Developing and implementing an impact measurement framework for Bliss
Bliss, the UK charity for babies born premature or sick, wanted to develop a practical, organisation-wide impact framework. It needed to clearly tell the story of the difference Bliss makes — not just to babies, parents and families, but also to neonatal health professionals. Importantly, the framework had to be understood and used by all staff and stakeholders, while clarifying what data the organisation needed to collect to measure its effectiveness.
“Fiveways really got ‘under the skin’ of Bliss and what we do and helped us to develop a tailored and practical impact framework which meets our needs as an organisation. It has been embedded in our measurement and reporting, giving us a common language and understanding for how we demonstrate the difference that Bliss makes. Fiveways are great to work with, and I would absolutely recommend them to others seeking support to develop an organisation-wide impact framework.”
Developing the framework
We began by engaging key staff to understand Bliss’s goals and reviewed existing approaches to impact measurement. We then facilitated in-depth discussions with staff, volunteers, trustees, and parents whose babies had spent time in neonatal care. This collaborative process allowed us to co-produce a draft framework that aligned with both the charity’s strategy and its operational realities. Finally, we ran a series of interactive sessions where staff and stakeholders sense checked the draft framework and provided feedback for the final version.
Measuring Bliss's impact
To measure Bliss’ impact amongst parents and carers of babies who had spent time in neonatal care recently, Fiveways designed and delivered an online survey aligned with the outcomes defined in the new impact framework. To reach those parents not already in contact with Bliss, we developed a “handraiser” survey, promoted on social media and via the charity’s networks, for parents to register their interest in the research and give their feedback. The main survey received over 400 responses — with nearly a third from parents previously unaware of Bliss.