If your organization does not have existing outcomes and frameworks, you can use ImpactMapper default outcomes as a starting place to start tracking some data, draw from other outcome taxonomies and indicators that may seem relevant.
If your organization has an existing outcome framework and Theory of Change, you can align these outcomes with the ImpactMapper tagging taxonomy.
Step 1: Review your indicators
Indicators are quantitative (numerical) or qualitative (descriptive) measures
of program performance or organizational development. Most frameworks use indicators to measure program inputs, processes, outputs, and outcomes.
Quantitative indicators answer:
How many? How much? And How often?
Qualitative indicators answer:
Whether? How? In what ways? Or Why?
Process indicators provide information about the processes through which the program was delivered:
Facilitation style of a leadership workshop, or in a campaign different communication methods, website, face to face mobilization, etc…
Output indicators track the immediate products of our program (Used for program monitoring):
Number of people trained in participatory leadership workshops and the number of workshops held.
Outcome indicators help us to assess whether we have achieved our desired outcomes:
Changes in participants’ knowledge, attitudes, and behavior
Are your indicators...
Specific and measurable? Does the indicator provide specific and measurable information on the type of changes stimulated by the intervention?
Realistic and timebound? Can indicators be achieved in the given timeframe
Aligned with the Outcome/Output? Does the indicator measure progress toward and align with the outcome/output? (not reiterated outcome)
Is the indicator specified according to the population and issue of interest?
Has it been created by the community of interest or at least pilot tested?
Step 2: Align with Tags To Reflect Indicator Taxonomy
We use the terms Tag and Tagging in ImpactMapper (in the academic world called coding). Tagging is the process of taking qualitative data and identifying the key essence, or defining elements embedded in a larger piece of text or media.
The tag is a shorthand description of the text in brief themes, words, or categories for analysis and comparison.
The tagging is attached to a particular piece of text or media, which gives it a frequency.
You will often want to use two levels for tagging (called hierarchical tagging/coding).
Tag Groups are the higher level category and provide a more general description.
Tags are more detailed descriptions of the specific shift, issue or scale that falls underneath the broader theme in Tag Group.
For a simple one-level tagging structure, only fill out the “Tag name” field.
Detailed tagging is incredibly flexible. You can code text data in multiple ways depending on:
the sort of information you want to track to measure progress and key trends
the sort of learning conversations you want to have
information you want to communicate externally to public, partners or donors
Example: Coding Outcomes for Monitoring & Evaluation
Option 1: The top theme level will be the shift/change/outcome. The bottom tag level will be the indicator/or specific shift.
Option 2: Describe the Objective or Outcome and create a scale denoting progress.
Coding for the Presence of Certain Issues/Items: You can code for the presence of issues in a variety of ways (Yes, No) or levels of agreement (Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree).
Step 3: Creating Tags
There are two ways to create tags: creating the tagging structure first in Tags (deductive coding/tagging) or while tagging a report in Reports (inductive coding/tagging).
Deductive coding/tagging happens when you have a pre-set list or an established idea of key themes that you would like to be tracking. This expedites a coding process. For example, if you have Theory of Change or Strategic plan outcomes or grantmaking taxonomy.
Inductive coding/tagging happens when the tagging structure is created in the process of reading text. There are no pre-established tags; you create categories and issues as they emerge for the data. If you use this strategy, anytime that a new tag is created you must go back to all the stories previously tagged, and see if that new tag was present and tag them. Otherwise, your data trends will not be consistent and reliable.
To create Tags via a Report (inductive coding):
Click on one of the reports on the Reports screen to go to the tagging screen.
On the tagging screen, click “Create Tag” in the upper right of the right sidebar.
Fill in the applicable fields and click save.
Your new tag will now appear in the Custom Tag list on the right sidebar.
To use Tag Definitions, first make sure that Tag Definitions are turned on in the Tagging Settings and then just click the edit icon next to the tag you are defining.
Once a definition is applied to a tag, the definition will appear when you hover over the tag in the tag list.
Using Tag Definitions improves intercoder reliability, meaning that when multiple users are coding using the same tags, a Tag Definition will ensure standardized application of the tag across users.
Reach Tags are tags that allow you to pull out and track quantitative/numerical data from report text. You can create and apply a Reach Tag the same as you would create any tag, but by also checking the check box for Reach Tag and selecting the quantitative unit. Numbers will be aggregated automatically so on the Data Summary page.
Metatags are analysis filters that give you more flexible analysis possibilities. Typical Metatags that are used for Grantee reports include: “Context”, “Activities”, “Progress” “Outcomes”, “Challenges”, or “Lessons Learned”, among others. When you apply a meta-tag it creates a card on data summary where you can view your tagging data.
To review your Tags or create Tags via Tags (deductive coding), visit Tags, then click on the Edit Tags tab. There you can create new tags using the Create Tag button.