Liverpool Lighthouse: understanding, embracing and growing our impact
Client: Liverpool Lighthouse
Date: April 2020 to June 2021
Work: Impact measurement
Liverpool Lighthouse is an arts and community centre in North Liverpool. It has evolved and grown considerably since it was set up in 1998. Today it is an established arts venue supporting young people, local communities, musicians, and artists to train and perform. It has a 430-seat auditorium, recording studios, conference and rehearsal rooms and a café. It is also a national centre for gospel music. At the same time, the centre plays an important role in supporting and connecting vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the local community - a place where poverty, immigration, unemployment, and lack of services impact people’s sense of social isolation, health and well-being.
Like many charities funded through multiple grants and income streams, Liverpool Lighthouse struggled to demonstrate the impact they were having. They also spent a huge amount of time and effort pulling data together for different funders. It felt like they were having to re-invent and re-define themselves for every funding application and increasingly losing sight of who they were and what they were about. Meanwhile, the practicalities of reporting on 20-30 projects, grants and contracts were exhausting.
In 2019, the charity had a major funding application turned down because they couldn’t articulate their theory of change or robustly evidence the need for the project. Instead, the Youth Endowment Fund invited them to apply for a capacity-building grant. Liverpool Lighthouse chose Data Orchard as their partner, and so began a transformational project.
Over 15 months (from April 2020 to June 2021) our two organisations worked together to build capacity in measuring impact and outcomes, using theory of change and evidence.
Data life before
At the start of the project, Liverpool Lighthouse was already collecting participant information, but there was no overarching strategy or centralised system for data and there were many, many, spreadsheets, documents, and forms (both digital and on paper). When the time came to report back to funders on a project, it could be difficult to find the necessary data. Individual project coordinators were responsible for collecting data on their projects, but there was little guidance or communication around what it was for, or how best to collect it. If a staff member left, it could be difficult (or impossible) to access data they had collected.
Helen Brown, who works across fundraising and communications for Liverpool Lighthouse, reflects on those days:
‘In the past, it was definitely us running around after data. We would come to the end of a funding period and have to scrabble around to make the data fit what we needed for that funder. We were very reactive around data and it created a lot of stress.’
Taking stock and re-focusing the vision
Over the 15-month project, Data Orchard helped Liverpool Lighthouse assess, reflect and re-focus its approach to data. This involved:
An organisational data maturity assessment
Reviewing digital tools, systems, and skills and setting out prioritised recommendations for the next 3-5 years
Creation of a register of data assets and identified quality improvements
Facilitation of the development and testing of a theory of change, to understand and articulate impact
Production of a data directory (aligned to the theory of change and external data sources), with standard data to collect
Here’s the timeline of what we did (note the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020):
Theory of change
Developing a theory of change was key to articulating the organisation’s work, defining outcomes for funders, and crystallising the language used in communicating programmes.
Liverpool Lighthouse and Data Orchard co-hosted a programme of work, including workshops with staff; user data journey mapping; training and co-design of a pilot to collect standardised data to test the draft theory of change with participants. After seven iterations, a final theory of change was produced, which everyone was happy with.
Creating a theory of change generated a renewed sense of focus and purpose to the team at Liverpool Lighthouse. In doing so, it shaped their future strategy.
Rebecca Ross-Williams, Creative Director and Chief Operating Officer, joined Liverpool Lighthouse in 2021, towards the end of the organisation’s work with Data Orchard.
Starting her new role, Rebecca quickly recognised the value of the theory of change development work that was underway. Taking time to review and assess the organisation’s data needs and create joined-up plans for data, communications, monitoring, and evaluation has gone hand-in-hand with joining up the programmes of work, developing a new organisational strategy and focusing on wellbeing as a priority.
Rebecca says:
‘I can’t tell you how useful the theory of change has been. Looking at the work, listening to the artists and to what the community needed. It was really helpful for me in creating and communicating a strategic plan to our board. All of that consultation had already happened.’
The start of a data maturity journey for the team
The project we worked on together was, at its heart, about building capacity among the Liverpool Lighthouse team. Around fifteen staff and board members participated in the project. At the end-of-project retrospective, the team reflected on the changes in knowledge, skills, behaviour, and attitudes from the project. Some of the key outcomes were:
Increased confidence (among staff, trustees and volunteers) in the organisation’s ability to understand, explain and measure its impact
Greater confidence in the organisation’s data sources (internal and external)
Better understanding of the organisation’s needs and priorities for improving digital and data infrastructure
Increased capacity for delivering evidence-based projects with clear outcomes
Some of the comments from staff were:
‘I have liked how we have regularly come together as a company to deeply think about our goals and aspirations as a team.’
‘I knew Liverpool Lighthouse was doing good work to improve the wellbeing of the community in general, but this journey has changed my knowledge and understanding of the theory of change.’
‘I know how important the collection of data can be to showcase the overall work we do and how it can determine if we really reach the organisation’s goals and objectives.’
‘I’m able to think and focus more on what would really be of benefit to the participants rather than what I think (asking the right questions, listening).’
Making changes
Since the end of the project, Liverpool Lighthouse has implemented many changes. The main one being the development of a new strategic plan (built on and around the new theory of change), and a new data strategy, being implemented this year. With these developments, the team has reached an important milestone on their data maturity journey. Across the organisation, they understand what the strategy is, how they fit into it, and how it helps them articulate the real difference they’re making to people’s lives.
Helen Brown says: ‘Now what we say is: what we want is data that serves us’.
To help facilitate this, Liverpool Lighthouse recognised the need to build systems and capacity around data. The systems are now in place to take the next important steps, both strategically and practically, with digital evaluation forms, linked contacts databases and agreements on information to be captured when people first engage with the Lighthouse. Helen’s role has also developed, taking on responsibility for new data and communications strategies, as well as acting as a data coordinator for the organisation.
One area of work has been in centralising where participant data is held, with access given to the relevant project coordinator, their line manager and Helen. This makes it much easier if a staff member leaves and a service is taken over by someone else.
Data is now held in a standardised format and data collection methods have been moved from paper to digital. Data Orchard ran data collection training towards the end of the project, teaching participants about the different approaches to data collection, best practice in asking questions and recognising where there may be barriers to responding.
Importantly, when the organisation wins a new grant now, the team can look at the project outcomes and whether they are being reflected in the evaluation data being collected. Helen says:
‘We’re a multi-activity organisation and currently we have several major programmes running, some with multiple funders. It’s a complex picture and so it has been important to develop a process of working out the different outcomes for each programme and making sure we’re collecting the right data.’
A new era
Liverpool Lighthouse is at the start of a new era. In 2022, they re-launched as a ‘Creative sanctuary focusing on arts and wellbeing with the aim of building a thriving community of people living more fulfilled lives’.
Their projects have a renewed focus on providing the local community and vulnerable groups with opportunities to develop skills, create and experience arts and culture, and connect with others, as well as providing practical support for people in crisis or who need a helping hand.
Rebecca says:
‘We’re at the beginning of a new journey. Alongside a new organisational strategy, we’ve got the data strategy. We have someone managing it, engaging with all the staff involved and all of the systems are ready. It feels like a good place to be.’