Impact Strategist & Systems Designer

Seda
Ölmez Çakar

Most organisations measure impact.
Few use it to make better decisions.

I work with corporations, corporate foundations and international organisations to design impact systems, restructure underperforming programmes, and turn evidence into strategic decisions — not just reports. I also work with ecosystem builders, impact ventures and investors — bringing 20 years of innovation and technology experience to where it meets impact.

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Seda Ölmez Çakar
SVI Level 3 Advanced Practitioner
SVI Accredited Trainer & Assessor
UNDP SDG Impact Standards Trainer
SVI Standards Committee Member
Capitals Coalition — Türkiye sole member
Founder, Octa Impact
About

I design systems.
Not just projects.

Organisations invest in programmes, initiatives and social commitments — and then struggle to know whether any of it worked, or why. The problem is rarely the intent. It's the architecture.

"Impact is not what you do. It's what changes — and whether you can prove it mattered."

I connect three domains that organisations usually keep separate: programme and system design, impact measurement and valuation, and strategic decision-making. The result: impact that is not just reportable, but genuinely usable — by boards, investors and leadership teams.

Before impact, there were 17 years of building the things now being measured — designing innovation programmes, accelerators and entrepreneurship ecosystems at national scale. That experience — knowing how these systems actually work from the inside — is what makes the difference.

Over 20 years across public institutions, innovation ecosystems, civil society and EU programmes — from national policy design to field-level implementation. Since 2022, working independently through Octa Impact with corporations, foundations and international organisations in Türkiye and Europe.

What I do
  • Impact systems that inform decisions — not just reports
  • Programme architectures that create real change for people
  • Evidence translated into choices leadership can act on
  • Innovation ecosystem design — from accelerators to national programmes
  • Impact measurement for ventures and investors — ToC, SROI, portfolio valuation
  • Multi-capital thinking — valuing what accounting misses
  • Ethical evaluation in restricted civic space
Accreditations
  • SVI Level 3 Advanced Practitioner
  • SVI Accredited Trainer & Assessor
  • UNDP SDG Impact Standards Trainer
  • SVI Standards Committee Member
  • Capitals Coalition — Türkiye sole member
Who

The right fit

Corporations & Holdings
Large companies with social commitments that need to become credible
ESG strategies, sustainability reports, social investment portfolios — built to satisfy decision-makers, not just auditors.
"We invest millions in social programmes. Our board doesn't know if any of it works."
Corporate Foundations & NGOs
Foundations and civil society organisations running programmes that need to generate real evidence
Programme design, impact frameworks, SROI — turning good intentions into systems that learn, improve and prove their value.
"We've been running this programme for years. We still can't explain what it changes."
Public Institutions & Development Agencies
Ministries, development agencies and public bodies that need evidence-based programme design
Policy-to-practice programme architecture, governance frameworks and evaluation systems — designed for accountability, learning and measurable public value.
"We have the mandate and the budget. We need someone who can turn policy into a programme that works."
International Organisations & EU Programmes
EU programmes, development funds and multilateral organisations requiring independent, credible impact expertise
Impact pathway design, results frameworks, sustainability assessment and cross-country evaluation — with methodological rigour and field experience in politically complex environments.
"We need an independent expert who understands both the theory and the field."
Ecosystem Builders
Organisations designing innovation programmes, accelerators and impact-first ecosystems
Programme architecture, governance design, impact frameworks — built by someone who has managed accelerators and technoparks from the inside, and knows what actually works.
"We're building an accelerator. We need someone who understands both the ecosystem and the evidence."
Impact Ventures & Investors
Impact startups and investors who need credible, decision-ready impact evidence
Theory of Change, impact measurement systems, SROI and portfolio-level valuation — built for investment decisions, not just reporting. I speak both the innovation and the impact language.
"We need to demonstrate impact to investors — rigorously, not just narratively."
How

Three ways to engage

Available for strategic advisory, project-based work and extended team roles — in Türkiye and internationally. I work in English, Turkish and German.

01
Strategic Advisory
For leadership teams and boards making high-stakes decisions about social investment, impact strategy or programme transformation. Long-term, retainer-based. Confidential. This is where I do my most consequential work.
Retainer Leadership Strategy
02
System & Programme Design
Designing impact systems from scratch — or restructuring what isn't working. Programme architecture, Theory of Change, SROI analysis, MEL frameworks. Built for decisions, not just compliance.
SROI ToC Architecture
03
Independent Expert
For EU-funded consortia, international programmes and impact investment portfolios requiring independent, credible impact expertise. I bring methodological rigour and field experience in politically complex environments.
EU UNDP Independent

Training, capacity building and MEL advisory services are delivered through Octa Impact.

Frontier

Frontier work

Impact Valuation
Impact intelligence for investors
Beyond ESG scores — rigorous valuation of social and environmental returns for impact investors, family offices and development finance.
Capitals Coalition
Multi-capital thinking for business
Natural capital, social capital, human capital — measuring what financial accounting misses. Türkiye's sole Capitals Coalition member.
Nature Positive
Biodiversity & TNFD frameworks
As TNFD reporting grows, organisations need credible nature-related impact frameworks — not just carbon. An emerging area of active exploration.
SVI Standards
Global standards, local application
As SVI Standards Committee Member, I contribute to the governance of global impact measurement standards — and help organisations apply them in practice.
Systems Transformation
Measuring change at the system level
Beyond project outputs — understanding how investments contribute to systemic change. For large foundations and development institutions thinking long.
Care Economy
Measuring what markets ignore
Wellbeing, care, unpaid work — increasingly important for social investors and policy makers who need evidence beyond GDP.
Women in Transition
Career transitions, economic empowerment and leadership pathways for women
Measuring what changes in lives — not just programme outputs. Rigorous impact frameworks for women's empowerment, entrepreneurship and economic inclusion programmes.

The field is moving. If any of these intersect with your work — I'm interested in the conversation.

Projects

Selected work

EU · Integration Mapping what a multi-city EU programme actually achieves for refugees and host communities (Enhancer — ICMPD) Referenced by UNHCR.
SROI · Agriculture Rebuilding livelihoods through regenerative agriculture — and proving the value (PepsiCo Lays / Anadolu Meraları) Earthquake-affected farmers.
SROI · Foundation Understanding what a fellowship programme really changes — and for whom (GİRVAK) Full SROI + measurement package.
SROI · Corporate Measuring the real value of a corporate social programme — beyond outputs (EtkiYap) SROI report.
Evaluation · Climate Assessing whether a community climate programme actually shifts behaviour (TTGV — Climate Lab) Programme evaluation.
Impact Supervision Building internal capacity to measure and use impact evidence (İnci Vakfı — Hasat Hibe) Supervision & team mentoring.
MEL · Civil Society Building measurement systems that civil society organisations can actually use (BAKKA-Paydaş · CİSST · KEÇİ) MEL advisory + ToC.
Cooperative · Youth Supporting democratic ownership and solidarity economy models for youth-led cooperatives (Genç İşi Kooperatif · Yaren) ToC + capacity building.

Download my CV

Full professional background, project portfolio and accreditations. Updated 2026.

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Contact

Let's talk

I work with a small number of organisations at any one time — which means I can go deep. If you're thinking about impact strategy, programme design or a complex evaluation, I'm happy to have an initial conversation.

Emailseda@octaimpact.com LinkedInseda-olmez-cakar Companyoctaimpact.com
LocationAnkara, Türkiye