Outcomes matrix | Big Society Capital

HOW TO USE THE OUTCOMES MATRIX

The Outcomes Matrix is a tool for SIFIs and social sector organisations to think through their own theory of change and how they will monitor, evaluate and report on social investments. It doesn’t try to prescribe the outputs or outcomes, or to make judgements on who should benefit. It aims to establish common ground and language regarding social investment and impact assessment.

Any one investment can fall into more than one outcome area. This avoids thinking of outcomes in isolation from one another and instead allows the full impact to be seen. The outcomes have been split as we believe there will be key underlying indicators for most of the outcome areas based upon the types of beneficiaries reached.

The Matrix is made up of two elements:

The vertical axis contains 13 categories covering the aspects of a person’s full and free life
The horizontal axis shows the kinds of individuals or groups who might need or benefit from the aspects set out in the other axis.

We will be adding a tagging system. This will allow users to sort for beneficiaries with particular characteristics, such as “domestic abuse” or “ex-offender”. Tags will be linked to outcomes and indicators relevant to someone with these characteristics.

For more about the Outcomes Matrix and how it integrates with wider best practice, please see The Good Investor.

	INDIVIDUALS	FAMILIES & CHILDREN	COMMUNITY, SECTOR & SOCIETY
Education, learning and skills further detail The availability of education for the acquisition of skills, knowledge and understanding to put all children and individuals in a position to succeed in personal relationships and in society.	Improved attainment and academic success Improved civic awareness and participation Improved social and emotional skills Improved vocational preparation	Improved parenting skills Increased parental involvement and support in children’s learning Strengthened family communication and relationships	Beneficiary and outcomes based changes to educational policy Improved commissioning and procurement Increased community participation by schools and further education institutions Public cost benefit
Employment and training further detail Provision of facilities for the development of skills and abilities that increase an individuals capability for gaining and maintaining productive employment; provision of employment that is secure, fair, respectful and varied.	Better occupation-specific (hard) skills and work experience Improved (soft) skills and attitudes (job readiness) for employment Increased entry to and sustainance of (quality) employment Increased satisfaction with employment	Improved parenting skills Increased financial stability and quality of life for families	Beneficiary and outcomes based changes to employment policy Fair employment practices Improved availability of and incentives for long-term sustained employment Improved commissioning and procurement Increased employer engagement and employment networks Safer and more stable communities
Housing, property and essential needs further detail Provision of secure, habitable and affordable housing equipped with sustainable and essential facilities such as safe drinking water, energy, sanitation, food storage, refuse disposal and access to emergency services.	Fewer people homeless or living in poor quality homes Improved access to affordable basic needs More vulnerable people or those with specialist needs able to live with greater independence	Fewer families homeless or living in poor quality homes Improved access to affordable basic needs Increase in availability and/or quality of safe housing or residential care for children Reduction of children in care	Fair tenant management and behaviour Increase in availaibility and/or quality of safe housing and residential care for vulnerable people or those with specialist needs More affordable housing More community housing Public cost benefit
Finance and legal matters further detail Improved knowledge and skills for those excluded to understand their own financial circumstances, along with the motivation and choice of products and services to take action.	Improved access to support, advice and appropriate financial and legal products and services Improved financial management and stability Increased financial literacy/capability	Improved access for families and children to support, advice and appropriate financial and legal products and services Improved family financial management and stability Increased family financial literacy/capability	Appropriate and responsible finance Improved access for community businesses to financial and legal services Improved local economic conditions and reduced dependence on financial support and reduced levels of poverty Improved market infrastructure and levels of social investment public cost benefit, advocacy, and policy influence
Physical health further detail Health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely categorised by the absence of disease or infirmity and which allows for a socially and economically productive life.	Access to good quality rehabilitation services Improved health awareness and education Increased shared decision making More people recover from physical ill health People feeling more active and able	Access to good quality rehabilitation services Better delivery of early intervention services to improve physical health outcomes Families feeling more active and able Improve maternal health Improved health awareness and education	Increased access to affordable and accessible health, sport and fitness facilities Increased community participation in sport and fitness activities Public cost benefit
Mental health further detail Improved, user-focused facilities and services that help those living with mental ill-health issues to attain the highest possible standard of mental health.	An increase in shared decision making Improved mental health Improved mental health and ability to live a full, self reliant life	An increase in shared decision making Better delivery of early intervention services to improve mental health outcomes More secure parent/child relationships	Beneficiary and outcomes based changes to mental health policy Improved commissioning and procurement Improved mental health awareness and education Public cost benefit Reduction in stigma and discrimination associated with mental health
Healthy living and lifestyle further detail Access to services and facilities that promote and increase awareness of healthy lifestyle choices not characterised merely by the absence of disease or infirmity.	Access to services and facilities that promote and increase awareness of maternal health and early life health choices Improved health awareness and education Improved healthy eating and nutrition People feeling more active and able Reduction in substance abuse and addiction (including smoking)	Improved healthy eating and nutrition Improvement in maternal health and early life health choices Increased shared decision making Reduction in substance abuse and addiction (including smoking)	Improved public health and fitness Increased access to affordable and accessible health, sport and fitness facilities Public cost benefit Reduced differences in life expectancy between communities
Personal and social well-being further detail Improved self-esteem, resilience, emotional health, life satisfaction and happiness for people and communities	Improved independence, control and life satisfaction Increased aspiration, motivation, purpose, sense of meaning People feeling less isolated, excluded or lonely	Improved family relations child well-being (tantrums, child happiness) Increased confidence and self esteem for families and children	Improved community cohesion and community relations, neighbourliness Increased access to social infrastructure for social networking
Criminal justice and public safety further detail Improving the lives of people so that they can live in confidence and safety, and free from crime, disorder and danger.	Reduced contact with the criminal justice system Reduction in offending and reoffending Reduction in risk-taking behaviour	Reduction in child abuse Reduction in domestic abuse Reduction in harassment and bullying Reduction in risk-taking behaviour Reduction in youth offending and reoffending	Beneficiary and outcomes based changes to probation policy Improved community safety and accessibility Increased community cohesion Reduced crime
Local area and getting around further detail Development of confident, active, well resourced and accessible communities based on values of shared citizenship.	Improved access to and use of local facilities Improved access to and use of public and community transport Improved specialist transportation services and mobility devices	Improve access to quality local childcare and support Improved access to and use of public and community transport Improved community facilities for children and families, nurseries	Availability of Integrated public and community transport Increase in community assets, community facilities and centres Increase in quality public spaces, parks, recreation grounds Increased community cohesion
Culture, sport and heritage further detail Accessible, affordable and inclusive participation in sporting and cultural facilities that contribute to social cohesion.	Increased accessibility of arts and cultural facilities Increased accessibility of sports facilities Increased participation in arts, culture and sports	Increased accessibility of family arts and cultural facilities Increased accessibility of family sports facilities Increased participation by families in arts, culture and sports	Improved community access to arts and sports facilities Improved local culture and heritage Public awareness of arts, culture and sport
Politics, influence and participation further detail Promotion and advocacy of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and the Human Rights Act; the encouragement of democratic and civic engagement.	Greater participation by individuals Greater personal influence and control Improved access to human rights and entitlements Improved public attitudes and behaviour Individuals are more empowered	Children’s rights Families are more empowered	Improved community empowerment Improved public attitudes and behaviour Increased advocacy, politics, rights and justice Increased public and community awareness and participation in decision-making
Climate change and conservation of the natural environment further detail Conservation and protection of the natural environment, tackling climate change and promoting sustainable use of resources.	Improved efficiency of energy use Improved efficiency of water use Increased access to low cost renewable energy sources Increased use of public transport More energy efficient homes	Improved efficiency of energy use Improved efficiency of water use Increased access to low cost renewable energy sources Increased use of public transport	Conservation of natural spaces, land or wildlife (biodiversity) Conservation of resources (including water) Improved human behaviour and understanding (educational programmes) More sustainable agriculture Public cost benefit, advocacy and policy Reduced greenhouse gas emissions (related to: energy, low carbon agriculture, green building, sustainable transport)

