What is "impact"?
The standard defines impact as a change in outcomes for people and the planet.
CIDS builds on the Impact Management Norms framework, which identifies five dimensions of impact, and adds a sixth dimension of its own.
The dimensions of impact
Section titled “The dimensions of impact”| Dimension | Description |
|---|---|
| What | The specific outcome being measured. |
| Who | The stakeholder experiencing the outcome. |
| How much | The scale, depth, and duration of the change. |
| Contribution | The degree of the organization’s influence on the outcome. |
| Risk | The likelihood that impact differs from expectations. |
| How (added by CIDS) | The organizational efforts undertaken to achieve outcomes. |
Representing impact in data
Section titled “Representing impact in data”Representing impact requires understanding how organizations deliver outcomes. The standard models this through a connected set of concepts:
- Programs and Services — the organized efforts an organization runs.
- Activities — the work carried out within those efforts.
- Inputs and Outputs — the resources used and the direct products of activities.
- Indicators and IndicatorReports — the measures used to track outcomes and the reported values for those measures over time.