Week #5

I really enjoyed this week's topics. We learned about outputs, outcomes, and impacts. I've thought a lot about this. In one of the readings it talks about the importance to measure the outcomes in order to notice and observe the impacts. One reason why this is important to me, to make sure that you really are making a difference and not just wasting time, money, efforts, etc., in order to please your own desires, is because where I'm from I've seen that happen. I'm from the Navajo Reservation and there are Caucasians from Utah that want to "help" and so they'll dump off random things like candy, foot, old clothes, etc., and all that stuff goes to waste, it is literally thrown away as soon as we get it. My dad has made enemies with some people because he'll tell them to go through him in they want to make a difference. They think they can come in to some place and try to make a difference without contacting the local leaders? That isn't the way it should be, they didn't understand the concepts of outputs, outcomes, and impacts.
One of the questions that we are not asking when striving to make a global impact is "what works for them?" Ask those you are trying to serve and the locals what they're needs are. In order to come up with a great solution it is necessary to do research before, but sometimes a lot of the questions come after trying it, that is why focus groups are so essential. Sometimes the most simplest solutions are the most important solutions because they are the ones that work most effectively and efficiently. When thinking of a solution, it can be hard to know what the consequences are, but that is one thing you have to practice, is trying to understand what the long-term affects will be if we come up with this solution.
The question, "Do you think it is worth the money and the resources to accurately measure impact for a nonprofit organization?" is interesting because I think it can depend. First of all, I'm not sure how much money it costs to do an extensive form of research on impact, but I'm sure it's something to consider when trying to decide whether to do it or not. And second, I think it's sometimes difficult to accurately measure the impact in some cases. I do believe that research and resources should be put into any project, but for me the question is how and how much of it will you perform? I strongly believe that in order to know if you are accomplishing something good in the lives of others and to see if you can do better or anything differently, it is necessary to do research and invest in resources to figure out what is actually happening in the project.