CASE STUDY

Strengthening Confidence in Impact Through Independent Verification

Independent third-party verification of Verified Impact Assets™ (VIAs) for four projects listed on the Common Good Marketplace

OUR SERVICES

• Impact Verification & Assurance
• Impact Measurement, Valuation & Performance
• Impact Data & Systems

SECTOR

Impact, Social Investment

LOCATION

Malawi

DURATION

5 months

THE CHALLENGE

Common Good Marketplace required independent third-party verification of the impact claims associated with projects listed on its marketplace.

The engagement focused on assessing whether available evidence, monitoring approaches and impact calculations were sufficiently robust to support the intended impacts of four projects and provide an independent basis for verification.

The work required embedding impact to assess not only the evidence presented, but also the quality of the underlying monitoring plans, data collection approaches and processes used to demonstrate impact

OUR APPROACH

We conducted a reduced-scope design verification audit focused on testing the credibility and robustness of the evidence and systems underpinning the projects’ intended impacts.

Reviewing project design documents and monitoring plans.
Reviewing output and outcome evidence against the requirements of the monitoring plan.
Assessing proposed indicators, sampling approaches, surveys and data collection tools.
Assessing the alignment between evidence presented and the project’s monitoring requirements.
Reviewing stakeholder engagement processes and potential negative externalities.
Conducting data quality assessments, including assessment of third-party studies referenced by projects.
Reviewing social value calculations and the validity of the underlying data and sources.
Engaging sector-specific expertise to assess outcome evidence and monitoring plans against relevant technical standards.
Identifying corrective actions where required.
Consolidating findings into an independent audit and verification report.

KEY DELIVERABLES

Independent third-party verification of project impact evidence.
Review and assessment of project design and monitoring plans.
Data quality assessment of outcome evidence and monitoring processes.
Assessment of indicators, sampling approaches and data collection tools.
Review of social value calculations.
Assessment of potential negative externalities and stakeholder engagement.
Independent verification findings and recommendations.
Verification and audit reporting.

VALUE CREATED

The engagement provided an independent assessment of the evidence, monitoring systems and impact calculations underpinning projects on the Common Good Marketplace.

By testing the alignment between intended impacts, monitoring plans and available evidence, the verification process established a stronger basis for assessing the credibility of impact claims and identifying areas requiring further monitoring, evidence or corrective action.

Theory of Change in Practice

Theory of Change provides an important foundation for understanding whether a programme’s activities and interventions are reasonably connected to its intended outcomes and longer-term impact.

In this engagement, embedding impact examined the relationship between intended impacts, project design, monitoring plans and the evidence available to substantiate reported outcomes. This enabled the verification process to assess not only whether evidence existed, but whether the evidence and monitoring approach were appropriately aligned to the project’s intended impact pathway.

Ready to move beyond measurement?