Community Evaluation Terminology Series 21 of 60:

Term: SQUIRM-CP

Introduction:

The SQUIRM method is an amusingly named and highly effective way of measuring the value of a community based projects and platforms within organisations. 

Called SQUIRM as when asked to show value of investment in knowledge management projects caused many KM practitioners to squirm.

The term SQUIRM itself has been taken to represent one of two acronyms;

• Simple Questions for User Investment Return Measurement;
• Swarbrick Qualitative User Investment Return Measures (named after the originator of the SQUIRM series of similar qualitative KM measures).

SQUIRM for Communities of Practice, often referred to, as SQUIRM-CP is short set of simple questions that have been used effectively in large number of evaluations of online and offline community based initiatives.

Description:

SQUIRM for Communities of Practice, often referred to as SQUIRM-CP is short set of simple questions that have been validated by use in a number of successful evaluation of the value of community based knowledge management and organisational change initiatives within both public and private sector organisations.

While applying the measures is done differently within different organisations the same core questions are always used.

Unlike many other similar qualitative methods these questions are asked to both the members and sponsors of the target community.

• What was the community meant to achieve and what problem has it solved?
• How much would you pay out of your own pocket to have set the community up and running?
• What would you expect for your money?

Then more member specific questions

• How much time each week does the community save you when looking for information? (Information flow)
• What new things can you do know that you would not have been able to do without the community being there? (Capability enhancement)
• If you where headhunted would the community be a factor that influenced you to stay? (Employee Retention)

(Swarbrick & Spoof; 2002) 

Example Applications of The Method:

The method has been applied in a wide variety of ways reflecting the strength in the simplicity of the questions. Graham & Stone 2003 illustrate an example where the questions where used to create a collective story of the CoP formation and transformative effect on a large pharmaceutical company in Northern France. 

An example of how PuB communiciation applied the method to the evaluation of its new intra organisational marketing community can be found on their website (http://www.pubcommunication.com/casestudy267-CP ) .

For further information on applying the method email SQUIRMInfo@andyswarbrick.com, with the phrase � Info Request� in the subject header to receive a download link to the latest packs of case studies and guidance on how to apply the method provided free of charge (as OpenSource material).

References:

Graham, G & Stone, S. 2003 Telling Lies  About Community . Unpublished http://www.stone2far.c.uk )