• How much do you know about the effects of your organisation’s work?
• Would you like to know more about outcomes?
• Are your funders asking about outcomes monitoring?

If so, you’ll be interested in this training course for voluntary and community organisations.

• Learn how to assess your effectiveness
• Learn about what works, to improve your services.
• Increase morale for staff and users by showing that change is happening.
• Demonstrate to funders that you are making a difference.

The courses are offered as part of the National Outcomes Programme, run by Charities Evaluation Services.

Understanding and using an outcomes focus
Understanding and using an outcomes focus is a two-day training course for voluntary and community organisations. The programme, which is run by Charities Evaluation aims to help voluntary and community organisations develop knowledge and skills in using an outcomes focus.

Outcomes Training courses aim to equip you to introduce an outcomes focus within your own organisation. They will run on two separate days, with a gap of two to four weeks in between, during which time you will have the opportunity to apply what you have learnt. The course also includes some free one-to-one follow-up support.

Day 1 covers:
• Outcomes: what they are and what they are not
• How to identify relevant outcomes for your work
• The benefits of having an outcomes focus
• Simple ways to monitor outcomes
• How to use outcomes information in decision making and planning.

After Day 1, you will be asked to hold a meeting about outcomes within your own organisation, to consider implementing an outcomes focus. You will receive materials and follow-up support from me to help you do this.

On Day 2, we will talk about how your meeting went and address any problems or issues. Day 2 also covers:
• Methods for gathering outcomes information
• Reporting outcomes
• Using outcomes information well
• Next steps in implementing an outcomes approach.

Follow-up support will also be offered after Day 2.

To make the most of this opportunity, we ask you to commit to:
• attending both days of the course
• fully engaging in the take-away task between the two training days. This involves holding a meeting in your own organisation on outcomes and on the implications of adopting an outcomes focus. The meeting should involve relevant representatives of trustees, paid staff and volunteers.
• taking further actions to introduce an appropriate outcomes focus within your organisation after Day 2 of the course.

You will receive materials and support to help you in these activities.

For more information contact Ellen Cross at North Yorkshire and York Forum on 01347 825710 or email ellen.cross@nyyforum.org.uk