The cycle
Three steps, repeated: measure where you are, improve one thing, benchmark the change. The discipline is in only changing one thing at a time, so you can attribute the result.
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Metrics
Measure–improve–benchmark framework
A clear, repeatable cycle for testing the impact of accessibility and security initiatives. Turns vague good intentions into measurable outcomes — linking inclusion metrics directly to risk reduction and performance improvement.
Who it's for
Programme leads who need to prove their work changed something — and need to do it on a cadence the business will pay attention to.
When to use it
At the start of any new initiative. Don't wait until the end and try to reverse-engineer the impact story.
What gets measured
- Baseline metrics before any change.
- The single intervention you made.
- Metrics after the change has had time to embed.
- External benchmarks where they exist — or your own historic data where they don't.
Why most programmes skip this
Because it's slow, and because measuring properly sometimes shows your initiative didn't work. Both of those are features, not bugs.
In practice
How to run it
- 1
Pick one initiative. Define what success looks like in numbers, before you start.
- 2
Measure the baseline. Don't skip this — most teams do.
- 3
Run the change. Resist the urge to bundle in five other things.
- 4
Re-measure. Publish the result honestly, including when it didn't move.
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