Introduction to Impact Reporting The importance of impact

What is IMPACT and why should we care? / Impact defined / Importance of impact reporting / Impact statements defined

What is IMPACT … Impact is… The reportable and verifiable difference a land-grant program makes in the lives of citizens.

What is IMPACT … Importance of Impact Reporting... Letting people know what we’re doing is important for many reasons –Public accountability –Program accountability –Return on investment –Better public understanding of the “whole picture” of research, teaching and service –Future funding –Better awareness of all the programs within the institution.

What is IMPACT … An Impact Statement is… A brief summary, in lay terms, of the economic, environmental and/or social impact of your efforts. It states accomplishments and their payoff to society.

What is IMPACT … In short, an impact statement answers the questions… So what? and Who cares?

Who’s your Impact Audience? 2 the general public 2 local governing bodies 2 state officials 2 federal officials 2 your peers 2 external funding sources 2 industry representatives

Who’s your impact audience? What do they all have in common? 2 Exercise some kind of control over your programs 2 Generally want only information vital to decisions 2 Have lots of competition for their attention 2 Are asking for quantifiable differences brought about by investments in your program

The Importance of Impact to Each of Us or…. Why we each care.

Impact reporting is important to administrators because it... 2 illustrates your accountability 2 improves visibility of programs (local, state, national) 2 generates support materials for lobbying 2 is a repository of anecdotes for speeches or letters 2 helps organize your focus for initiatives and program themes

…to admin because it... 2 helps build greater understanding of your programs by your publics 2 is easier to “sell” science and education programs when you emphasize outcomes 2 results in a “product” you can reuse

Impact reporting is important to faculty and field staff because... 2 this kind of reporting makes sense to the public 2 you’re contributing to scientific literacy (or agricultural literacy, or food literacy, or....) 2 it cuts the number of urgent requests you get for program examples, story ideas, etc... 2 your work will get more exposure 2 your work gets exposed to potential funders

Impact reporting is important to communicators because it... 2 is a source of story ideas 2 adds depth to your reporting 2 gets everybody doing similar reports, making it easier to generate communication tools 2 makes it easier to plan awareness campaigns

Ultimately…. 2 The public expects us to be accountable … to show the impact of our land-grant programs. 2 Impact is the difference your programs are making in peoples lives. 2 Impact statements tell various audiences about that difference.

Elements of an Impact Statement What makes a good Impact Statement?

What makes a good impact statement? Remember… An impact statement is a brief summary, in lay terms, of the social, environmental and/or economic impact of your efforts. It states accomplishments and their payoff to society.

What makes a good impact statement? It answers the questions… So what? and Who cares?

What makes a good impact statement? It illustrates change in at least one of the following: 2 Economic value or efficiency 2 Environmental quality 2 Societal/individual wellbeing

Elements of an impact statement Economic value or efficiency… Five years ago, Cornpone County pork producers spent $17 more than the state average to raise a market hog. We helped them improve their record keeping and production practices, and costs dropped $20 to $3.19 BELOW the state average. Each farm’s profit increased $345,000 over five years, bringing more hogs, more jobs, and more spending to the county.

Elements of an impact statement Environmental quality... Chopped waste paper is an economical substitute for wood chips commonly used as bedding by the horse industry. Our scientists have found that the paper absorbs moisture better too. By using some of the 76 million tons of paper Americans throw away each year, researchers can reduce landfill demands, save a few trees and keep horses comfy all at once.

Elements of an Impact Statement Social/Individual wellbeing… (health) No standards exist for wooden basketball, dance and aerobics floors. So, we’re setting them. Our scientists study the role of floor type and construction in chronic- use injuries that often make people stop exercising. Computer models predict how a floor reacts to various forces or environmental changes. Those predictions, and what doctors know about chronic athletic injuries, bring a prescription for safer exercise for athletes of all ages and abilities.

An impact statement is not... 2 A description of process 2 The number of folks attending a meeting, enrolled in a program or some other “counting” report

Reporting potential impact... Potential impact should be considered, especially in basic research and teaching or youth education work.

