The Common Approach was a collective vision brought to life by a grant and some great people. As the lead on that grant and the next, Kate anchors the team’s focus in a perseverant patience that understands the long and winding road of systems change.

Kate is a full-time faculty member at Carleton University. As an academic, Kate is mindful of what’s gone before and the need to situate the Common Approach in dialogue with other standard-setting and impact measurement initiatives. She is grateful that her academic role affords her the time to do just that.

Kate spends much time thinking about the power of standards—both to do good and harm. The Common Approach must be values-driven; not results-driven. She is thrilled by the incredible group of values-driven staff, directors and partners that have come together to help articulate a flexible impact measurement standard that is thoughtful about power and where it is held and how it is used.