What tools and frameworks can you use to measure your development impact?

1 Triple Bottom Line

One of the most widely used frameworks for measuring development impact is the triple bottom line (TBL), which considers the environmental, social, and economic outcomes of a project. The TBL helps you balance the needs and interests of different stakeholders, such as investors, customers, employees, suppliers, regulators, and the public. To apply the TBL, you need to define and measure indicators for each dimension, such as energy efficiency, customer satisfaction, job creation, and community engagement. You can use tools such as life cycle assessment, social return on investment, and cost-benefit analysis to quantify and compare your impacts.

2 BREEAM and LEED

Another way to measure your development impact is to use certification schemes that evaluate the performance of your buildings according to international standards. Two of the most popular schemes are BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Both schemes rate your buildings on various criteria, such as energy use, water efficiency, waste management, indoor air quality, and innovation. By achieving a BREEAM or LEED certification, you can demonstrate your commitment to sustainability, enhance your reputation, and attract more customers and tenants.

3 Social Value Portal

If you want to measure your development impact more comprehensively and systematically, you can use a platform that integrates multiple tools and frameworks. One such platform is the Social Value Portal, which helps you measure and report your social value across the whole project lifecycle. The Social Value Portal uses the National TOMs Framework (Themes, Outcomes, Measures) to help you identify and quantify your social impacts, such as health and well-being, skills and employment, local economy, and environment. You can also use the Social Value Portal to benchmark your performance against other developers and sectors, and to communicate your impact to your stakeholders.

4 Theory of Change

Finally, if you want to measure your development impact more strategically and holistically, you can use a methodology that helps you plan and evaluate your interventions. One such methodology is the theory of change, which helps you articulate your vision, goals, assumptions, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impacts. The theory of change helps you map out the causal links between your actions and your desired results, and to identify the indicators and evidence that show your progress and impact. You can use tools such as logic models, outcome maps, and impact pathways to visualize and communicate your theory of change.

Measuring your development impact is not only a good practice, but also a competitive advantage. By using these tools and frameworks, you can improve your decision-making, optimize your resources, increase your accountability, and enhance your value proposition.

5 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?