Example of “potential impact” We bought special software for classroom computers. The students learned to analyze the total true cost of producing food products. Using the same software industry uses makes these students ready for the job market and ready to enhance the food economy.

Example of an anecdotal impact statement Farmer James says the university saved her life. A radio report on rabies symptoms in cattle was produced and distributed. Farmer heard on her local station and thought she had a cow with symptoms. Called the vet -- no rabies. A second opinion -- no rabies. Cow dies and the farmer sends it for testing. Tests positive for transmittable rabies. The farmer got immediate treatment. And credits the radio report with describing things well enough to save her life.

Impact reporting does NOT replace... 2 personal contact within your university 2 personal contact outside your university 2 a detailed scientific report 2 other communication or “P.R.” tools 2 focused reports

Uses for Impact Statements We wrote these things. Now what?

Uses for impact statements 2 regular reports to general public 2 regular reports to officials 2 targeted reports to people or groups interested in a particular topic 2 to attract funding 2 as tips for media

Using “impact”... 2 to show university response to an issue 2 as part of an overall project tracking system 2 to find common grounds for collaboration with other land-grants, agencies, businesses 2 to quickly update on-going projects 2 as examples for university marketing efforts

Use impact examples... 2 for news releases 2 on web pages 2 in promotional brochures 2 in speeches 2 in letters to supporters

Target your impact audience Match the impact statement and its presentation to whomever you want to understand that activity.

Using “impact”... 2 You can use all kinds of media and packaging themes to present impact statements.

Reporting & Writing the IMPACT Statement

Remember … 2 An impact statement is a brief summary, in lay terms, of the social, environmental and/or economic impact of your efforts. It states your accomplishments and their payoff to society. 2 It answers the questions 2 “So what?” 2 “Who cares?”

Other elements to consider 2 Potential impact 2 Anecdotes 2 Where impact is hardest to define

Other elements... Potential impact should be considered, especially in basic research and teaching or youth education work.

Potential impact 2 Includes most likely benefactors of the research or education project 2 What you expect the outcome to be and why 2 An idea of how long it would take to reach expected outcomes 2 Real or hypothetical examples of expected outcomes

Anecdotes Anecdotal, single, quantifiable examples of behavior change or knowledge acquisition which can be extrapolated to a quantifiable broader audience in relationship to an already quantified problem can make effective impact statements. (Just don’t write them this way!)

Impact areas hard to define & quantify 2 youth and families 2 basic research 2 campus classroom efforts 2 long-run efforts

Hard to define & quantify impact areas 2 Focus on potential impact 2 Use examples and anecdotes 2 Report accomplishments to date that are tied to potential impact

Let’s write… Refer to the fact sheet you’ve been given for the “details” of the story. Then, identify: 2 The kind of impact (econ, enviro, social) 2 Most likely audiences 2 Any potential impact 2 Any good examples/illustrations 2 Quantifiable facts 2 Vital information for decisions 2 Missing facts

Remember…. 2 The public expects us to be accountable -- to show the impact of our land-grant programs. 2 Impact is the difference your programs are making in peoples lives. 2 Impact statements tell various audiences about that difference.

For more information 2 Contact your presenter, communication office, impact reporting officer, or dean/director 2 Take a look at how impact statements are being used nationally…. 2

So you want to build a tracking system for your impact statements?!

Track with impact reports... 2 project name/title 2 project number/organizational identifier 2 date of entry or modification 2 project leader 2 name 2 address 2 phone 2 fax 2

Track with impact reports... 2 Collaborator(s) (name, address, etc..) 2 Department or institutional unit 2 Location of project work (campus, county..) 2 Multi-state effort? (and states involved) 2 Funding sources 2 Who will benefit most from this work?

Track with impact reports... 2 Existing Web address for project data 2 Clientele contacts or testimonials? 2 Search/classification systems 2 keywords 2 categories 2 initiatives/issues (local, state, usda) 2 Photos/video/audio available? 2 Best interview source