2009 Resource Conservation Funds Solicitation: Measurement Fact Sheet

Why Measure?

Measurement determines if a project is achieving program results and ensures resources are being used wisely. Measurement shows the effects of your project on your community and the environment. Congress requires EPA to provide detailed information on environmental results attributable to EPA programs and grants. EPA has identified three types of measures to gauge the success of a project. These measures include activities, outcomes, and impacts. Competitive proposals may address measurement results through all three types of measurement.

How Do I Measure the Right Thing?

The key to measurement is that measurements only have meaning in relation to the question(s) they seek to answer. It is vital to have a clear picture of the objectives and goals of the project before any measurement activity takes place. Ask yourself a few key questions when determining what to measure:

What are the specific issues to be addressed through this project?
What do I already know about these issues?
How will I know if I have achieved my goals?
How will I know if my program is having an impact?

Once you answer these types of questions, you are ready to determine how to gather your data.

How and What Do I Measure?

Activities (or Output Measures): Output measures include important activities, work products, or actions taken during the project. Examples include:

Number of fact sheets/videos/manuals/guides/documents distributed and to whom
Number and locations of workshops held and number of persons attending
Number and locations of meetings/press events held/media images produced, etc.

Outcomes (or Outcome Measures): Outcomes include the things that changed or were modified as a result of your activities. Examples include:

Customer satisfaction/awareness (through testimonials, survey data, etc.)
Changes in customer behavior (through number of best practices adopted, etc.)
Improved regulatory compliance

Impacts (or environmental and public health indicators): Impacts are measures of specific environmental and human health improvements in a defined area. These indicators help measure what impacts the project is having on environmental problems in your project area. Some examples include:

Amount of material recycled
Amount of solid waste reduced
Amount of energy conserved

Ideally, these metrics can be extended to their corresponding environmental results (air pollution reduced, CO2 reduced, etc.). There are common multipliers available or you can create your own from data specific to your project. For more information, please see the resource section at the end of this document.

When Do I Measure?

Measurement is most helpful at key stages of a project's life span: project planning, project implementation, and project completion.

Planning stage: Baseline information is gathered, objectives are established, and the audience of the project is characterized.
Implementation stage: Progress is tracked to determine if mid-course correction of the project is necessary. Milestones are examined.
Completion stage: Determine if goals were achieved, what worked well, next steps, and future modifications

Why Do I Need to Gather Baseline Data?

Without gathering preliminary data on current conditions, it is impossible to see any distinct change or to determine if any results were made specifically as a result of the project. Baseline data describes the existing situation, provides relevance to the data you collect, and allows comparisons to be done before and after a project to determine its successes and failures.

What Will This Cost?

Generally, between 5% - 15% of your total budget should be allocated to pay for measurement. These costs should not be included as a line item in your budget projections but should be reflected in your work plan.

Online Resources

Tools for Measurement: Conversion factors (PDF) (4 pp, 60 K)

EPA document Measuring Recycling: A Guide for State and Local Governments

EPA document Guide for Measuring Compliance Assistance Outcomes (PDF) (104 pp, 981 K)

EPA WAste Reduction Model (WARM) Web Site

Region 9 Topics and Programs | A-Z Index