Main section

Use a generic framework to give a broad overview of how archives contribute to local priorities and cover a number of policy themes such as children and young people, the economy, the environment, older people, health and wellbeing, stronger, safer communities and learning. This is a good approach if you want to capture the totality of your service’s contribution.

Ideally your outcomes framework will consist of four elements:

  • Outcomes triangle
  • Logic model
  • Evidence
  • Performance indicators

Tabs Navigation

Tabs

Outcomes triangle and logic model

Outcomes triangle

The outcomes triangle gives an overview of how archives can contribute at service, intermediate and overarching strategic outcome levels.

An example of the outcomes triangle. A triangle has been horizontally divided into three segments: top is 'overarching strategic outcomes', middle is 'intermediate outcomes', and bottom is 'service outcomes'. Blank text boxes have been overlaid onto the triangle.

The outcomes triangle model

Outcomes could be:

Overarching strategic outcomes

  • Equitable and integrated communities
  • Efficient, effective and sustainable services
  • Economic growth and employment
  • More children & young people achieving their potential
  • Older people retain their independence
  • A greater sense of place and increased civic pride

Intermediate outcomes

  • Improved decision making and compliance
  • More people accessing lifelong learning
  • Wider civic and political engagement
  • Improved educational attainment amongst children and young people
  • Older people are more socially and mentally active
  • Improved understanding of cultural diversity, identity and shared heritage

Service outcomes

  • Improved access to collections and preservation of digital records
  • More people volunteering and involved in community life through archives
  • More people gaining new knowledge and skills through archives
  • Increased engagement by young people and adults facing inequalities
  • Increased efficiency and collaboration in the delivery of archive services
  • Increased satisfaction with the archives offer in the local area
  • Greater diversity of people working in archive services

Logic model

The logic model illustrates the main links between service activities and local outcomes. This example suggest broad groupings of activities, benefits archives can offer to individuals, communities and places, and how these in turn contribute to the achievement of intermediate and overarching strategic outcomes.

A blank logic model template, displaying five columns of empty fields to be filled in. The columns read (from left to right): 'Archive services and activities', 'Service outcomes', 'Benefits', 'Intermediate outcomes' and 'Overarching strategic outcomes'.

A logic model template

Outcomes could be:

Archive activities

  • Knowledge and learning/skills courses and programmes
  • Training, employment and mentoring schemes
  • Volunteering opportunities
  • Support for research activity

Service outcomes

  • More people gaining new knowledge, skills and education through archives
  • More people volunteering and involved in community life through archives
  • Greater diversity of people working in archive services

Benefits

  • Increased knowledge, skills and qualifications
  • Increased confidence, self esteem, personal responsibility and resilience
  • Increased social interaction, new relationships and role models

Intermediate outcomes

  • More people accessing lifelong learning
  • Improved understanding of cultural diversity, identity and shared heritage
  • Older people are more socially and mentally active

Overarching strategic outcomes

  • Economic growth and employment
  • Equitable and integrated communities
  • Older people retain their independence

Our section on ‘What to include’ has more information about the outcomes triangle and logic model methods

Step two of ‘Creating your framework‘ features a step by step guide to creating an outcomes triangle and logic model

Evidence

The evidence section of the framework underpins the outcomes triangle and logic model. It lists the sources of evidence that together best demonstrate the contribution of archives to the outcomes.

We have identified some examples of validated national evidence that demonstrate the contribution of archives to the outcomes. Not all of these examples will be relevant to your local outcomes.

Stage three of ‘Creating your framework’ contains a step-by-step guide to reviewing the evidence

‘Large cultural infrastructure projects’ (The National Archives, 2023)

This guidance highlights how archive services can be valuable partners in the delivery of large cultural infrastructure projects, with their collections able to inspire, inform, and enrich project programming. There are a number of success stories included that show how archives celebrate communities and create a positive legacy in local areas.

Workforce development case studies (The National Archives, various dates)

A series of case studies from across the UK, some of which focus on volunteering and feature the positive impact for archives and include a range of testimonials highlighting the benefits experienced by the volunteers themselves.

Workforce development – on the National Archives website

Make archive services more inclusive (The National Archives, various dates)

A series of case studies highlighting the impact of making collections more inclusive by improving representation of diverse communities, highlighting underrepresented voices, revealing previously hidden histories and giving them new value and meaning for people.

‘Advancing the Role of Museums in Health and Social Care’ (National Museums Liverpool, 2022)

This paper reflects on the development and impact of House of Memories as a flagship cultural intervention in dementia care built around the museum objects and social history collections within National Museums Liverpool. The approach aimed to support people living with dementia, enhancing their wellbeing and quality of life, as a potential alternative to medication.

‘Creatively Minded and Heritage’ (The Baring Foundation, 2021)

Report commissioned to showcase how heritage brings significant added value in cross-sectoral social prescribing programmes, to improve people’s mental health and community connections. Case studies include natural and historic environments, archaeology and seven archive examples.

‘Heritage and Wellbeing’ (What Works Wellbeing, 2019)

A scoping review of evidence which found that historic places and assets, and interventions associated with them, can have a wide range of beneficial impacts on the physical, mental and social wellbeing of individuals and communities.

