1. Programs, Services & Measurement Working with Social Problems Encountered by Human Service Agencies Presentation Derived from Martin & Kettner’s Measuring the Performance of Human Service Programs, Sage, 1996

2. Historically Utilized Data Types Number of clients served Number of unduplicated clients served Amount of funds expended

3. Program Analysis Tasks Task 1: Determining how many human service programs an organization has Task 2: Specifying the social problem each human service program addresses Task 3 Identifying the assumptions each human service program makes about the social problem it addresses

4. What Are Human Service Programs Human service programs can be defined as a prearranged set of activities which specify the means to achieve a goal. In the public sector, a program is formulated in order to provide services which accomplish defined objectives

5. Determining the Number of Human Service Programs

6. Criteria Descriptive of Human Service Programs Addresses an identified social problem Represents a significant proportion of the total activity of an organization Has goals and objectives (explicit or implicit), and Has designated resources, including personnel

7. SEA Reporting & Human Service Programs Sea Reporting has formally adopted programs as the unit of analysis and requires that all performance measures data (both programmatic and financial) be reported by programs SEA reporting uses the “program” as the unit of analysis.

8. Specifying the Social Problem For governmental organizations or nonprofit or proprietary organizations receiving government funds, the social problem being addressed is typically defined in the –enabling legislation –regulations –committee reports –public hearing transcripts

9. Block Grants Block grants do not any particular social problem but involves funds directed to a “basket” of problems, giving states (governors) significant discretion in how these funds are spent.

10. Linkages Regardless of funding sources goals must be linked to social problems

11. Identifying Social Problems:

12. Drugs as a Social Problem: Example One Assumption: Lack of Education Program: Drug Education Program Output: Number of TV Ads Placed Quality Measure: Number of Requests for Additional Information Generated by Ads Outcome: Percentage Decrease Incidence in Number of Drug Abusers

13. Drugs as a Social Problem: Example Two Assumption: Mental &/or Emotional Problems Program: Counseling Program Output: Number of Drug Abusers Completing Treatment Quality Measure: Number of Drug Abusers Satisfied with Program& Who Think the Program Will Keep Them off Drugs Outcome: Number of Participants Remaining Drug Free