Resources
Community Services Outcomes Tree: Background and resources
Community Services Outcomes Tree: An introduction – Briefing Paper (2021)
Exploring Outcomes Measurement: A Research for Social Impact podcast (2024): Available on Spotify and YouTube
Academic paper on the development of the CSOT:
Wilson, E., Campain, R., & Brown, C. (2024). Measuring outcomes experienced by users of community services—The development of the community services outcomes tree and the associated survey template. British Journal of Social Work. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcae186
Alignment of the Community Services Outcomes Tree to other outcomes frameworks in Australia
We have mapped the Community Services Outcomes Tree to a range of other common outcomes frameworks in Australia that relate to community services. Should you wish to align the data you have collected using the CSOT to one or more of these frameworks, please click on the links below.
Data Exchange (DEX) SCORE translation matrix
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Participant Outcomes framework
Victorian public health and wellbeing outcomes framework
Tasmania’s Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy: It takes a Tasmanian Village
Department of Social Services Families and Children Activity Framework
WA Outcomes Measurement Framework 2019
We will add more as these become available. If you would like a particular outcomes framework mapped to the Community Services Outcomes Tree, please contact us via the Feedback page.
General resources regarding outcomes measurement
Below are some useful general resources to support outcomes measurement. We have chosen resources that are not linked to a specific methodology or method of data collection.
Making sense of evaluation: a handbook for everyone (New Zealand)
This short guide supports social services to understand how to measure and understand the effects of their programmes or initiatives.
The Compass: Your guide to social impact measurement (Australia)
The Compass explores and explains key topics, concepts, questions and principles of outcomes measurement.
The Cycle of Good Impact Practice (UK)
NPC is a think tank and consultancy for the social sector with the mission to help charities, foundations, philanthropists, impact investors, social enterprises, businesses, and the public sector to maximise social impact in the lives of the people they serve.
Previous version of the CSOT and associated resources
Short Survey Template:
To access a previous version of a short survey template, please click here. This survey ‘template’ is similar to the structure provided on the Create Your Survey Here page and can be used as a base and into which the selected outcomes from the Community Services Outcomes Tree can be inserted.
Long-Form Survey Template:
To access an early version of a long-form survey template, please click here. This template provides a set of example questions that can be adapted, deleted or used in full. We have provided an explanation of the rationale for each question on the left, (i.e. why you might choose to include it) and some examples of possible questions on the right of the document. Other questions can be used to replace the example questions provided. Services/organisations should customise their own data collection template to suit their context and needs.