How do we measure the effectiveness of Resident Involvement?

Identify the priorities

SAHA recognises that identifying priorities, and measuring the effectiveness of resident involvement, is key to ensuring its continued development and integration to the organisations planning and decision making processes. The method SAHA takes to measuring the effectiveness of resident involvement is underpinned by the Housing Corporation’s good practice guidelines, "Measuring Change: Involvement Impact Assessments",  where the involvement planning cycle "setting the direction, turning direction into action, doing the work and working out if the work was effective" is central to our methods.

SAHA ensures that the specific choices of priorities are made in agreement between residents, communities and us. We understand that whilst some priorities may have wide outcome targets attached to them, such as "better services" or "happier neighbourhoods", which allows more flexibility in how we meet those outcomes,  we ensure that a "SMART" action plan is drawn up indicating what we will do and when, and the outcomes we want to achieve.  This provides a focus on outcomes rather than outputs. Resident profiling will be undertaken annually to ascertain residents’ needs and aspirations in respect of Resident Involvement.

Impact Assessment

Each year, SAHA will carry out an “impact assessment” to demonstrate how, and to what extent services have improved as a result of resident involvement. At this time, SAHA will consider resources used to achieve impacts, and assess which mechanisms offer the Best Value for Money. It is imperative that the measures and targets, implemented by SAHA, drive involvement that is tailored to and convenient for residents, and offer new and evolving opportunities to capture meaningful engagement. We want residents to be able to say "Being involved made life better because we achieved....."