Proving and Improving – Evaluation in Shared Spaces
As social enterprises, shared spaces operate in a context of complexity, exhibiting great variation in legal structures, business models, and operational mandates. Across this wide diversity, however, common themes exist. Shared spaces are mission driven to support their members, strengthen their organizational and collaborative capacity, and support system change in the sectors in which they operate. In other words, in accordance with your particular vision and mission, your centre seeks to make a difference – and that work engenders some necessary questions.
This paper is organized in three sections: Proving: Evaluation for External Stakeholders, Improving: Evaluation for Internal Stakeholders, and Canadian Resources. The first section focuses on evaluation as impact measurement and its role in communicating the validity of shared space models. The second section describes evaluation as integrated learning and its role in clarifying and developing those models. The final section introduces the curious reader to further engagement with the world of evaluation with a brief introduction to emerging practices and resources in the Canadian context.
This report is one of three in a series…
The information in Knowledge in Action 1: Corporate Structures and Regulatory Contexts is complementary to the information found here.
The information in Knowledge in Action 2: From Start-Up to Sustainability – Emerging Business Models is complementary to the information found here.
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NCN Canada Shared Learning Series: Part 3