A guide to identifying, engaging, and valuing the people who matter

This practical guide brings clarity to the who, why, and how of stakeholder engagement. It shows you how to pinpoint those most affected by your kaupapa—from frontline participants and kaumātua to funders, hapori partners, and policy watchers—and weave their voices into every step of your impact assessment.

You’ll learn how to:

Map the full stakeholder landscape – distinguish primary, secondary, and tertiary groups so no critical perspective is left out.

Prioritise with purpose – apply simple, culturally safe tools to focus energy where influence and impact are highest.

Engage with manaakitanga – use interviews, hui, surveys, and kōrero circles that respect tikanga and create space for honest kōrero.

Integrate insights transparently – translate lived experience into outcomes, valuations, and recommendations your funders and whānau can trust.

Aligned with New Zealand Treasury guidance and Matatihi’s kaupapa Māori values, this guide equips you to build evaluations that people recognise as theirs—and results everyone can stand behind.

A guide to recognising everything you put in

This practical guide to inputs demystifies the often-overlooked resources that power your programme—from volunteer hours and kōrero with kaumātua to software licences and leased vehicles. By mapping every dollar, minute, and square metre, you’ll ensure the cost side of your SROI ratio is as robust as the outcomes you report. Transparent input accounting strengthens funder confidence, honours community contributions, and lays the groundwork for smarter planning and budgeting.

You’ll learn how to:

Identify the full spectrum of inputs – financial, human, physical, knowledge, and cultural resources—so nothing slips through the cracks.

Quantify with defensible evidence – convert commitments into numbers using payroll data, timesheets, asset registers, and clear proxies where data are missing.

Avoid common pitfalls – spot double-counting, capture in-kind support, and document valuation methods to maintain transparency.

Demonstrate value for money – link inputs directly to outcomes so funders, partners, and communities can see exactly how resources turn into positive change

A guide to tracking what you deliver

This practical guide to outputs shows you how to capture the tangible results of your work – from hui held and training modules completed to homes repaired and care packages delivered. By recording every workshop, hour of service, and item distributed, you create a clear bridge between the resources invested and the change achieved. Transparent output tracking grounds your outcomes in real delivery, strengthens your credibility with funders, and provides the context needed to interpret your results.

You’ll learn how to:

Define outputs clearly – distinguish delivery (outputs) from change (outcomes) so your evaluation tells a clear, defensible story.

Identify and record consistently – use activity plans, service logs, attendance sheets, and frontline knowledge to capture the full picture across sites and teams.

Avoid common pitfalls – prevent overcounting, missing small but important outputs, or focusing solely on quantity without considering reach, timing, and accessibility.

Strengthen your impact narrative – link outputs directly to outcomes so stakeholders can see the pathway from what was delivered to the change it created

A guide to demonstrating the change you create

This practical guide demystifies the concept of outcomes—the real-world shifts in knowledge, behaviour, wellbeing, and mana that prove your mahi is making a difference. By moving the conversation beyond “what we delivered” to “what changed (and for whom)”, you’ll give funders, partners, and whānau a clear line of sight from activity to impact. Robust outcome evidence builds trust, strengthens investment cases, and keeps your team focused on the results that matter most.

You’ll learn how to:

Define meaningful outcomes – craft statements that are specific, material to stakeholders, and attributable to your work, so you measure what truly counts.

Gather credible evidence – use surveys, interviews, and before-and-after data to track short-, medium-, and long-term change across social, cultural, health, and economic domains.

Avoid common pitfalls – steer clear of confusing outputs with outcomes, over-measuring, or assuming change without proof .

Link outcomes to value – connect your evidence to SROI ratios, helping decision-makers see the return on every dollar, hour, and karakia invested.

Ground your impact story in measurable shifts—download the Outcomes guide today and start showing exactly how your kaupapa changes lives.

A guide to sizing your true social impact

This practical guide demystifies attribution—pinpointing the share of outcomes that can genuinely be credited to your mahi. By separating your contribution from other factors, you provide funders, partners, and communities with a clear, honest picture of what your programme actually achieves. Transparent attribution not only safeguards credibility but also sharpens strategic choices about where to invest limited resources.

You’ll learn how to:

Distinguish your “slice” of impact – apply the core tests of deadweight, displacement, external contributions, and drop-off so your results aren’t overstated.

Gather defensible evidence – use comparison groups, baseline data, stakeholder counterfactuals, and sensitivity checks to anchor findings in reality.

Communicate uncertainty – present ranges and scenarios that acknowledge what you know—and what remains an informed estimate—building trust with critical audiences.

Strengthen collaboration – show where impact is shared, opening doors to joint ventures and co-funding rather than zero-sum claims.

Developed by Matatihi and aligned with New Zealand Treasury guidelines, this guide equips you to report impact that is clear, balanced, and compelling—groundwork for smarter decisions and stronger relationships.