‘The impact of volunteering in archives‘ (Archives and Records Association, 2018)

Research highlighting the impacts of volunteering in archives and how these affect volunteers, services, and the profession. Volunteers feel the long-term effects of improved health and well-being, new and re-enforced skills and enhanced prospects of employability.
The impact of volunteering in archives – on the Archives and Records Association website

‘The Economic Impact of the UK Heritage Tourism Economy’ (Oxford Economics, 2016)

This study examines gives an indication of the scale of the gross economic impact of heritage tourism in the UK in terms of visit numbers, visit spend, employment and GDP. Then, comparisons are made with other sectors of the UK economy.
The Economic Impact of the UK Heritage Tourism Economy on the Oxford Economics website

Performance indicators

Below are suggestions of how to measure the contribution of archives to better outcomes across a number of policy themes. Not all of these suggestions will be relevant to your local outcomes.

You should select a small number of indicators from across the different levels that together best measure the contribution of archives to your service, intermediate and overarching strategic outcomes. Draw on available data from existing sources within your local council or organisation and elsewhere wherever possible.

Stage four of ‘Creating your framework’ has a step-by-step guide to selecting performance indicators

Overarching strategic outcome indicators

These are high-level non-archive indicators that you want to demonstrate, and can evidence that archives contribute towards. They are likely to reflect the overall responsibilities of key decision-makers; notably local government, but also other key stakeholder groups such as health and social care providers, educational bodies, community cohesion or community safety partnership.

Examples include:

  • Overall employment rate
  • Percentage of small businesses in an area showing employment growth
  • Percentage of 16 to 18-year-olds who are not in education, training or employment
  • Overall or general satisfaction with local area
  • Percentage of local authority budgets delegated to local decision making
  • Percentage of people who believe people from different backgrounds get on well together in their local area
  • Perceptions of anti-social behaviour
  • All age all cause mortality rate
  • Rates of avoidable diseases that are the major causes of ill-health and premature death
  • Percentage of older people who feel the contribution they make to their local community is valued
  • Social care-related quality of life
  • Per capita reduction in CO2 emissions in the local authority area

Some of these indicators may be drawn from non-council data sources.

Intermediate outcome indicators

These should include indicators that reflect the specific contribution of archives to the intermediate outcomes.

Examples include:

  • Number of full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs supported by the archive visitor economy
  • Percentage/number of:
    • young people and adults who agree that participating, volunteering or training opportunities in archive services, projects, activities or events helped them get into or stay in education, training or employment
    • children and young people who agree that participation in an archives project, activity or event has given them the opportunity to learn, grow skills, or helped them feel more confident about themselves
    • children and young people who agree that participation in an archive project, activity or event has helped them do something positive in their free time or stay out of trouble
    • people who agree that participation in an archive project, activity or event has made them more likely to lead a healthier lifestyle
    • people who agree that participation in an archive project, activity or event has helped them increase their understanding of how to improve their health or exercise patient choice
    • people who agree that participation in an archive project, activity or event has improved their mental well-being or sense of identity
    • people who agree that participation in an archive project, activity or event has helped increase their understanding of how they can influence decisions in their neighbourhood or get involved in local decision making
    • people who agree that participation in an archive project, activity or event has helped them meet and mix with local people or make them feel part of their community
    • residents satisfied with their built environment
    • community organisations involved with the local archive assets and facilities

Intermediate outcome indicators may also include non-archive indicators that are short to medium term ‘proxy’ measures for the overarching strategic outcomes.

Examples include:

  • Growth in tourism per year and visitor spend (£ million)
  • Percentage of young people participating in positive activities
  • Percentage of young people, adults or older people participating in social action or regular volunteering
  • Number of community organisers trained
  • Social connectedness

Service outcome indicators

These are indicators specific to archives.

Examples include:

  • Archive services achieving Archives Accreditation and/or facilities and services with a recognised design or environmental sustainability award
  • Percentage/number of:
    • children and young people, adults or older people accessing the archive
    • people who agree that participation in an archive project or event has been enjoyable
    • children and young people, adults or older people regularly volunteering in the archive
    • children and young people, adults or older users satisfied with the archive provision in their local area
    • residents who agree they have influenced archive provision in their area
    • residents who agree that archive provision, activities or events have increased their understanding of the local heritage
    • increase in jobs in the heritage economy
    • tourists who include archive facilities or events among their reasons for visiting
  • Number of:
    • participants who agree that participation in an archive project, activity or event has contributed to the preservation and/or accessibility of local heritage
    • participants who agree that participation in an archive project, activity or event has increased their involvement in local heritage

Service output indicators

These indicators are also specific to archives.

Examples include:

  • Number in employment, education or training with the archive service
  • Number of:
    • young people and adults or older people participating in archive activities, project or events
    • visits or participants in the archive offer (per 1,000 population)
    • children and young people participating in archive activities during the school holidays
    • young people at risk of offending engaged in positive activities through the archive
    • young people, adults or older people participating in archive outreach activities
    • young people, adults or older people regularly volunteering in the archive
    • young people, adults or older people gaining a recognised accreditation or qualification as a result of the archive service
    • young people, adults or older people participating in or completing health-related archive activity programmes
    • people accessing an educational online resource
    • people accessing the archive service for the first time
    • local community organisations supported to gain skills
  • Number of uses of the archive as a venue for community activities
  • % of visitors making repeat visits/use of the archive service
  • Energy efficiency ratings of archive facilities
  • Net expenditure on archive provision per head of population.

Where useful indicators can be broken down further, for example, by geographic area or target wards or by specific groups, including different age groups or disadvantaged and or vulnerable groups.