Change Matters 2 – Your Performance Framework is ready for business

Sponsored by the RBS group

After five years of initiating Change Matters as the performance framework for the sector, CDFA has moved into Phase 2 in which we have reframed the process to follow a logic model that highlights the mission-led outcomes from the work of the CDFIs.

Change Matters 2 (CM2) allows CDFIs to put the case for their lending purpose first, and follow that with data on portfolio performance, business practice (operations and governance), and impacts.

Three areas are assessed:

1. Impact by testing the mission with link to outputs, and outcomes
2. Financial activity of the organisation generally and specific to the lending portfolio
3. Business activity through compliance with the Code of Practice and appropriate policies and procedures for community lending institutions

The CDFI can arrange for a site visit and corporate assessment, which acts as an audit for quality assurance: it frames the portfolio performance and impact capture in the context of the mission delivery, and evaluates the business operations against best practice.

Tying in to the new sponsorship by RBS, a limited number of members will be eligible for consultancy on preparation for visits; their site visit  and CM2 corporate assessment report will be subidised and they will be able to apply for a capacity building grant to respond to one or more of the recommendations from the CM2 visit. Applications are only open to CDFA members, and are available in the members’ area.

All elements of the framework and guides are provided to the CDFIs and are available from the member’s area. If you would like more information about Change Matters, contact Jules Mann at  j.mann@cdfa.org.uk.

Stakeholder engagment

The CDFA has worked with a range of stakeholders to ensure that Change Matters is fit for purpose. The CDFA thanks the RBS group for their support of the pilot phase of CM2, and for their continued support of this programme in 2012. Change Matters visits were also supported in previous years by the Lankelly Chase Foundation, BIS and Friends Provident Foundation, who funded funded a report to inform their understanding of the assessment of CDFIs. See Change Matters – Stakeholder report 2006-2010.