Impact analysis

In economics, an impact analysis or assessment is the assessment of the impact of an activity and its evaluation. In contrast to the utility value analysis , the impact analysis does not only start with the evaluation of the determined results of an activity, but includes the results determination in the analysis . The word assessment is occasionally used in the Francophone spelling Assessement .

The impact analysis removes the distinction between determination and evaluation of results and considers the entire complex. Therefore, in addition to evaluation methods, the scientific consideration also includes forecasting methods.

In geriatric medicine

In geriatric medicine, a broad geriatric assessment in two stages is recommended to clarify various interactions between typical geriatric syndromes . The expression here comes from the designation of the initial examination in American clinics ( optimal allocation of resources ).

1st step: A screening using a standardized questionnaire for sight and hearing, mobility of arms and legs, urinary or fecal incontinence , nutrition, cognitive performance, emotional well-being, social support and activity. If there are problem areas, a second step should follow.

Step 2: The more comprehensive basic assessment , consisting of the Barthel test , Folstein's memory test ( mini-mental test ), Yesavage depression test (GSD), social questionnaire, Tinetti motility test , Up and Go test, watch signs Test , measurement of hand strength.

In nursing science

In nursing, too, an assessment must be carried out before appropriate nursing measures (curative or preventive) are initiated. Nursing assessment is defined as "the assessment of nursing-relevant variables and phenomena for the purpose of evaluation and / or the subsequent initiation of action". The nursing relevance limits these assessment procedures to neighboring scientific fields, e.g. B. the aging science, some of which make use of the same procedures.

In companies

See main article Assessment Center

The assessment center is a process for assessing and selecting specialists and managers.

Many companies nowadays invite their applicants to a basic assessment after a successful job interview in order to assess the applicants' qualifications and reactions more precisely. In these basic assessments, typical work processes are “played through”: the assessors can make further selections from a pre-selected pool of applicants. The candidate is then selected from these.

In non-profit organizations

See also measuring success and monitoring the impact of social entrepreneurship

Non-profit organizations or charities are due to their tax benefits, the contributions by donor or public funding towards their stakeholders committed reinforced the success of their work - so their social impact - proof. In this context, impact analysis means a sociological proof of effects that can be traced back to activities or services (outputs) of non-profit organizations at the level of the target group (outcomes) and at the societal level (impacts).

The results staircase illustrates how outputs, outcomes and impact are differentiated from one another

Example: A project by a non-profit organization helps young people to find a training place. For this purpose, it provides training rooms, trainers and learning materials (input), as a result of which tutoring and application training take place (outputs). If, as a result of the project, the young people acquire the ability to independently prepare high-quality application documents, leave school with a good degree and find an apprenticeship position, these are the outcomes. A social impact (impact) is achieved when the project helps to reduce youth unemployment (e.g. in the district).

The impact analysis is, on the one hand, about whether and to what extent the impact has been achieved. The term impact measurement is also used here, which suggests that impacts can be quantified and measured precisely, which is only possible in exceptional cases.

One approach to assessing the added value created by social projects is the Social Return on Investment (SROI). Critics of this method point out that behind the chains of effects there are hypotheses that include a monocausality. The SROI is therefore only partially meaningful.

The success of social work is very complex and difficult to measure. That is why the impact analysis is also about how, i.e. with which impact logic , the goals are to be achieved. Along the IOOI logic , i.e. the input-output-outcome-impact chain , the following questions arise, among others:

• How many resources flow into the project (input)?
• Which services are offered and who does it achieve (output)?
• What changes occur in the target group and to what extent (outcome)?
• To which social developments does the project contribute (impact)?

Guidelines for reporting social projects such as the Social Reporting Standard (SRS) help to document and communicate such an impact chain.

In order to be able to check the achievement of individual goals (outputs, outcomes, impact), separate indicators are required for each of these goals. The indicators can later be used to determine whether a predetermined event has occurred and whether a project is making progress or whether it is deviating from the plan. There are different types of indicators.

On the other hand, the impact analysis also serves the internal quality management . If a non-profit organization systematically deals with the goals set, the target groups to be reached, the offers and the results achieved, this increases the quality of its work, so the assumption.

Monitoring and evaluation are instruments of impact analysis .

literature

• AGAST Geriatric Assessment Working Group: Basic Geriatric Assessment . (= Geriatrics practice series). 2nd updated edition. MMV, Munich 1997, ISBN 3-8208-1309-8 .
• Roman Kleindienst: Geriatric Assessment Wizard. Interactive Scientific Toolkit. 2002.
• LZ Rubinstein: Assessment Instruments. In: Merck Manual of Geriatrics. 1990. (online)
• S. Bartholomeyczik, D. Hunstein and others: Standardized assessment instruments - possibilities and limits. In: PrInterNet. 05/2006, 2006, pp. 315-317. (on-line)

See also

• Scenario technique
• Decision under uncertainty
• Nursing assessment

Web links

• Age syndromes on: www.pflegewiki.de
• Geriatric assessment at: www.pflegewiki.de
• Impact analysis: Targeted project management on: www.ffekt-lernen.de

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Cornelia Keller-Ebert, Mechtilde Kißler, Berthold Schobert: Evaluation practical! Review effects Optimize measures Improve reporting quality. (= Further education. Volume 20/21). 1st edition. 2005, ISBN 3-89751-221-1 .
2. ↑ What is effect? www.ffekt-lernen.de, accessed on September 12, 2017.
3. ↑ Impact analysis and impact measurement in health projects of German development cooperation. on: giz.de
4. ↑ The effect logic and its components. www.ffekt-lernen.de, accessed on September 12, 2017.
5. ^ Website of the Social Reporting Standard. Retrieved September 12, 2017.
6. ↑ types of Indiktoren www.wirkung-lernen.de, accessed on 19 October 2017th
7. ↑ Philipp Hoelscher, Zoe Felder: Impact analysis in social entrepreneurship. (PDF) (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on December 22, 2014 ; accessed on December 22, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
8. ↑ Reinhard Stockmann (Ed.): Handbook for Evaluation: Basics and Practice. Münster 2007, ISBN 978-3-8309-1766-3 .