Getting started with the Common Framework

Before running calculations, explore the Practical Guidance section of the Common Framework (Part 4, page 22). This section provides conceptual guidance, practical instructions, tips, and anonymized examples. Reading the practical guidance helps you understand how diverse, context-specific metrics move through the aggregation steps without losing their original meaning.

Do not attempt to aggregate your entire portfolio on day one. Start with a small, representative sample, such as five portfolio organizations across a single reporting period.

Choosing a small sample keeps the initial testing clear and focused. For example, you might include a mix of diverse organizations (e.g. a community food bank, a renewable energy enterprise, an affordable housing provider, a youth employment program, and an Indigenous health clinic) to test how different bottom-up metrics fit together.

Use the free Excel trial template to walk through the five core steps. Keep in mind that this template is designed specifically for testing—it is not intended for multi-year data or very large portfolios.

The trial guides you through five sequential steps:

• Step 1: group metrics by theme — organize diverse, bottom-up metrics into shared outcome themes like food security or clean energy.
• Step 2: harmonize units — convert varied measurements into common units like people, time, and currency.
• Step 3: develop headline indicators — craft concise summary metrics that capture material outcomes.
• Step 4: aggregate and validate results — combine harmonized figures, run checks for internal consistency, and prevent double-counting.
• Step 5: document aggregation policies — record your conversion rules, assumptions, and boundary decisions in a living methodology log.

Once you’ve completed your trial, we recommend booking a session during Common Framework office hours  to discuss questions, review edge cases, and explore next steps with experts.

You can also review Common Approach’s collection of guides, helpful tools, and practical examples from other practitioners.

Now that you’re using the Common Framework, we want to hear from you! Share what worked, what proved challenging, and what additional guidance would be helpful.

Your real-world feedback helps Common Approach refine resources, build technical tools, and advance future versions of the Framework.