Image credit: Hindrik Reeders bälten vävda på bandgrind. - 1932 - Society of Swedish Literature in Finland, Finland - CC BY. https://www.europeana.eu/item/2021007/_SLS_447_a_SLS_447a_25
It’s important to ask ourselves why it’s It’s important to think about impact. You might be thinking about your impact because you’re trying to be more strategic and impactful in your work; or your donors might want more reporting or accounting.
Some high-level reasons for Europeana , for example, include demonstrating the value we create for the heritage sector and , progressing our understanding of the digital transformation of the heritage sector . At a more micro-level, it will be to understand how we bring value through specific projects and how we can improve. and getting better at the things we do every day. These drivers - understanding your value, learning more, and making improvements - might sound familiar to you.
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“In the cultural heritage sector, we work for a great cause, for the good of society as a whole, and we have ambitious goals. But it's not always easy to see whether we're achieving them. The fact of the matter is that - as a cultural institution - we have very few instruments at our disposal to assess the results of our actions. Of course, we count the direct outputs of our work fanatically - visitor numbers, Facebook likes, ticket sales. But we don't dig into the deep outcomes that result from our work - changes to attitudes, new friendships, new ideas and values.” Europeana Impact Playbook, Phase one |
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Why impact and digital transformation?
We are in a period where we see the acceleration of the digital transformation of our heritage institutions and the lives of those who use and enjoy their data. As we pivot to meet the changing needs of our audiences, and of our collections, we have an opportunity to think about how we deliver impact through digital transformation and use resources effectively for the greatest good. That’s where impact design and measurement can play an important role. This is a great opportunity to put audiences back at the centre of the digital transformation journey.
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Why is it important to |
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think about impact? |
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Identify where you are in a bigger context - to contextualise your work (e.g. nationally, internationally) in comparison with others
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To help make change happen
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To be more relevant for your audiences - to think at their level and respond to their feedback
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Next steps
Watch our introductory webinar on Europeana Pro where we explore what impact means for us. https://pro.europeana.eu/event/what-s-in-the-name-what-impact-means-for-us
See what was discussed in our research and impact symposiumhttps://pro.europeana.eu/event/research-and-digital-cultural-heritage-new-impact-horizons
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Read these interviews to learn why and how institutions are thinking about and measuring their impact
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