This pilot test the use of the new Volunteering Impact Assessment Toolkit, which has been developed by the Institute of Volunteering Research, The Volunteering Impact Assessment toolkit was developed with input from the London School of Economics, the University of East London and Roehampton University.
It is widely recognised that volunteers make a difference to the work of many social economy organisations, but this is mainly supported by anecdotal evidence. The Toolkit, which has been developed by the Institute of Volunteering Research, is a way of changing this. It is easy to use, comprehensive and adaptable. It allows organisations to look at the impact of volunteering on the volunteer, the service user, the organisation and the wider community. It can help organisations gain a greater understanding of how and why volunteering works in the organisation as well as gather evidence to support funding bids
By making use of the Toolkit the Social Economy Organisations participating in the Project should be enabled to:
Assess a wide range of impacts and skills development of their volunteers to the economic contribution of volunteering to their organisation
Compare results over time
Explore positive and negative results, intended and unintended impacts
The project has local support partnerships within Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire and Highlands.
Social economy organisations identified by local support partnerships and were invited to become a participating organisation
In January 2006, 3 Interactive Seminars on the Toolkit were conducted in Edinburgh, Inverness and North Lanarkshire. In total 53 organisations from varying organisations in the social economy, voluntary and public sector attended these events.
13 social economy organisations will go on and utilise the toolkit
Participating organisations are progressing well. However, two organisations based in Inverness have had to resign due to lack of resources. This means the project will now focus on 10 social economy organisations. The participating organisations have also become part of the Local Social Economy Partnerships for their own areas, alongside original partners.
Three dissemination events took place in January 2007. Local events in Inverness & North Lanarkshire. Each event lasted approximately two hours and involved three short presentations on the following:
What is the Volunteering Impact Assesment Toolkit
An overview to Measuring the Impact of Volunteering on the Social Economy Project.
Evaluation of the project
The National Event in Edinburgh also covered the above plus
A welcome to the social economy - Social Economy Scotland
Learning form the project - 3 participants stories
Bringing it together-Volunteer Centre Edinburgh
Networking Lunch
Mainstreaming Activities
At least three of the organisations interviewed have already started on funding applications that have been accepted - toolkit will be used as part of the evaluation of these projects. These funders are Edinburgh City Council's Key Interventions Fund, Youthlink and the Big Lottery Fund;
One of the pilot organisations in Highlands and Islands area has agreed with the Big Lottery Fund that they will use the toolkit to evaluate the project (given funding to cover volunteer expenses for this evaluation).
Another organisation is using the toolkit to meet the requirements of their funders(Scottish National Heritage and Paths for All).
The toolkit is also being mainstreamed by the pilot organisations who took part in this pilot activity- all participants said they are building the process of regular impact assessment into the work of their organisation and others are using the findings from their impact assessments to develop their organisational work plans.
