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

Historically Utilized Data Types

• Number of clients served

• Number of unduplicated clients served

• Amount of funds expended

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

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

Determining the Number of Human Service Programs

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

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.

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

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.

Linkages

Regardless of funding sources goals must be linked to social problems

Identifying Social Problems:

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

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