The Study

What is benchmarking?

Benchmarking is the process of comparing your organisation’s key metrics to others in the sector and your peer group. We run benchmarking studies on HR and Workforce (People Count), the volunteer function (Volunteers Count), and pay and benefits packages for front-line staff in Social Care (Social Care Reward).

How will it help me / my organisation?

Benchmarking key metrics of your organisation provides early warning signs of potential issues and gives reassurance for what is already working well.

The hard evidence helps determine priorities for action and supports change, which enhances your ability to report back to management and trustees.

You can also gain new insights on good practice, and our benchmarking studies are an excellent networking opportunity.

Who else takes part?

Over 150 organisations of different sizes and sub-sectors have been involved in our various benchmarking studies,  so there is already a wide range on our database for you to choose from when selecting your peer organisations.

Participants join from not-for-profit organisations in the Third Sector, Social Care, and UK-based INGOs.

What is included in the price of the study?

  • Volume One Report – a scorecard of your organisation’s scores against those of your peers and the whole sample
  • Online drill down reports
  • Executive Summary
  • Good practice material from participants
  • Access to online Contact Zone to share good practice and network
  • Sector-wide and Detailed Statistics reports by key topics
  • Invitation to the Results Conference and Product Training Workshop
  • Telephone or webinar consultation with one of our consultants, tailored to meet your needs and deepen your understanding of the reports

I missed this year’s study, what can I do?

You can still take part in the latest study as an ‘out-of-cycle’ participant. Your results will not be included in the whole sample but you are able to benchmark your results against your chosen peers and the whole sample.

We don’t have all the data to complete the questionnaire, is it worth taking part?

Certainly. Many organisations find it helpful to take part as it is a good way of identifying gaps in their data collection. The only mandatory fields in the questionnaire are the basic ones about your organisation’s size and location. Even if you have not put in all of the data, you will still receive the results in the report about your peers and the whole sample. The average response rate is 70-80%.

Can my colleagues and I share the workload?

Yes. We will set up a lead user to the online system and from there you are able to assign other users from your organisation. This is helpful as a person’s name appears beside any data they have entered which helps you to keep an eye on progress.

How long does it take to complete the questionnaire?

The time taken to complete the questionnaire will vary from organisation to organisation and will depend on how easy it is to acquire the information from your own internal systems. For most participants 3.5 person days of effort are required.

How do I know I’m comparing like with like?

We provide detailed guidance notes for each question. We ask that all participants pay close attention to these notes whilst completing the questionnaire to ensure consistency.

Will Agenda share my data with other bodies?

As part of participating in the study, you agree for your data to be used in sector-wide reports but no data will be attributed to your organisation. We do not share an individual organisation’s data with anybody.

Can I amend my data once it has been submitted?

Yes, you can update your data submission as many times as you like throughout the year, and re-run your Volume One Report.

Can I change my peer selection?

We ask you to choose your peers carefully. It is possible to amend your choice, though it must be done by us, and you must select at least three, to preserve confidentiality.

How frequently should an organisation take part in a benchmarking study?

Many organisations choose to take part in benchmarking studies annually as part of their annual work cycle. Others leave it a year before participating again.

Who can I contact for help?

For any questions about the study, signing up to take part, or selecting peers, please contact Caroline Oates.

Questionnaire

Who chooses the questions?

The questionnaire for each study has been shaped by a steering group of professionals from the sector. Each time we run a study, we invite the steering groups to meet over a telephone conference and we run through any proposed changes or additions. If you would like to participate in the steering group for any of our benchmarking studies or would like to contribute any feedback, please get in touch with Caroline Oates.

What are the benefits of the ‘good practice’ questions?

Good practice questions are an opportunity for you to share with other organisations what is working well for your organisation, and learn from others. These questions are not mandatory, so there is no obligation to complete them. The responses will be attributed to your organisation for other participants only. Only those taking part in the study will be able to see which organisation has said what. There is also the opportunity to get in touch with an organisation to network and share good practice, as each organisation nominates one person to appear on the contact list alongside their job title and an email address.

Our partners

AHRMIO Association of Mental Health Providers AVM Bond CDR Charities HR Network Charity Comms CHS Alliance Heritage Volunteering Group Hospice UK Humentum Hospice Volunteer Managers Network National Care Forum NCVO Voluntary Organisations Disability Group

Get in touch

info@agendaconsulting.co.uk

+44 (0)1865 263720

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Agenda Consulting
Belsyre Court
57 Woodstock Road
Oxford
OX2 6HJ
UK

Company No: 4509427