Including exclusive video recordings of workshop sessions with the author

We all measure progress toward our individual goals every day, whether we recognize it or not. This book provides a proven process for incorporating measuring into collective action for social change. Measuring has the potential to unlock paths to shared purpose; to motivate learning and continuous improvement in the face of change and complexity. Measurement is powerful when it provides focus and clarity with respect to what is necessary for systemic change in relation to specific outcomes. Unfortunately, misguided and extractive measurement processes have too often hamstrung, rather than enabled meaningful social change. This is a book about the power of a values-based, systems-oriented, contextually derived, participatory measurement process to drive changes in social systems that result in measurable changes in behavior. It is based on over 25 years of experience developing, facilitating, and implementing You Get What You Measure (YGWYM), a unique approach trademarked by Yellow Wood Associates. YGWYM has been used by federal, state and local governments, non-profit organizations, environmental groups, citizen groups, businesses, foundations and their grant recipients, and others to think strategically and create and implement action plans that incorporate measures from the start. YGWYM brings people with differing perspective into alignment regarding priority actions based on a systems analysis of current conditions in relation to shared goals. It creates feedback loops for information required to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions on appropriate time scales without wasting time and resources on premature testing.

‘Too often, decisions with societal impact are made without enough information and unintended consequences result. Ratner provides the clear path forward with how measuring for social change is not only possible but provides powerful clarity for moving forward. Bravo, and long needed!’
Rhonda Phillips, Ph.D., FAICP, President, Chatham University

‘This is a very important book. “What we measure is what we do” is an important guide for social change. Shanna Ratner presents an approach to measuring that can involve entire communities in setting up and implementing measurement plans to determine if actions are meeting the goals of community improvement. The book is readable with examples that can serve as inspiration and ways of developing measurement plans that are doable on a local level and can be shared and discussed communitywide. As a community development practitioner, Shanna Ratner shares her experiences applying You Get What You Measure in a variety of contexts. Indicators of progress must be developed in context to be locally meaningful and motivating, which involves local data gathering as a critical part of the social change process.’
Cornelia Butler Flora, Distinguished Professor of Sociology Emerita, Iowa State University and Research Professor, Kansas State University

'The greatest shift in any age, the greatest disruption, comes in changing the way we think, opening ourselves up to different ways of seeing, of understanding. Shanna Ratner's Progress You Can See is a guide for that essential change in mindset. Practical, clear, inspired, read this book, and reimagine the power of what's possible in your community in the 21st century.'
Peter Smith, Executive & Creative Director, Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity

'Shanna's work here is much more than a resource full of evaluation tools- it's a multi-dimensional and deeply impactful framework for learning how to measure whatever it is that matters to your work. This guide has helped me learn new ways of describing what I've always felt to be important in my work but struggled to put into words, it has shown me new tools to better capture the overall impact of Kitchen Sync Strategies' work, and it has helped me envision a future where our Measurement and evaluation processes can capture the complexities of truly transformative systems change work.'
Elliott Smith, CEO, Kitchen Sync Strategies

'As we strive to develop a more inclusive society and decision-making processes, Ratner's book provides a practical approach to measuring our learning and progress.'
Al Lauzon, Professor - Capacity Development & Extension, University of Guelph

'Shanna Ratner has written a fascinating and important book—a must read for those who are committed to social change. Filled with practical examples and experiences, the book provides a compelling case for the importance of measuring progress towards social change goals and the need for a values-based, participatory, and systems-oriented approach to measurement that enables continuous learning and improvement.'
Yogesh Ghore, St. Francis Xavier University

'In general, implementing a Strengths Based Approach requires belief in the approach, the courage to challenge traditional ways of thinking and working, as well as consistency in applying the approach over time. This book has inspired me to continue building a better positive future everywhere.'
Dani Wahyu Munggoro, Inspirasi Tanpa Batas (INSPIRIT), Indonesia

Shanna E. Ratner

Shanna Ratner is an established author; Principal and Founder of Yellow Wood Associates Inc.; Member of the Aspen Institute’s Learning Cluster on Rural Community Capacity Building; Member of the first class of Donella Meadows Fellows in Systems Thinking; and a Mel King Fellow class of 2012-2013 at MIT.