On February 1, RIN hosted a roundtable discussion on its recently developed Refugee Lens Investing (RLI) Impact Measurement Tool. This first-of-a-kind instrument is designed to help investors gauge the social impact of their investments that aim to intentionally support forcibly displaced people.
In developing the tool, RIN identified a demand for a forum where RLI stakeholders can regularly convene to discuss recurring questions at the intersection of refugee livelihoods, impact, and private sector engagement. In response, RIN created the RLI Working Group. The discussion, summarized below, thus represents the first in a series of “working group” meetings where interested actors can collaborate to help determine RLI best practices.
This session on the RLI impact measurement tool addressed:
- Should impact measurement specifically target FDP or take an area-based approach?
- How do we balance rigor with budget and time limitations, both for ourselves and for our partners?
- When conducting M&E, should organizations opt to build and rely on internal capacity, or source external “experts” to measure results?
Conclusion: The Roundtable on Impact Measurement for RLI brought together key stakeholders to present a comprehensive picture of the challenges, opportunities, and strategies associated with their efforts to measure impact, while brainstorming on new frameworks and methods needed to enhance investment impact.
The RLI Working Group will continue to facilitate open dialogues like this one – to surface tools & best practices – to help equip stakeholders and build the field of RLI. Look for these upcoming RLI meetings on: Ecosystem Development; TA; Policy.
Video from the Roundtable event on Measuring Impact for Refugee Lens Investment