PROJECT OUTCOMES
In your second stage application form you are asked to identify what you intend your project outcomes to be.
If you are successful with your application we will ask you to explain in your final monitoring report whether you were successful in achieving those outcomes.
People often confuse outcomes with outputs and targets. We hope this brief guide explains our definition of outcomes and helps you to fill in the application form.
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It might be easier to understand aims, outcomes and activities by looking at a real example:
Kingsbrook young person’s project
Overall Aim
To raise the aspirations of young people in Kingsbrook Ward
Intended outcomes
- Young people are more aware of the options available to them.
- Young people are less likely to be attracted to criminal activity.
- Young people feel more confident about the future.
- Young people are more likely to move on to post-16 education.
Activities
- Recruit and train mentors from the business community
- Organise fun day for local young people with representatives from local colleges and training providers
Outcomes are the changes in the people, organisations, policies or communities your application aims to help that take place as a result of your work.
They can be expected or unexpected, good or bad. We would like you to tell us about them all, so we can learn from them.
How can I prove that my project has achieved its intended outcomes?
This is something else you will need to think about when you are planning your project. Some people refer to the things which you can measure to demonstrate whether you have achieved your outcomes as outcome indicators.
Some things are simpler to measure than others, and you need to make sure that you don’t choose outcome indicators which you can’t link directly to your work. For example, if you are running a project which with the aim of raising the aspirations of young people in a particular area, with an outcome of reducing the numbers of young people drawn into criminal activity and you choose the outcome indicator of levels of reported crime and anti-social behaviour, how can you be sure that your project rather than any other initiatives being run locally are responsible for this change?
You should also consider whether your outcomes are measurable. Outcomes relating to a change in people’s attitudes, such as increased confidence, are sometimes called soft outcomes, and will often involve you checking people’s views before and after taking part in your project. There are a number of tools available to help with this sort of measurement.
What about outcomes for capital projects?
Many people who apply for funding for a building or equipment make the mistake of thinking that the existence of their new extension or play equipment is an outcome itself, without thinking about why they need the building or equipment for their community or service users. A facility, product or service is an output. Outcomes for a new building project could be an increased number of groups using the building, improved financial sustainability, or perhaps improved access for disabled people.