How do you share social work outcomes with stakeholders?

2 Know your audience

When it comes to social work outcomes, different stakeholders may have different interests, expectations, and preferences. Clients may want to know how your services have helped them achieve their personal goals, while funders may be more interested in how your programs have met their contractual or financial requirements. It is important to tailor your message and format to suit your audience. Consider who your stakeholders are and their relationship to your work, what their main questions or concerns are about your outcomes, the level of detail or complexity they need or want, the language or terminology they understand or prefer, and the medium or channel they use or access.

3 Choose your format

When sharing your social work outcomes, you may choose from a variety of formats depending on your audience and purpose. Reports are formal, written documents that provide a comprehensive and detailed account of your outcomes, methods, and recommendations. Presentations are oral or visual displays that provide a concise and engaging summary of your outcomes, methods, and recommendations. Infographics are graphic representations that provide a clear and attractive visualization of your outcomes, methods, and recommendations. Reports are suitable for stakeholders who need or want a lot of information, while presentations are suitable for those who need or want a quick overview. Infographics are ideal for stakeholders who need or want a visual aid. Tables, graphs, slides, videos, stories, icons, colors, and fonts can all be used to illustrate each format in order to engage stakeholders.

4 Be clear and honest

When sharing your social work outcomes, you need to be clear and honest about what you have achieved, how you have achieved it, and what limitations or challenges you have faced. You need to avoid jargon, acronyms, or technical terms that may confuse or alienate your stakeholders. You also need to avoid exaggerating, omitting, or manipulating your data to make your outcomes look better or worse than they are. You need to acknowledge the sources, assumptions, and uncertainties of your data, and provide evidence or references to support your claims. You also need to respect the confidentiality, privacy, and consent of your clients and other participants, and follow the ethical and professional standards of your organization and profession.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?