Measuring Soft Outcomes and Distance Travelled: A Methodology for Developing a Guidance Document
Working Paper No. 8
By Richard Lloyd and Fionn OSullivan
This working paper details the background research undertaken to produce a guidance document for ESF projects - (Measuring Soft Outcomes and Distance Travelled: A Practical Guide). The research was commissioned to enable European Social Fund (ESF) projects to monitor soft outcomes (that is changes in client behaviour e.g. increased self confidence that lead towards obtaining sustained employment) and distance travelled (progress made towards achieving soft outcomes), although the lessons apply more widely. The research used a mixture of methods including: background literature searches and interviews with stakeholder organisations to provide a review of current practice, a postal survey of 1,500 ESF supported projects and case studies and interviews with a further 10 projects. The working paper summarises the implications for the production of a guidance document.
February 2003
ISBN 1 84388 104 7 Paperback
ANNEX: Existing models for measuring soft outcomes and distance travelled
By Richard Lloyd and Fionn OSullivan
May 2004
ISBN 1-84388-285-X