Performance Measures

AmeriCorps Performance Measures – Why? This is how you tell your story – your “elevator” speech: “My members do this ” Inspired by the Serve America Act: show that meaningful change has occurred Must do this to be able to aggregate results that will demonstrate national impact (for Congress) Most national measures are outputs, or numbers – you still need to describe your outcomes!

National Performance Measures: Background National measures help our funder describe AmeriCorps programs to Congress and allow reporting of the numbers of people served or things accomplished in a given service category. This data is important because CNCS can report to Congress and stakeholders numbers/facts that represent collective outputs and overall impact of AmeriCorps. Programs can develop more measures than the national measures as needed to show outcomes.

National Measures may not be enough for you to demonstrate local impact Outputs are counts of the amount of service that members or volunteers have completed, but do not provide information on benefits to or other changes in the lives of beneficiaries. [How much did you do?] Intermediate-outcomes specify changes that have occurred in the lives of beneficiaries. [What changed?]

Performance Measures: Best to use the Logic Model process Think back to the original need for program Know the difference your program is designed to make (outputs/numbers and outcomes/changes) Make sure you can measure change and results – these are OUTCOMES that tell funders their money is well spent National measures inform your funder at the national level, and you will also want to be able to produce data to show local impact!

Be able to think through the LOGIC MODEL - sample Inputs: AmeriCorps members & students Activities: Identify students to tutor during school day Outputs: Number of students tutored per week Outcomes (short term or Intermediate): students increase reading skills by 40% Outcomes (longer term): students meet or exceed grade average reading standards Outcomes (long-term or End): Students graduate from high school on time with diploma (and have a better quality of life although this may not be measurable)

Community Need InputsActivitiesOutputs Intermediate Outcomes End Outcomes In our community, we have identified the following unmet need: In order to carry out our set of activities, we will need the following: In order to address our need, we will carry out the following activities: We expect that once carried out, these activities will produce the following evidence or service delivery: We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following intermediate changes: We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following end changes: Be able to think through the LOGIC MODEL - sample

Group Activity!

Community Need InputsActivitiesOutputs Intermediate Outcomes End Outcomes In our community, we have identified the following unmet need: In order to carry out our set of activities, we will need the following: In order to address our need, we will carry out the following activities: We expect that once carried out, these activities will produce the following evidence or service delivery: We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following intermediate changes: We expect that if carried out, these activities will lead to the following end changes: See Needs and Activities, Briefly describe the need to be addressed. Not applicable (You do not need to include inputs with the performance measures.) See Needs and Activities, Briefly describe how you will achieve this result See Result: Output, Result Statement See Result: Intermediate Outcome, Result Statement See Result: End Outcome, Result Statement

RESOURCES Search for AmeriCorps Performance Measures and national performance measures by using the search feature at:

YOU CAN ALSO USE THE “P M BUILDER” – Let’s try it!