Including the Beneficiary Voice: The Success Measures Experience

Author(s): Margaret Grieve and Deborah Visser, NeighborWorks America

As this essay contends, it is not only possible, but essential, to capture the beneficiary voice, the views of informed community stakeholders, and the observed physical changes that are occurring on the ground. These results can be obtained in conjunction with other critical measures rather than as add-ons to be tackled at a later date. As we show, it is possible to do systematic, methodologically sound impact measurement that more fully demonstrates what investors want to know: How are people’s lives improving? How are communities changing?