Results-Based Accountability - Contract Model

Transcription

1 Results-Based Accountability - Contract Model In today's world the work of many funders is to achieve measurable community impact on a set number of community goals (population results). Therefore, the funding process should be designed to select and fund those programs/strategies that have the best chance of achieving measurable outcomes in support of identified population results. The process should be designed to effectively respond to community needs and not primarily to address agency needs. Results-Based Accountability can provide the framework to help funders focus their funding and their grantees to measure the results of their work. The following guidelines are recommended to simplify the funding process and more effectively align resources to achieve greater impact. Population Results/Results Based Accountability Implement the Results Based Accountability framework to assist funders to identify the population results they are working to address and the corresponding indicators to track and measure the funder's impact and the partners and strategies necessary to create the required change. (See Attachment 1 for an overview of RBA) Rather than identifying individual numerical goals and time frames for each focus area, (i.e. By % of students will achieve reading proficiency as demonstrated by 3 rd grade standardized tests ) the organization should consider adopting the RBA model of turning the curve. Identifying key indicator(s) for each population results tracking its progress over-time. Funding Accountability/Results Based Accountability Performance Measures To ensure greater accountability and results, agency/program accountability should focus primarily on performance measure accountability. Agencies should be afforded the maximum flexibility to utilize funds to achieve results. The focus should be on performance measures/client results (How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anyone better off?) and not on how the agency expended a funders funds. At the same time, overall financial accountability should be maintained, through the annual review of agency Performance Accountability 1. How much did we do? 2. How well did we do it? 3. Is anyone better off? audits, management letters and 990s to ensure adequate financial controls and financial capacity to deliver the required services.

2 Funders should consider working with their grantees to adopt a set of Performance Measures. The new Performance Measures should be developed in consultation with their funders utilizing the RBA Performance Accountability Questions and the Performance Measurement Matrix. Once the Performance Measures for each Service area are developed the funder should negotiate each agency s Performance Measures as part of its annual Agency Agreement. (See Attachemnt 2 for a sample Contract addendum.) Agencies should be required to submit their performance measure results to the funder quarterly, preferably through an online system.

3 Attachment 1 - Results Based Accountability Overview Results Based Accountability (RBA), developed by Mark Friedman, is a framework that allows funders to strategically focus its work on substantial community issues and, at the same time, build a culture of measurement and shared accountability. RBA identifies population results and the corresponding measures (indicators) required to track its achievement, as well as the operational measures to track and improve the performance of programs and agencies. RBA introduces the concept of turning the curve to drive long-term action, by focusing on improving the trend of an indicator over time, not be setting arbitrary numerical goals. Turning the curve recognizes that to create measurable change requires a variety of strategies beyond the delivery of services. Strategies must include place-based resident action, media engagement, and public policy changes to create sustainable long-term change. The RBA framework also helps funders by engaging residents as partners, advocates coproducers. Together they set community-wide strategies and share accountability. This shared population accountability becomes the catalyst for sustainable long-term change because together funders and their partners and residents systematically ask and answer the following questions. 1. What are the quality-of-life conditions (population results) we want for the children, adults and families who live in our community? 2. What would these conditions look like if we could see them? 3. How can we measure these conditions? 4. How are we doing on the most critical of these measures? 5. Who are the partners that have a role to play in doing better? 6. What strategies and activities do we think have the best chance of working, including no-cost and low-cost solutions? 7. What do we propose to do; what is our plan of action? The RBA framework allows funders to enhance their service delivery activities through the adoption of performance measures that more effectively track and improve program performance. These performance measures answer the following three questions: How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anyone better off?

4 Performance Accountability Questions for each of the strategies implemented to address its Population Result(s). Performance Accountability Questions 1. Who are our customers? 2. How can we measure if our customers are better off? 3. How can we measure if we are delivering services/care well? 4. How are we doing on the most important of these measures? 5. Who are the partners that have a role to play in doing better? 6. What works to do better, including no-cost and low cost ideas? 7. What do we propose to do? Results Based Accountability Definitions Results Based Accountability (RBA) a disciplined way of taking action that communities can use to improve the lives of children, youth, families, adults and communities. RBA can also be used by agencies and organizations to improve the performance of its programs. Turning the Curve changing (improving) the trend line on an identified Population Result by implementing a wide range of strategies including no-cost and low-cost options Population Results the focus of Results Based Accountability, a condition of well-being for children, adults, seniors, families and communities, stated in plain language. For example, the number of children entering school ready to learn based on third grade reading scores. Our work is focused on changing community conditions for entire populations rather than just the recipients of funded. Performance Measures measures of how well a strategy, program, agency or service system is working. The most important performance measure tells us whether program customers are better off. We refer to these as client results to distinguish them from population results. Results Based Accountability uses three types of performance measures: How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anybody better off? Indicator a measure that helps quantify the achievement of a result.

5 Attachment 2 Funded Program Performance Measures Organization Name Program Name Population Result Total Program Allocation Program Description Program Description How will this program strategy contribute to the Population Result for this area? What are the CHANGES IN or BENEFITS TO program participants? How do you measure whether you will achieve the projected performance? Performance Measures show how well a program, agency or service system is working. The most important performance measure tells us whether program customers are better off. We refer to these as client results to distinguish them from population results. Results Based Accountability uses three types of performance measures: How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anybody better off? How much did we do? Projected number of people served. Service to be Delivered Projected Number of Service Units Provided Definition of Service Unit

6 How well did we do it? Quality Performance Measure(s) Number Projected to Achieve Measure How Measured? Is anyone Better Off? Performance Measure(s) Number Projected to Achieve Measure How Measured? Agreed to: Agency Representative Signature: Date: Funder Representative Signature: Date: