Tips To Help You Report on Outcomes and Not Just Activities

Too many reports in our sector read like shopping lists. They’re packed with details about what was done such as workshops held, pamphlets distributed, meetings attended, but they never quite get to the heart of it: What changed because of all this?

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck reporting on activities without knowing how to speak to actual outcomes, you’re not alone. To explain the gap between doing things and achieving change, let me tell you a story about a birthday party.

A friend tells you they’re planning a birthday party. They send you a long list of everything they’ve done:

• Ordered balloons

• Picked up groceries

• Rented chairs

• Hired a DJ

• Sent out invitations

Then you ask: “So… how was the party?” And they say: “Oh, I’m not sure. But I definitely did a lot of things!”

That’s what many reports in development sound like.

They list all the activities such as the workshops held, the trainings delivered, the flyers printed. But they never quite tell you: What changed because of all that effort?

The main reason why persons only track and report on activities is usually because they are fuzzy on the difference between activities, outputs, and impact,. Here’s a metaphor I use often with clients to help clear up the confusion.

Imagine you’re baking a cake.

• Activities are your ingredients and actions: You mixed the batter, preheated the oven, and set the timer.

• Outputs are the immediate product. The cake came out of the oven. It’s baked. It exists. Done.

• Outcomes or impact are what that cake actually does in the world, Did people enjoy it? Did it bring people together? Did it make the birthday child feel special? Or was it burned, untouched, or allergic-reaction-inducing?

Activities tell me what you did. Outputs tell me what you produced. Outcomes (and eventually, impact) tell me what changed.

And in development work, you really want to be be measuring outcomes and the impact.

What does this look like in reality?

Let’s say you ran 10 training sessions on climate-smart agriculture.

• Activity tracking is “We conducted 10 workshops across 5 villages.” (Helpful, but surface-level.)

• Output tracking states: “120 farmers were trained and received manuals.” (Now we’re starting to see reach.)

• Outcome tracking is: “70% of participants adopted at least one new farming technique within six months.” (This tells us behaviour started changing.)

• Impact is : “Participating farms saw a 30% increase in yield during the following season.” (Now you’re talking. That’s what funders and stakeholders want to know.)

Why this matters

If your report only tells me what you did, it’s like giving me your grocery bill and calling it a dinner party.

Activities are necessary, but they’re not the story.

You’re doing work that’s meant to change lives so let’s make sure your reporting shows that. And no, you don’t need a randomized controlled trial to prove everything. Often, a well-collected set of qualitative feedback, a few follow-up surveys, or some simple before-and-after indicators can tell a powerful story.

My final tip

One way to force yourself to go beyond activity-based reporting is, when writing your reports, instead of asking: “What did we do?” Try asking: “So what?” And then: “What changed?”

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