Opportunity: Evidencing Impact Brief

The consultant will work with colleagues across the organisation to develop and embed a holistic approach to evidencing impact that can be applied in a range of settings and used as a means of demonstrating social value and attracting and retaining philanthropic support.

In January 2026, Sheffield Museums will embark on an 18-month programme of strategic planning that will realise a 5-year business plan and a masterplan for the next decade. As part of this work, we wish to develop a prototype impact framework that will ensure robust, high-quality data collection and methodologies and enable consistent, coherent impact reporting across programmes, venues and online activity to support strategic decision-making and organisational learning. 

The framework will enable the organisation to provide robust evidence of our impact on wellbeing, participation and civic outcomes for Sheffield City Council, funders and philanthropists. Alignment with ONS wellbeing measures is a required component of the framework. We are therefore seeking a consultant with specialist expertise in impact and process evaluation to work with our established team to advise on this development. 

Overview Scope:

The consultant will be expected to:

• Undertake a brief review of existing methodology and uses of data across all Sheffield Museums settings 
• Identify key metrics that will enable Sheffield Museums to articulate impact across sectors using language and data that is widely relevant
• Include recommendations about which metrics best suit different settings (schools, galleries, events, digital, etc.) and how they align with ONS UK Measures of National Wellbeing
• Work with colleagues to identify the opportunities to make changes to improve the quality and consistency of impact data through the development of a prototype impact framework for the organisation
• Provide key recommendations for implementation over the next 12–24 months
• Clarify how impact data will integrate with existing data systems and practices
• Ensure the framework dovetails with our work to collect robust visitor/participant/user feedback, which plays a fundamental role in helping us understand our audiences, our successes and areas for improvement, and also helps shape our future offer. 

Knowledge and experience:

The consultant should demonstrate proven experience in: 

• Advising charities on what impact data to collect and how
• Knowledge of which key performance indicators are used across sectors
• Working with charities to collaboratively design and implement impact frameworks that optimise resources
• Developing and implementing effective implementation plans 
  Support teams in developing the effective use and compelling presentation of data for key stakeholders
• Experience working with established wellbeing or outcome frameworks (e.g. the Office of National Statistics’ UK Measures of National Well-being) to demonstrate impact for fundraising and philanthropic purposes.

The consultant should be able to travel between all Sheffield Museums sites and attend meetings in person and online. 

Timescale & Quotations

We anticipate that this work will take up to 10 days and will be completed within 8 weeks of appointment. Your fee should include expenses and exclude VAT.

Closing date: Sunday 4 January 2026

Work to commence by: Monday 2 February 2026 at the latest

For full information, including details of how to make a submission, download the full brief via the link below

You can view the following PDF documents using Adobe Acrobat – you can download it for free at the Adobe website

Queries and submissions should be directed to:

Kirstie Hamilton, Director of Programmes: kirstie.hamilton@sheffieldmuseums.org.uk