HOW TO USE THE OUTCOMES MATRIX

INDIVIDUALS

FAMILIES & CHILDREN

COMMUNITY, SECTOR & SOCIETY

Education, learning and skills

Improved attainment and academic success

Improved civic awareness and participation

Improved social and emotional skills

Improved vocational preparation

Improved parenting skills

Increased parental involvement and support in children’s learning

Strengthened family communication and relationships

Beneficiary and outcomes based changes to educational policy

Improved commissioning and procurement

Increased community participation by schools and further education institutions

Public cost benefit

Employment and training

Better occupation-specific (hard) skills and work experience

Improved (soft) skills and attitudes (job readiness) for employment

Increased entry to and sustainance of (quality) employment

Increased satisfaction with employment

Improved parenting skills

Increased financial stability and quality of life for families

Beneficiary and outcomes based changes to employment policy

Fair employment practices

Improved availability of and incentives for long-term sustained employment

Improved commissioning and procurement

Increased employer engagement and employment networks

Safer and more stable communities

Housing, property and essential needs

Fewer people homeless or living in poor quality homes

Improved access to affordable basic needs

More vulnerable people or those with specialist needs able to live with greater independence

Fewer families homeless or living in poor quality homes

Improved access to affordable basic needs

Increase in availability and/or quality of safe housing or residential care for children

Reduction of children in care

Fair tenant management and behaviour

Increase in availaibility and/or quality of safe housing and residential care for vulnerable people or those with specialist needs

More affordable housing

More community housing

Public cost benefit

Finance and legal matters

Improved access to support, advice and appropriate financial and legal products and services

Improved financial management and stability

Increased financial literacy/capability

Improved access for families and children to support, advice and appropriate financial and legal products and services

Improved family financial management and stability

Increased family financial literacy/capability

Appropriate and responsible finance

Improved access for community businesses to financial and legal services

Improved local economic conditions and reduced dependence on financial support and reduced levels of poverty

Improved market infrastructure and levels of social investment public cost benefit, advocacy, and policy influence

Physical health

Access to good quality rehabilitation services

Improved health awareness and education

Increased shared decision making

More people recover from physical ill health

People feeling more active and able

Access to good quality rehabilitation services

Better delivery of early intervention services to improve physical health outcomes

Families feeling more active and able

Improve maternal health

Improved health awareness and education

Increased access to affordable and accessible health, sport and fitness facilities

Increased community participation in sport and fitness activities

Public cost benefit

Mental health

An increase in shared decision making

Improved mental health

Improved mental health and ability to live a full, self reliant life

An increase in shared decision making

Better delivery of early intervention services to improve mental health outcomes

More secure parent/child relationships

Beneficiary and outcomes based changes to mental health policy

Improved commissioning and procurement

Improved mental health awareness and education

Public cost benefit

Reduction in stigma and discrimination associated with mental health

Healthy living and lifestyle