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TIRESIA RESEARCH AREAS

Impact Measurement & Management

Impact management and measurement is a topical and complex theme that in the last years has become a mantra for those willing to create a positive change at a societal and environmental level. Since claims about making a difference are no longer enough, and evidences are required concerning the change that has been created, impact management and measurement is no longer regarded as an accountability and compliance tool but it’s becoming part of the strategy of organizations, financers and policy makers. These elements increase the urgency for a variety of actors (e.g. managers of social enterprises, non-profit organizations, and for-profit organizations; lenders; investors; policy makers) to manage, quantify, and communicate the generated value. 

Within this context, Tiresia developed a research line that support the reflections about the definition of impact; the evolution of the management and measurement practices; the evaluation of the emerging issues in impact management and measurement; the critical analysis of management and measurement approaches, standards and tools; the identification of the technology role in impact management and measurement. 

Tiresia defines impact as the change in a social, environmental or economic outcome caused by an organization/policy and it is characterized by three key features: intentionality, measurability and additionality.

Tiresia considers as the best approaches to manage and measure impact the ones in which outputs, outcomes and impact are all linked by an ex-ante defined Theory of Change. Theory of Change is the logic model that support organizations in identifying what environmental and social impact can be generated and achieved by their specific activities. 

Research questions

Which is the spread level of impact management and measurement approaches, standards and tools?

How impact generated by third sector organizations/funds/corporations can be managed and measured?

How is it possible to overcome the trade-off between comparability and the depth of tailor made assessments & the different information needs of stakeholders?

What is the relation between impact management and measurement and impact finance?

How financial proxy can be defined?

What is the role of technology in impact management and measurement?

How the data collection process can be designed to provide data of quality?

Is there the need for an independent third party to review the management and measurement process and its results?

How the need of resources (money, time, human, technology) can be overcome?

How the difficulty of defining impact attribution can be faced?

Which are the best practices in impact management and measurement?

Research objectives

Impact management and measurement best practices

Impact management and measurement of third sector organizations

How is it possible to overcome the trade-off between comparability and the depth of tailor made assessments & the different information needs of stakeholders?

Impact management and measurement of funds

How financial proxy can be defined?

The relation between impact management and measurement and impact finance

The role of technology in impact management and measurement