What can outcomes based planning and evaluation do for you? Elizabeth Kryder-Reid, Director, Museum Studies, IUPUI and Principal Investigator, Shaping Outcomes

Objectives today You will understand the basic principles and goals of outcomes based planning and evaluation (OBPE) You learn about Shaping Outcomes, a new on- line resource to learn OBPE concepts and skills You will have the opportunity to try out project or program ideas for an OBPE logic model

audience needs What might OBPE do for you? Start with audience needs Share an idea for a project that is designed to meet audience needs. – It can be one that you’re working on or might develop. HINT: Needs may be conditions, wants, or deficits, or other gaps between skills, knowledge …. 1) that audiences have and those they want, or 2) that program planners want for audiences and the current situation.

What is outcomes based planning and evaluation (OBPE)? “Not how many worms the bird feeds its young, but how well the fledgling flies” United Way of America, 2002

What is outcomes based planning and evaluation (OBPE)? Outcome-based planning uses audience needs and desired results as the foundation for designing programs. Outcome-based evaluation is a systematic way to assess the extent to which a program has achieved its intended results. OBPE focuses on the key questions:  “How has my program made a difference?”  “How are the lives of the program participants better as a result of my program?”

OBPE: Why do we care? Changes focus from HOW to get it done to WHY we do it Gets whole team to focus on what the audience will think, feel and do and what it will be the result – the audience needs drive the planning process Makes us accountable to our audience and our stakeholders (funders, board, community) Helps us document and demonstrate results

What is an outcome?  A target audience’s changed or improved  Skills  Attitudes  Knowledge,  Behaviors,  Status, or  Life condition

What is an outcome?  Outcomes are a result of the influence of your program

Example of OBPE First the need – kids exhibit a lack of tolerance for others from different backgrounds The solution – a program that uses first person accounts to teach historical stories of racial discrimination and to generate discussions about prejudice and to promote tolerance Outcome statements (see handout) – – Kids completing the program demonstrate increased knowledge of other cultural traditions – Kids completing the program report increased positive attitudes about children from other cultural traditions

What might OBPE do for you? Recalling your original project idea – what would it look like if the audience needs were met? Write an outcomes statement. HINTS: Start your outcome statement with the target audience itself as the subject of the sentence. Check to be sure the outcome is stated as a change in skills, attitudes, knowledge, behaviors, status, or life condition. Is the outcome stated in a way that is measurable?

Bringing it all together: logic models Logic models can be represented in a graphic or a table format One way to align needs, program activities, and outcomes along with the ways to know if you’ve achieved the results you wanted is to create a logic model.

I. Situation: program partners and stakeholders What is the program’s name? What partners are involved? Who are the program’s stakeholders? What do they want to know? II. Program planning: connecting needs, solutions, and results Who are the audiences? What are the needs of the audience? What are some audience considerations? What is the solution to the needs? What will be the desired results? III. Logic model summary: program purpose statement We do what? For whom? For what outcome/ benefit(s)? Logic Model Template

IV. Program elements Inputs ActivitiesActivities Outputs ServicesServices Outputs

V. Outcomes Outcome 1: Indicator(s)Data SourceApplied toData Interval Target Outcome 2: Indicator(s)Data SourceApplied toData Interval Target Outcome 3: Indicator(s)Data SourceApplied toData Interval Target

There’s a new on-line course in OBPE: Want to learn more about OBPE?

What is ? An on-line instructor mediated course in outcomes based planning and evaluation Curriculum in 5 modules developed cooperatively by IUPUI and IMLS A professional training resource for the museum and library fields Now being tested nationally with its public launch planned for Spring 2008

What if I took ? You would…. Sign up by contacting With a cohort of other participants working remotely, go through five modules at your own pace (takes about 5-10 hours). Most sessions are are offered over 5-6 weeks periods. Work individually or in a group Participate in group forums and discussions, as well as do assignments, if the instructor chooses Develop a logic model for your own project with on-going feedback from the instructor.

What are the outcomes of ? Those who complete the course will know basic vocabulary and concepts of OBPE. Those who complete the course will have the skills and knowledge to write a logic model based on OBPE.

How can I learn more? See public site: Preview the course at Contact us at: (317)

Q&A What do I still want to know?