Overview

This unit introduces students to contemporary models and techniques in evaluation and impact measurement in not for profit, philanthropic, and social enterprise contexts. It provides students with a critically-informed introductory grounding in the key concepts and foundations of social research – including the fundamentals of quantitative and qualitative methods – to enable students to develop an appreciation of the complexity, ethics, and politics of evaluation and impact measurement. Students will learn how to plan, design and implement evaluation and impact measurement at the project, program and organisational levels and how these can be used to develop an evidence base, inform decision-making and demonstrate accountability to stakeholders.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
HE Block 7
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
07-October-2024
17-November-2024
Last self-enrolment date
07-October-2024
Census date
18-October-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
01-November-2024
Results released date
17-December-2024
HE Block 7
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
06-October-2025
16-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
06-October-2025
Census date
17-October-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
31-October-2025
Results released date
23-December-2025

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Apply coherent and advanced knowledge of key concepts of evaluation and impact measurement in not for profit, philanthropic, and social enterprise contexts
  • Critically analyse and apply contemporary models of evaluation and impact measurement
  • Critically analyse the ethics and politics of evaluation and impact measurement
  • Design and implement evaluation and impact measurement at project, program or organisational levels

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Class
2.75 12 weeks  33
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning
0.25  12 weeks  3
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning
9.50  12 weeks  114
TOTAL     150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 30 - 50% 1,3 
ReportIndividual 50 - 70% 1,2,3,4 

Content

  • Key concepts and foundations of social research
  • Fundamentals of quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods
  • Ethics and politics in evaluation and impact measurement
  • Key models and techniques of evaluation and impact measurement
  • Evaluation design for not for profit, philanthropic, and social enterprise contexts
  • Emerging approaches to evaluation and impact measurement
  • Preparing evaluation and impact measurement reports

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.