Looking at your program data Leading for Impact

What you’re trying to learn Existing program data can show how well a program is implemented and producing your desired outcomes What you’re trying to learn Sample metrics How many clients is my program reaching? # of clients enrolled Do some of our clients face barriers to or higher risks of succeeding? # of clients demonstrating all of target risk factors How many clients are receiving the full, intended extent of my program? # of clients completing program What is common about clients who do not complete the program? demographics/traits/behavior of clients not meeting targets Are clients seeing a difference with my program? # of clients who achieved intended outcome How many clients find the program useful and engaging? average client tenure in # of months (or minutes, years, etc.) Do certain programs lead to better outcomes? # of services or program aspects each client utilizes

Your organization might already have access to more useful program data than you think… Enrollment or exit forms Did you collect any information about clients when they first joined your program, or decided to leave your program? These might contain useful demographic and outcome-related information on your clients. Attendance records Do your staff keep track of how many clients show up at sessions, or how many sessions each client attends? These can be useful in assessing how effectively you are reaching your clients. Program guidelines and staff forms Are there certain guidelines you provide staff members who implement your program? Do staff record progress or notes about program sessions? This can give you a better idea of the actual delivery of your programs. Meeting notes and board updates Do you have notes or summaries of meetings or sessions, with information related to your programs and clients? You might find useful anecdotal information that your organization gathered informally in the past. External baseline/outcome data How can you tell that your clients have seen a change due to your program? Is there easily accessible data related to the baseline and intended outcomes of your typical client? You can compare your program results to external data to gauge your relative and absolute performance …and if not, you can always conduct interviews and surveys to collect relevant information about your programs and clients.