excel

12. Presenting Outcomes info
• Charts & graphs
• Dashboards
• Websites
• Annual reviews
• Videos / Digital Storytelling
• Email signatures

13. Feedback on a website
(www.illuminateict.org.uk)

14. Video footage

15. Developing a system…
First steps
Get together as a team and identify and
agree the what, how, when, why and
then capture this on paper
Remember to include bother outputs and
outcomes

16. Next steps…
 Carry out an audit of current systems
– what are you using, what works
well, what frustrates you etc
 Document how you are structuring
your information e.g. the ‘fields’ you
are using
 Draw up a brief – include some
background and specify what you
need – remember to future proof

17. Next steps…
 Then consider…
• Is this something that can be
realistically developed in house?
• If not, research whether a system
already exists to meet your needs?
• If not, budget for the bespoke option

18. Resources required?
 Upgraded ICT infrastructure?
A new system or developments to an
existing system?
 Data migration or start from scratch?
 Staff roles and training?

20. Selecting a database for monitoring
 http://www.ces-vol.org.uk/Resources/Charitie

21. http://www.ces-vol.org.uk/tools-and-resources/planning-for-monitoring-evaluation

23. Outcomes star
Versions currently available:
 Homelessness Star
 Mental Health Recovery Star
 Teen Star
 Alcohol Star
 Work Star
 Older Person's Star
 Family Star
 Community Star
Versions currently in development:
 Music Therapy Star
 Life Star for learning disability
 Spectrum Star for autism & aspergers syndrome
 Sexual Health Star
 Well-being Star
 Empowerment Star for domestic violence services

24. Teen Star
This version has been developed for and with teenagers in a
substance misuse setting but should be applicable in
other settings.
 Outcome areas (6):
• Drugs and alcohol
• Well-being
• Safety and security
• Structure and education
• Behaviour and citizenship
• Family and other key adults
 These link to the five high-level Every Child Matters
(ECM) outcomes….

25. Evidencing outcomes at different
levels
The Outcomes Star can provide outcomes data at four levels:
 For individual service users: the Star gives a snapshot of where they were on
each outcome area when they joined the project and at each review – the difference
between starting point and review shows the progress made in that time.
 For a project as a whole: the average starting points on entry to the service and
the amount of progress made in a specified time period or over their life-time in the
project can be calculated – this gives a picture of the project outcomes. The
Outcomes Star™ online can provide this information at the touch of a button.
 For a group of projects across an organisation: the same information as above
can be calculated for each project allowing comparison between different services.
In addition users of the Outcomes Star™ online can compare the progress made by
different sub-groups of clients, for example women and men or older and younger
service users.
 For similar projects across a sector: the same analyses as described above can
be carried out for a sector as a whole. This makes it possible to establish
benchmarks identifying good practice and building an outcomes-focused evidence
base. This is only possible using the Outcomes Star™ online.

26. www.staronline.org.uk

27. www.lamplightdb.co.uk

28. Lamplight demos
 Customising fields
 Adding outcomes and seeing change
 See your impact overall

29. www.socialimpacttracker.org

30. Developing an action plan
 Outcomes & indicators
 Using ICT to capture / present this
information
 Resources required – infrastructure &
skills
 Allocating responsibility / setting a
timeline

31. Best practice issues
 Are you registered with the information
commissioner?
www.informationcommissioner.gov.uk
 Do you have a data protection & privacy
policy and explain why you collect data
and what it will be used for?
 Do you ask for permission to use
photos / videos?
 Is your client data secure i.e. password
protected, backed up, safeguarded with
anti virus software and a firewall?

32. For more help contact:
Superhighways
0208 255 8040
katewhite@superhighways.org.uk