Fast-moving social enterprises, strapped for cash and time, face a conundrum when it comes to measuring social performance. Traditional measurement tools don’t make sense. They are either too costly because they were designed for large-scale aid or focus on typical business metrics that don’t get to the heart of impact. Lean Data leverages the power of low-cost technology and lean experimentation principles to collect high-quality data at a fraction of the time and cost of other methods.
Impact Measurement
We created Lean Data to listen to low-income customers and understand what impact means to them
ACUMEN LAUNCHES 60 DECIBELS TO MAKE LEAN DATA A GLOBAL STANDARD FOR IMPACT MEASUREMENT
We created Lean Data to fully understand how our investments impact the lives of low-income people. By putting the voice of the customer at the center of impact measurement and leveraging mobile technology for fast, reliable response, Lean Data has become an exciting new tool for social enterprises, investors and beyond. We’re excited to share Lean Data with the sector at large through the creation of 60 Decibels. Learn more.
Lean Data puts the voice of the customer at the heart of impact measurement
Customers surveyed
Countries with customers surveyed
social enterprises and nonprofits using Lean Data
The Approach
-
What is Lean Data?
A fast, reliable customer-centric approach to impact measurement
Fast-moving social enterprises, strapped for cash and time, face a conundrum when it comes to measuring social performance. Traditional measurement tools don’t make sense. They are either too costly because they were designed for large-scale aid or focus on typical business metrics that don’t get to the heart of impact. Lean Data leverages the power of low-cost technology and lean experimentation principles to collect high-quality data at a fraction of the time and cost of other methods.
-
Measuring What Matters
We Listen to What’s Important to the People We Serve
Our companies deliver critical products and services that enable low-income people to transform their lives. While the standard approach to impact measurement is to gather metrics on numbers of people reached, we measure the social benefits our customers experience from what our companies offer. We speak directly to customers to understand what matters to them because our success is defined by the meaningful change we create in the lives of the poor.
-
Data that Drives Action
We collect data that helps us become smarter investors
Working closely with our companies, we collect and analyze data to help them understand and, ultimately, improve their business to better serve low-income communities. Our aim is to unlock the full potential of our companies to ensure they are making a real, lasting difference in the lives of low-income people.
Our companies deliver critical products and services that enable low-income people to transform their lives. While the standard approach to impact measurement is to gather metrics on numbers of people reached, we measure the social benefits our customers experience from what our companies offer. We speak directly to customers to understand what matters to them because our success is defined by the meaningful change we create in the lives of the poor.
Working closely with our companies, we collect and analyze data to help them understand and, ultimately, improve their business to better serve low-income communities. Our aim is to unlock the full potential of our companies to ensure they are making a real, lasting difference in the lives of low-income people.
We are TRANSFORMING HOW COMPANIES AND ORGANIZATIONS COLLECT AND UNDERSTAND IMPACT WITH LEAN DATA
Lean Data Library
The Lean Data Field Guide
Learn how to conduct your own Lean Data projects to gather customer data and build more impactful businesses.
Innovations in Impact Measurement
Acumen and Root Capital provide lessons on using mobile technology to collect high-quality impact data.
The Power of Lean Data
An introduction to Lean Data, showing it’s possible to gather high-quality impact data quickly and inexpensively.
Series and Blogs
Energy Impact Series
A new collection of research on the impact of solar access featuring lean data customer insights. This series features lessons from new research on the social impact of off-grid energy access in emerging markets.
Lean Data: The “how” of measuring impact at lower cost for higher value
We ask the impact enterprises we invest in “What data can we help you collect?,” in this article in Impact Alpha.
Energy Impact Report
Our Energy Impact Report uses Lean Data to take a comprehensive look at the impact of our 10 years of investing in off-grid energy.