Assessment and evaluation for social impact

This chapter introduces assessment and evaluation as the essential tools that allow a cultural organization to develop, analyze, and sustain its social impact initiatives. Assessment focus areas can range from financial activity and changing economic conditions to evolving consumer tastes, new cultural trends, and emerging environmental or political factors. Evaluation of both internal and external conditions helps a cultural organization produce an “adaptive response” to unresolved pressures found in the local community and within the larger regional and national context. Techniques involving strategic planning, Theory of Change, SWOT analysis, emergent strategy, and Lean Startup methodology are discussed.