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Why impact?

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Image credits: Europeana DCH impact evidence bank workshop. Sebastiaan ter Burg, 2018. CC BY.

Why impact?

It’s important to ask ourselves why it’s important to think about impact. 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 to learn how we can improve. 

“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.” Phase one

As we enter an acceleration of the digital transformation of our heritage institutions and the lives of those who use and enjoy their data, it’s important that we think about the impact we want to have and ensure that we use resources effectively for the greatest good.

Why is it important to collect data and measure your impact? 

  • Stay relevant in a changing world - think from the perspective of your audience and respond to their feedback

  • Inform evidence-led decision-making and iterative improvement cycles

  • Inform strategies and ways ahead

  • To contribute to the bigger narrative about what is the value of (digital) cultural heritage and our work

  • Help make change happen and make a better world

  • Contextualise your work (e.g. nationally, internationally) in comparison with others

  • Influence better policy making by creating more appropriate recommendations and advocacy narratives

  • Attract more funding and to help make your work more financially sustainable (and impactful for your audiences) 

  • Identify the gaps and capitalise on opportunities to create impact through your work

  • Improve your organisation’s processes and learning processes

Read more about why and how institutions are thinking about and measuring their impact

  • Interview with Helen Hardy at the Natural History Museum, London, about the economic impact of digitisation

  • Feature about impact awareness training and what it means for DEN, the Netherlands

  • Interview with Ana Aziza at the Fondation du Patrimoine about how impact assessment helps us to understand the value of built cultural heritage

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