In this tool box are some sources of off-the-shelf outcomes monitoring tools. Just beware – there are many different tools out there! But as we know, different tools suit different work in different settings.
The tools listed below have all been reviewed and sorted into relevance for the following service types. Make sure you are clear about the conditions of use of these tools. These may include requirements to acknowledge copyright or pay licence fees.
Note: These websites were all live at the time of publication – Please contact us if you notice any broken links, updates needed, or new tools that could help other organisations.
All Services
| Toolkits: a practical guide to planning, monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment | Save the Children’s toolkit is intended for development programs but it contains tools which can be used in other settings. | A Practical Guide to Assessment, Monitoring, Review and Evaluation, 2nd edition | Save the Children’s Resource Centre |
| Tools for you: approaches to proving and improving for charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprise | Produced by the UK’s New Economics Foundation and the Charities Evaluation Services, this guide includes a range of social and environmental impact tools, quality systems and tools, and tools for business and social outcomes planning. It also includes tools for measuring social return on investments, and volunteering impact assessments. | Tools for You | New Economics Foundation |
| The alignment index: an innovative tool for collective impact projects | Developed by Organizational Research Services and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to measure the alignment of organisations working toward a common impact. | The Alignment Index: An Innovative Tool – ORS Impact |
Alcohol, Tobacco and other Drug Services
| Outcomes Star | This is a set of tools developed by Triangle Consulting in the UK. There are 20 versions of the star developed for different client groups and services, including one for clients of alcohol, tobacco and other drug services. | http://www.outcomesstar.org.uk/ |
| Survey/Scales | Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services (CHIPTS) has an online library of health promotion and injury prevention scales focusing on substance abuse, sexual attitudes and safe sex practices, adolescents, mental health and health assessments | Surveys and Scales – CHIPTS – Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services |
Children’s Services
| Fast Track data instruments | A library of tools put together by the Fast Track Project (USA) that focus on child development, family relationships, and school-home relationships. | Data Instruments – Fast Track Project |
| FRIENDS National Centre for Community Based Child Abuse Prevention | A library of measurement tools for work with children, adolescents and families. | Compendium of Annotated Measurement Tools – Friends NRC |
Consumer Advocacy Service
| Advocacy & policy change evaluation: a primer | A list of tools which can be used to measure advocacy work. It was developed for a US charitable foundation. | Advocacy & Policy Change Evaluation: A Primer |
| A guide to measuring advocacy and policy | This is mainly an evaluation guide but it does contain some practical tips on measuring outcomes of advocacy and policy work. | A Guide to Measuring Advocacy and Policy |
| Pathways for change: 10 theories to inform advocacy and policy change efforts | Published by the Centre for Evaluation Innovation to evaluate advocacy and policy change efforts. | Pathways for Change: 10 Theories to Inform Advocacy and Policy Change Efforts |
| Toolkits: a practical guide to planning, monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment | Save the Children’s toolkit is intended for development programs but it contains tools which can be used in other settings. | A Practical Guide to Assessment, Monitoring, Review and Evaluation, 2nd edition | Save the Children’s Resource Centre |
Disability Services
| Outcomes Star | This is a set of tools developed by Triangle Consulting in the UK. There are 20 versions of the star developed for different client groups and services, including one for services working with people with intellectual disabilities and services supporting people to live independently. | http://www.outcomesstar.org.uk |
Family Services
| Fast Track data instruments | A library of tools put together by the Fast Track Project (USA) that focus on child development, family relationships, and school-home relationships. | Data Instruments – Fast Track Project |
| Outcomes Star | This is a set of tools developed by Triangle Consulting in the UK. There are 20 versions of the star developed for different client groups and services, including one for services working with people with intellectual disabilities and services supporting people to live independently. | http://www.outcomesstar.org.uk |
Financial Wellbeing Services
| MAP Tool | Toynbee Hall, a UK charity, has developed a shared financial wellbeing measurement tool. Useful for services offering financial counselling or microcredit. | MAP Tool – Measure the financial wellbeing of the people you help |
Health Promotion
| Mental health improvement: evidence and practice Guide 5: Selecting scales to assess mental wellbeing in adults | A guide produced by Health Scotland. Contains information on 50 tools to measure mental wellbeing in adults. | Mental Health Improvement: Evidence and Practice Guide 5: Selecting scales to assess mental wellbeing in adults |
| Outcomes Star | This is a set of tools developed by Triangle Consulting in the UK. There are 20 versions of the star developed for different client groups and services, including sexual health. | http://www.outcomesstar.org.uk |
| Survey and Scales | Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services has an online library of health promotion and injury prevention scales focusing on substance abuse, sexual attitudes and safe sex practices, adolescents, mental health and health assessments | Surveys and Scales – CHIPTS – Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services |
Housing and homelessness
| Outcomes Star | This is a set of tools developed by Triangle Consulting in the UK. There are 20 versions of the star developed for different client groups and services, including sexual health. | http://www.outcomesstar.org.uk |
Mental Health Services
| Mental health improvement: evidence and practice Guide 5: Selecting scales to assess mental wellbeing in adults | A guide produced by Health Scotland. Contains information on 50 tools used to measure mental wellbeing in adults. | Mental Health Improvement: Evidence and Practice Guide 5: Selecting scales to assess mental wellbeing in adults |
| Outcomes Star | This is a set of tools developed by Triangle Consulting in the UK. There are 20 versions of the star developed for different client groups and services, including sexual health. | http://www.outcomesstar.org.uk |
| Survey and Scales | Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services has an online library of health promotion and injury prevention scales focusing on substance abuse, sexual attitudes and safe sex practices, adolescents, mental health and health assessments | Surveys and Scales – CHIPTS – Center for HIV Identification, Prevention and Treatment Services |
| The Stages of Recovery Instrument (STORI) | The Stages of Recovery Instrument (STORI) is designed to capture change across five stages of recovery from a consumer’s perspective (moratorium; awareness; preparation; rebuilding; and growth). | STORI |
Older Peoples’ Services
| Outcomes Star | This is a set of tools developed by Triangle Consulting in the UK. There are 20 versions of the star developed for different client groups and services, including sexual health. | http://www.outcomesstar.org.uk |
Peak Bodies
| Advocacy & Policy Change Evaluation: A Primer | Developed for a US charitable foundation, this lists a number of tools which can be used to measure advocacy work. | Advocacy & Policy Change Evaluation: A Primer |
| A guide to measuring advocacy and policy | An evaluation guide which contains some practical tips on measuring outcomes of advocacy and policy work. | A Guide to measuring Advocacy and Policy |
| Pathways for change: 6 theories about how policy change happens | Published by the Centre for Evaluation Innovation to evaluate advocacy and policy change efforts. | Theory of Change – ORS Impact |
| Pathways for change: 10 theories to inform advocacy and policy change efforts | Published by the Centre for Evaluation Innovation to evaluate advocacy and policy change efforts. | Pathways for Change: 10 Theories to Inform Advocacy and Policy Change Efforts |