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Global Scripture Impact: Benchmarks of biblical conviction

Outcomes, Nov/Dec 2007, Vol. 31, No. 6

After championing the power of God's Word for more than 200 years, after funding 140 bible societies worldwide and funding 200 individual ministries last year, the American Bible Society turned to Peter Bradley and Robert Briggs. "Like a lot of ministries, ABS had a lot of donors who wanted to know if their gifts were making a difference. As one of their leaders said, 'We want to know if we're really as good as we think are.'"

With the help of Simon Barnes, the research horsepower of Geneva Global and some opportune start-up funding, a few test projects were launched—and Global Scripture Impact (GSI) was born.

"What ABS challenged us to, was to dig into an initial mission plan and research it to determine if it had a good chance to succeed. After establishing the benchmarks and defining the expected results, and after the project had been implemented, we would go back to see what happen. Did they come in within budget? Did they hit their goals?"

One recent such assessment examined work in Swaziland, Africa. The challenge was spelled out in GSI's project overview:

Swaziland has one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in the world, leaving orphans to fend for themselves and their siblings. Struggling with poverty, drought and food shortages, these children have little chance of living healthy, prosperous lives. Unable to read or write, many orphans may never hear the Gospel. BS (Bible Society of) Swaziland trained teachers to provide support for these children, and trained home-based caregivers to assist people with HIV. Young people joined clubs and committed to premarital sexual abstinence.

After the project concluded, GSI issued its assessment: The Bible Society of Swaziland achieved three of four project objectives, training more than twice the expected number of caregivers. Positive, though not total, victory:  "Fewer orphans than expected attended the neighborhood care-point centers due to the government enforcing abstinence. While the project exceeded the number of youth participating in abstinence clubs, fewer than expected youth signed abstinence pledges, even while practicing abstinence."

Says Bradley, "In general, donors are getting awfully tired of anecdotal testimonies. They want third party validation to see if the program is effective and if the results are measurable."  To that end, the Swaziland Impact Assessment includes four numerical "anticipated project results," a finance report of nine line items (both proposed and actual amounts) and a dashboard graphic showing that overall expectations were "achieved."