Community Services Outcomes Tree
By Centre for Social Impact, Swinburne University of Technology
18 Feb 2026
The Community Services Outcomes Tree is a shared framework that helps community organisations describe and measure the outcomes of their work. It provides clear language and structure so services can show how their activities lead to meaningful change for individuals, families and communities.
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The Community Services Outcomes Tree is a practical framework designed to help organisations in the community services sector clearly define and measure outcomes. It was developed to create shared language and consistency across services, making it easier to describe what changes happen because of their work.
The framework organises outcomes into clear areas and levels, helping organisations link their daily activities to short-term, medium-term, and long-term results. This helps services move beyond counting outputs, such as the number of people supported, and instead focus on the real changes experienced by individuals and communities.
The Outcomes Tree supports better planning, clearer reporting, and stronger evaluation. It also allows organisations to compare and align outcomes across different programs and services. By using a shared structure, organisations can strengthen collaboration and communicate impact more clearly to funders, partners, and communities.
Overall, the Community Services Outcomes Tree provides a simple but structured way to understand and demonstrate how community services contribute to lasting positive change.
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