Helping Non-Profit Organizations Understand The Value of Their Work Copyright Postrain Consulting Services 2009

 Identify good performance  To understand problems  Spot trends  Judge success  Prove change has happened Copyright Postrain Consulting Services 2009

 Who will want this information? Copyright Postrain Consulting Services 2009

 Concrete Statements of Change  Objective  Client/Customer/Patient Focused  Measured over a realistic time frame  Attainable for your organization Copyright Postrain Consulting Services 2009

 Validity and Reliability  Does it measure what needs to be measured and is it consistent?  Clarity  Not too technical or complex  Relevancy and Controllability  Provides information needed to make a decision about how well the program works  Accuracy and Sensitivity  No biases or exclusivity  Practicality  Does not add significantly to the cost of the project Copyright Postrain Consulting Services 2009

 This will take more work and resources  Our program is hard to measure  This will require us to intrude in Clients’ lives  The numbers will become more important than people  We do not have the skills to do this  What if our results look bad?  This is just another passing management fad Copyright Postrain Consulting Services 2009

 Attitudinal change  Personal change  Skills levels  Learning process  Status change  Increased access  Collaboration Copyright Postrain Consulting Services 2009

Inputs Resources used by program Activities Verbs of the program Outputs Counts of activities Outcomes Measure of client change Copyright Postrain Consulting Services 2009

Inputs Money Staff Facilities Volunteers Materials Equipment Activities Training Tutoring Mentoring Counseling Organizing Outputs Number of Participants Frequency of Activities Hours of Activities Regional expansion Copyright Postrain Consulting Services 2009

 Program trains and empowers community volunteers  Program staff teach financial management skills to low income families  Experience provides leadership development opportunities  Conference disseminates information  Program teaches parents the value of reading to their children  Course teaches seniors to use the internet  Volunteers have knowledge and skill to work with at-risk youth  Low Income families are better able to manage their resources  Participants learn new leadership and communications skills  Participants know current research and information to make good decisions  Parents more likely to read to children  Seniors use internet to gain access to information and socialization Copyright Postrain Consulting Services 2009

 Initial Outcomes  Results of Outputs  Early Benefits  Often Where Measuring Stops  Intermediate Outcomes  Link Between Early and Long Term  Long Term Outcomes  Ultimate Goals  Creates Permanent Change  Can Influence Environment Copyright Postrain Consulting Services 2009

 Needs Assessment to understand the problem  Use a work team  Consider what will be different at the end of the project/program  Choose indicators that show a difference  Collect data carefully and continuously  Review results regularly and make improvements along the way Copyright Postrain Consulting Services 2009