Outcomes and impact
Outcomes describe the meaningful changes that happen as a direct result of an initiative – such as changes in knowledge, skills, behaviour, attitudes or environmental conditions. Outcome statements describe what changes as a result of the initiative, and who experiences this change.
Impact describes the broader changes that an initiative might contribute towards in the long-term. Often, there are other factors that may also contribute to that impact. This means that the link between the initiative and the impact is less direct and harder to measure than the shorter-term outcomes.
An example an outcome from a youth training programme might be increased youth employment.
A long-term impact of this programme and outcome might be increased quality of life as a result of secure employment and income. There is reasonable potential for this impact to happen, but it may take longer to see and be more difficult to track over time.
IN SIMPLE TERMS
An outcome is a measurable change that happens because of your work towards a goal, for your community.
Every outcome helps move your community towards impact, which means making a difference for the long-term.