Introduction

Impact measurement, management and reporting are core skills for those working in or with impact investment. Impact investments are made with an intent to achieve positive material, additional and experienced change. Impact measurement tells us if we are achieving that change. Impact management requires effective measurement and monitoring, and it is important to know what to expect in terms of reporting from investees as well as to know how to report to investors. Please bear in mind that there is no single good way to measure impact – there are many helpful approaches, processes and frameworks, but no silver bullet. It is important to measure impact well, but almost impossible to measure it perfectly. Aim for good.

How to use these resources

This section covers three key skills areas: measurement, management and reporting. It is best to read this section once you have a good grasp of the foundational knowledge from the introductory section and the sections on the purpose of impact investing and the impact investing market. It also makes sense to read this section first before moving onto the sections on thesis and strategy, sourcing and due diligence. As noted elsewhere on this page, people might speak with confidence on impact measurement, but while everyone agrees on the importance of impact measurement, there is less agreement on how it should be done. Reading across the different sources listed here will give you a clear idea of what good practice looks like.

Filter resources by level:

Introduction to section


Frameworks, standards, tools and data sets


Breadth, depth and duration of impact


Logic frameworks (Theories of Change) – inputs, outputs, outcomes, impact


Targets


Risk (impact and financial) and its mitigation


Impact data, data providers, approaches to gathering and using data


Impact monitoring (at investment and portfolio level) and its alignment to the strategy


Good practice reporting to investors


Good practice reporting for investors