Output Performance Measures Presentation Derived from Martin & Kettner’s Measuring the Performance of Human Service Programs, Sage, 1996

What Are Performance Output Measures Broadly defined, output measures are anything that a system or human service program produces. Output measures capture information about the type and amount of outputs produced by a system

Types of Output Performance Measures Intermediate Outputs: products & services produced and consumed in production of final outputs (e.g. units of service) Final Outputs: The end products of human service programs (e.g. service completions)

Units of Service Defined A unit of service is a standardized measure used to determine and report how much service is provided by a human service program. I.E. it is a unit of service volume

Types of Units of Service Information & Referral: One contact or one referral (contact or episode) Home Delivered Meals: One meal, delivered, heated & served Counseling Services: One hour (50 min.)

Selecting a Unit of Service Step One: Convene a focus group broadly representative of the stakeholders involved in the human service program Step Two: Brainstorm different unit of service options (episode, contact, material; time)

Selecting a Unit of Service Step Three: Evaluate each option against the following 5 criteria –Utility: usefulness & relevance –Precision: accuracy –Feasibility: time & effort –Unit Cost Reporting: cost per unit of service –Consensus: agreement on service unit & implementation

Multiple Service Settings Adult Day Care Services1,000 days Service Components Transportation1,900 trips Meals900 meals Socialization & Rec.5,200 hours Health Screening200 screens

Final Output Measures

Service Completions Defined as one client completing treatment or receiving a full complement of services

Two Approaches to Developing Service Completions Standardized Approach: –When a minimum number of services are required for clients to complete services then –A service completion is one client completing one treatment

Two Approaches to Developing Service Completions The Case Approach Plan –When clients receive varied units of serviced depending on individualized needs, then –A service completion is on client completing a case plan

Service Completions & Client Outcomes Outcome performance measures should only be completed for clients who clients who compliment a full compliment of services. I.E. efforts should only be directed toward service completions.