How can you measure the impact of public engagement?
Evaluations of public engagement activity have identified a range of benefits for the public and civic society. These include:
- Making people more aware of the opportunities open to them, and more empowered to take an informed part in the democratic process and the decisions affecting their lives
- Improving local services, eg schools and health provision
- Developing cultural and intellectual assets with and for the community
- Informing policy makers, which can generate more sustainable and effective policy
- Increasing opportunity by widening access to sporting facilities, libraries, museums etc
- Creating new community networks
- Offering a 'neutral ground' for the resolution of controversial issues
- Helping people learn throughout their lives, new subjects; new skills
- Expanding the resources available to tackle real life issues and problems
- Generating economic growth
Measuring Engagement
Discussing research from the Children of the 90s study at a Twilight Talk. University of Bristol
We have published a literature review which synthesises the tools that can be used for measuring the impact of engagement. The review identified seven 'dimensions' where engagement is known to 'make a difference' and for which measurement tools exist or are in development. You can download this review on our website. The review also includes a case study from Brighton University describing how they have gone about evaluating their own engagement activity.
What next?
The full literature review, and a summary, is available on our publications page
In the next section we explore what an Engaged university looks like
