Results Based Accountability

Are we really making a difference?

www.resultsaccountability.com

The RBA Framework Aims to

Define the results we are seeking… in our community, for the clients served, for our organization

Determine indicators for success – How would you know if the result was achieved?

Identify what works – Best practices, promising practices – and prioritize them

Identify all those who could potentially play a role in contributing to results – Who are our partners?

Move from talk to action

The RBA Framework also…

Moves “doing good things” to “doing effective things”

Allows you to clearly communicate the need and the progress being made

Creates a table for everyone to contribute

Guides investment… of time, energy and money

And did we mention…. Move from talk to action

Seven Steps of

Results Based Accountability

One: IDENTIFY THE RESULT

RESULT or OUTCOME or GOAL A condition of well being for a population

(children, families, neighborhoods)

What result to you want to achieve?

What should be different for the population served?

WHO IS THE RESULT TARGETED AT?

Performance Accountability

vs

Population Accountability

Results Accountability is made up of two parts:

Performance Accountability

about the well-being of

CLIENT POPULATIONS

For Programs – Agencies – and Service Systems

Population Accountability

about the well-being of

WHOLE POPULATIONS

For Communities – Cities – Counties – States - Nations

Two: IDENTIFY THE TARGET POPULATION

Who is the population that will be impacted?

Who do you want to achieve this result for?

Three: HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?

If the result is achieved, what will be different?

What will you see in your community?

What won’t you see any more?

Four: HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE IT?

What key Indicators would change?

What do those key Indicators look like now (what is the trend line)?

What is the story behind the data?

Indicator or Benchmark

A measure that helps quantify how you are doing on the RESULT

(graduation rate, obesity rate, unemployment rate)

The Matter of Baselines

Baselines have two parts: history and forecast

H

M

L

History Forecast

Turning the Curve Point to Point

OK?

Definitions

POPULATION MEASURE

A measure of well being for a community

Example: Number of people returning to incarceration

PERFORMANCE MEASURE

A measure of how well a program, agency, or service is working

Example: Number/Percent of returning offenders who find and retain employment

Relationship Between Performance

Measures and Indicators for Whole

Population

Classroom

% of

students

reading at

grade level

School All Schools

in District

All students in community

Criteria for

Choosing Indicators as Primary vs. Secondary Measures

Communication Power

Proxy Power

Data Power

Does the indicator communicate to a broad range of audiences?

Does the indicator say something of central importance about the result?

Does the indicator bring along the data HERD?

Quality data available on a timely basis.

Five: WHO ARE THE PARTNERS

Who else cares about this issue?

Who else benefits from achieving the result?

What is their role in achieving the result?

Are there non-traditional partners?

Are they willing to move from Talk to Action?

Six: WHAT WORKS

What does the research say?

Are there Effective Best Practices?

Are there Promising Practices?

What are some low cost/no cost strategies?

What do we know about what contributes to the RESULT?

What factors push line down?

What factors push line up?

Seven: MOVING TO ACTION

What are you going to do?

Are the actions aligned?

Do they leverage each other?

Do they contribute to the target population

being “better off”?

How Population

& Performance Accountability

FIT TOGETHER

Contribution

relationship

Alignment

of measures

Appropriate

responsibility

THE LINKAGE Between POPULATION and PERFORMANCE

POPULATION ACCOUNTABILITY

Healthy Births

Rate of low birth-weight babies

Children Ready for School

Percent fully ready per K-entry assessment

Self-sufficient Families

Percent of parents earning a living wage

CUSTOMER

RESULTS

# persons

receiving

training

Unit cost

per person

trained

# who get

living wage jobs

% who get

living wage jobs

PERFORMANCE ACCOUNTABILITY

POPULATION

RESULTS

Job Training Program

Every time

you look at

your data,

use a

two-part

approach

Result: to which you contribute to most directly.

Indicators:

Story:

Partners:

What would it take?:

Your Role: as part of a larger strategy.

Population Accountability

Program:

Performance measures:

Story:

Partners:

Action plan to get better:

Performance Accountability

Your Role

Definitions

Three Guiding Questions for Performance Measures

How much are we doing?

How well are we doing it?

Is anyone better off?

How much

did we do?

Program Performance Measures

How well

did we do it?

Is anyone

better off?

Quantity Quality

Eff

ect

Eff

ort

# %

How much did we do?

Not All Performance Measures Are Created Equal

How well did we do it?

Is anyone better off?

Least Important

Quantity Quality

Eff

ect

Eff

ort

Most Important

Least

Most

Also

Very Important

How much did we do?

The Matter of Control

How well did we do it?

Is anyone better off?

Quantity Quality

Eff

ect

Eff

ort

Least Control

PARTNERSHIPS

Most Control

Present

Location Destination

Means to

get from

here to there

RBA – the Journey Analogy

Results

Indicators

Baselines

Story behind

the baselines

Status Quo

Measurable

improvement in

quality of life for

children, adults,

families and

communities

Partnerships

What works

No-cost / low-

cost

Charts on the wall

Action Plans

Turning the Curve

Turned Curves

Performance

measures

Clear language

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TOOLS

Proposal Based Decision Making – This is a

collaborative process – there is no hierarchy

Make a Proposal

Add to or propose new

Show Thumbs

Build Support

Thumbs Up!

Commit to Action

I propose that…

Do you want to add to or make a new one?

Where are you on the proposal? Up, Down, Sideways

What will bring your thumb up?

Proposal accepted!

Who will do what when?

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TOOLS

Aligned Contributions– Actions are complementary and

leverage each other

High Action, Low Alignment • Working actively but independently • Not building relationships • Often acting on their own agenda

High Action, High Alignment • Strong relationships • Collaborative decisions • Being accountable

Low Action, Low Alignment • Observing what is going on but not

engaging • Sitting on the fence • Not connecting with others

Low Action, High Alignment • Joins and has relationships • Does not use the relationships to

contribute to the result • Not in action to implement

strategies

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TOOLS

Action Commitment Form– Documented

commitments to ensure action

Action(s) And steps needed to fully implement

With Whom Who will partner with you?

When When will the action be completed?

Contribution to the Result How does it contribute to making a measurable difference?

Progress To be completed at the following session

Questions??

Lena Hackett, MPH

Community Solutions, Inc

www.communitysolutionsinc.net

lena@communitysolutionsinc.net

317.423.1770