Scribd
Upload
6 views2 pages

Writing Outcome Statements

Outcomes

Uploaded by

simphiwematushe903
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
6 views2 pages

Writing Outcome Statements

Outcomes

Uploaded by

simphiwematushe903
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 2

The Craft of Writing Outcome Statements

As you began the project planning phase, you defined your goal(s) for the active learning space, service, or
programs you want to implement at your library. The goal statement incorporates the community need(s) you will
be addressing with this project and imagines what success will look like in fulfilling that need when the project is
delivered.

⧫ Find your goal statement and keep it in view as you develop your outcome statements.

About Outcomes
An outcome statement describes a specific benefit that your community members will receive as a result of
participating in your new “smart space.” An outcome is a change in a target audience’s skills, attitudes,
knowledge, behaviors, status, or life condition brought about by experiencing a library space, service, or program.

Outcomes can develop over different periods of time.


⧫ Short-term outcomes are likely to be changes in skills, attitudes, and knowledge
⧫ Medium-term outcomes often include changes in behavior and decision-making
⧫ Long-term outcomes may involve changes in status or life conditions.

Consider these examples:

1|P a g e Small Libraries Create Smart Spaces OCLC/WebJunction


Writing Outcome Statements
It is common to confuse outputs and outcomes. As Will Reynolds explains in The Hidden Danger of Confusing
Outputs for Outcomes, "Building a water system is an output. People being healthy is an outcome." In library
terms, the differentiation might be: “Providing classes for girls in how to code is an output. Girls increasing their
coding skills and boosting their confidence in themselves are outcomes.”

Based on your Goal Statement about what success will look like, define the intended outcomes.
⧫ What will participants learn? What skills or knowledge will they acquire? How will their attitudes change?
⧫ How will this service make a difference in their lives? How might it positively impact the wider community?
⧫ Are there short-term changes that might lead to longer-term impacts?

It helps to be specific about the outcomes that your project is intended to achieve. Consider the short-term,
medium-term, and longer-term impacts that might result from your efforts. There’s no prescription for the
number of outcomes –two or three is fine.

Outcomes: Check each statement: are you sure it’s not an output rather than an outcome?
Outcome Statement Short, medium or long-term?

For example: By using and exploring new technologies, community teens will Short-term
acquire digital literacy skills, as well as teaching skills as they help their
peers.

2|P a g e Small Libraries Create Smart Spaces OCLC/WebJunction

You might also like