DEFINE
Agree on outcomes
With industry, government, researchers and investors, we set the intended outcome, who is meant to benefit and a realistic route to change.
OUR IMPACT
Progress that can
be understood.
We connect South African priorities with measurable outcomes, and we report clearly on what changes, what doesn't and what we learn. Across our research, partnerships and investment, we set out what we are trying to achieve, how we will know, and who we are accountable to.
Our approach to impact ↘OUR APPROACH TO IMPACT
Start with the outcome.
Work back to action.
Impact begins with a clear question: what should be different for people, businesses or communities as a result of this work?
CIMP's intended approach is to answer that question with partners at the outset, and keep asking it as work progresses. Our proposed impact cycle keeps goals, evidence and learning connected, from first intention to final evidence, and each round informs the next.
TRACK
Follow the evidence
We select relevant indicators and gather information at appropriate points in the work, using economic research and evaluation methods suited to the initiative.
LEARN
Assess what changed
We consider results alongside context, contribution, limitations and unintended effects, separating what the work achieved from what would have happened anyway.
SHARE
Report and improve
We report openly on what changed, what didn't and what we learned, and apply the lessons to the next initiative, starting the cycle again at step 01.
Measures reflect the purpose and stage of each initiative, whether a research project, an enterprise investment or a convening, and are agreed with partners. We don't force every initiative into one score.
WHAT WE LOOK TO UNDERSTAND
Evidence chosen
to fit the work.
At the “Track” stage of our impact cycle, measures are chosen to suit each initiative and its stage. The indicators below are examples of what could be tracked, not current CIMP results or promised targets. Results will be reported under Reports and data as they become available.
Project readiness and delivery
Indicators could include projects advanced through preparation stages, partners engaged, milestones reached, projects progressing toward investment, and local capability and value chain links built.
Explore Project Development ↗Business growth and inclusion
Indicators could include businesses supported, follow-on capital raised, revenue or market expansion, employment, research commercialisation progress, and reach into underserved markets.
Explore Equity ↗Informed decisions
We may look at whether our economic research is used by decision-makers, whether convenings lead to joint initiatives, and whether debate informs policy, planning or investment.
Explore our focus areas ↗Shared progress
We may also look at whether partners align around priorities, build capabilities, and apply research and evidence to decisions or delivery.
Explore how we work with partners ↗Indicators will differ by investment pathway. For example, an early-stage venture may be judged on traction and survival, while a large-scale infrastructure project may be judged on capital mobilised and delivery milestones.
WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED
Lessons, including
the difficult ones.
Progress that can be understood includes the parts that didn't go to plan.
As our work develops, we will share what we have learned about what worked, what didn't and what we would do differently, so that partners and decision-makers can build on real experience.
This section will grow as initiatives progress. Lessons are shared in line with partner confidentiality and the terms agreed for each initiative.
WHAT WE WILL SHARE
Where outcomes moved, and what appears to have contributed. We distinguish between what our work achieved and what would have happened anyway, and we say where the evidence is limited.
Where results fell short, took longer than expected or didn't appear. Naming these openly is part of how we improve.
Unintended effects, positive or negative, and context that shaped the result.
How findings change our approach to future projects, investments, research and convenings.
REPORTS AND DATA
Open, dated
and explained.
We aim to make our impact reporting available in a form people can use.
Each report will state the period it covers, how measures were chosen, what the evidence can and can't show, and any limits on what we can publish.
What you will find here
Outcomes, evidence and lessons
Periodic reports on selected initiatives, covering outcomes, evidence and lessons.
Reports will be listed here as they are published.
How we measure and evaluate
Short explanations of how indicators were defined and how the evidence was gathered, including the methods used for evaluation.
Evidence informing the work
Economic research and analysis connected to our focus areas, which informs the work and its evaluation.
Explore our focus areas ↗Figures and definitions
Summary figures and indicator definitions, where these can be shared. Reporting is subject to partner confidentiality and the terms agreed for each initiative.
Reading our reports
- Figures are dated. Each report states the period covered and, where relevant, the “as at” date.
- Examples are not targets. Indicators shown elsewhere on this site are examples of what could be tracked, not promised results.
- Investment figures are described carefully. Assets under management and investment ranges are explained in context and do not substitute for outcome reporting.
Questions about our reporting?
Contact the CIMP team ↗TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY
Public trust grows
with clear information.
Transparency helps partners and the public understand how opportunities are considered, what outcomes are being pursued and how results are assessed. We hold ourselves to four commitments.
Be clear about how we decide
Opportunities are considered on their merits and assessed with the relevant partners, subject to mandate, eligibility, due diligence and risk assessment. We explain these conditions in advance, so no one mistakes an enquiry for an offer.
Share what can be shared
We make appropriate information about initiatives and progress accessible, including purpose, outcome measures, reporting periods and the limits of the evidence, while respecting commercial, personal and other protected information.
Report honestly
We present progress in context, including delays, challenges and where evidence is incomplete, not only positive findings.
Listen and respond
We provide clear ways for partners, communities and the public to ask questions or raise concerns about an initiative's process or potential impacts, and we respond.