How it works

Foundation

Why trust is crucial

Good impact measurement starts with trust. Without trust, people don't fill anything in, give socially desirable answers, or drop out.

We've been active in The Culture for years. These are the urban, culturally diverse ecosystems where many of the most innovative practices emerge. This long-term presence generates high response rates, honest reflection and repeated participation. That makes the data methodologically stronger than conventional measurements.

The measurement system

Five steps

1

The question

It starts with a concrete decision or accountability question. A funder wants to compare grants. A municipality wants to understand neighbourhood impact. An initiative wants to show what a programme delivers. That question determines what we measure.

2

Adaptive measurement design

We translate the question into a short measurement that participants recognise. Questions adapt based on previous answers, so people do not have to move through irrelevant topics.

This gives enough structure for comparison without flattening participant experience.

3

Mixed-method measurement

We combine numbers with stories. Sometimes it starts with a personal story followed by scores. Sometimes the other way around. That depends on the goal. The combination always delivers more than either alone. Numbers show patterns, stories give meaning.

4

Analysis and pattern recognition

With statistics and AI, trends, clusters, tensions and blind spots become visible. Where is the impact? Where isn't it? Which groups are reached and which are missed?

5

Dashboard and reporting

A dashboard shows reach, response, scores and patterns. We also deliver reports with interpretation, conclusions and recommendations for grant rounds, policy choices or programme development.

Platform

ImpactLens

The platform offers a dashboard with scores, response, participant profiles and patterns per project or programme. That's the foundation: always available, always current.

Additionally, we deliver in-depth analyses on request. Think impact profiles of individual initiatives, longitudinal analyses over time, benchmarking between projects, and reports for grant rounds.

Developed in collaboration with funders and policymakers, so output aligns with decision-making processes.