Outcomes Engine
The Outcomes Engine, a product of the Our Community Innovation Lab, is a tool built into SmartyGrants that is designed to help you make better, more outcomes-driven decisions about who to fund, and track progress towards your goals.
The Outcomes Engine allows you to define a system-wide
outcomes framework, specify which goals and metrics apply to each
program or round, and collect data from grant applicants and recipients
in line with their frameworks.
The Outcomes Engine consists of four major components:
- Outcomes Framework
Fill in our Outcomes Framework Template, comprising of Domains, Outcomes and (if relevant) Metrics, and upload it into the system. Multiple frameworks can be uploaded if required. - Outcomes Configuration Settings
Choose which Domains, Outcomes and Metrics will apply to particular Programs and Rounds. You can also choose which population groups/beneficiaries will apply to different Programs and Rounds. - Outcomes Standard Questions/Sections
Get access to a suite of standard outcomes-focused questions/sections to place on your forms. These questions/sections have been tested with grantmakers, evaluation experts and grantees. Outcomes data will flow into the system via these fields when published on forms and filled in by grantees. Each section comes with template explanatory text, and each question can be edited (or omitted) to suit your own appetite and capacity, and those of your grantees. Data from one form flows through to the next, allowing you and your grantees to build up a picture of their progress over time. - Reporting Tools
Outcomes-focused reports are generated by drawing on data from the Outcomes Framework, Configuration Settings and Standard Questions/Sections. Reports showcase outcomes and metrics-related data that apply to a particular grant. This data can also be aggregated to create a round or program-wide view. They can also be filtered by Domain, Outcome or Date.
The Outcomes Engine is currently in beta and will be rolled out to all users in 2022. Contact us if you would like to join the beta tester group.