The journey to sharing - NPC Blog

The journey to sharing

By Eibhlin Ni Ogain 5 December 2013

We are greater than the sum of our parts. NPC and Inspiring Impact’s work on shared measurement is about acknowledging that, to solve complex social problems, we need to work together to deliver change. We also need to collaborate and share when it comes to finding out what really works. Building this evidence requires organisations to come together and agree on the outcomes they work towards as a sector and then develop common ways to measure these.

We published a blueprint for shared measurement earlier this year and have since been working specifically with the youth employability sector to help organisations working in this area understand and measure the impact they have. We launched the Journey to EmploymenT (JET) framework in May and this outlines the shared outcomes that the sector is working towards—things like social and emotional skills, attitudes and  practical skills—which are all important for young people to do well in the world of work. The framework has been well received and a variety of organisations are now using it which is fantastic. However, we are still on a journey when it comes to the entire sector using it to consistently measure impact  and build the evidence base.

To help with this task, we have been working with a number of organisations to understand how the framework and tools really work on the ground. Based on the feedback we’ve received, we’ve been developing some guidance to help organisations use the JET framework effectively. The JET Pack—launched earlier today—is an eight-step guide designed to help organisations implement the framework. From developing a theory of change to identifying what to measure and then using the data, the pack tells you everything you need to know.

We hope the JET Pack will enable organisations in the youth employability sector to use the JET framework effectively and start building a clearer picture of what really works to get young people into employment. Of course, one of the most important steps towards this is sharing your results and learning from each other. To help start these conversations, we’ve also launched the JET Pack LinkedIn group. So if you are already using the JET framework or plan to, join the group to hear how others are getting on, ask questions and get the latest on our user events.

Over the next few months, we’ll be continuing to pilot the JET framework, JET Pack and tools with a number of youth organisations. This, along with feedback from other JET Pack users, will give us invaluable information on the areas we need to develop further or provide more guidance on. We will be publishing a new and improved version of the JET framework as a result of this testing in March 2014.

Ultimately we are working towards getting the right infrastructure in place to allow organisations working on youth employability issues to gather and share data via online platforms. We are not there yet, but as the JET framework continues to be used and tested, we will think about how we can best do this. In the meantime, publishing impact data on your website, sharing your feedback via our LinkedIn group, and encouraging your funders to also use JET when it comes to reporting is a very good starting point.

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