1.
Real World Introduction
to
Outcomes Management
Massachusetts Nonprofit Network Conference
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Steve Backman, Database Designs
Ellen Bass, Capacity Institute
Prepared by Ellen Bass and Steven Backman. You may use and adapt this
under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

2.
Outcomes are Changes in
People’s Lives
 Initial outcomes
(direct result of program activities)
 new knowledge
 increased skills
 changed attitudes or values
 Intermediate outcomes
(significant milestone or graduation requirement)
 modified behavior
 Long-term outcomes
 improved condition
 altered status
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3.
Nonprofit Bottom Line
Our Their
Outcomes = Profit
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4.
Who’s In the Room?
Ellen, Steve…
and you!
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5.
Workshop Agenda
 Introductory (10 min)
 Define performance management (15 min)
 Role of mission statement in PM (10 min)
 Role of logic model in PM, criteria (15 min)
 Client data tracking systems (30 min)
 Your next steps (5 min)
 Total 85 min
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6.
Workshop Goals
 Understand elements of outcome
management system
 Understand your organization’s status
and next steps in building outcome
management system
 Help all of us contribute to centering
nonprofit work on improving participant
outcomes
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7.
Your Take-Aways Today
 Assessment of your agency’s PM system
 Assessment of your mission statement
 Know how to assess a logic model
 One piece of mission-critical measurable
outcomes data for your agency
 Assessment of your agency’s data system
 Your action steps to strengthen PM in your
agency
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8.
Four Assessments
 Benchmark Assessment Tool (PM)
 Mission Statement Assessment
 Logic Model Assessment
 Data System Tools
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9.
Nonprofit Performance
Management System
 Definition: What we do to ensure
improved effectiveness, or measurable
intermediate participant outcomes
 Four big questions:
 What participant outcomes are we aiming for?
 How well are we doing?
 With whom must we partner?
 How can we improve?
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10.
What Does an Effective
Nonprofit Agency Look Like?
 Improved participant outcomes
 Use outcomes data to drive decision-
making about programs, staff,
partnerships and resources
 Measure and analyze outcomes
 Use learning to guide next cycle of work
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Measurement 10

11.
What does a useful Mission
Statement look like?
 Tells why agency is in business;
definition of success
 Clear
 Concise
 Compelling
 Concrete
 Should describe target population and
outcome
 Example: “Beat Rome”
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12.
Role of Mission Statement in
Outcomes Management
 Focuses agency resources on priority
activities
 Guides staff to make strategic decisions
 Tells if we are successful or not
 How strong is your agency’s mission
statement?
 Take the Assessment for your agency
 5 min
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Measurement 12

13.
Benchmark Assessment Tool
 Purpose: help you build your
performance management system from
ground up
 17 effectiveness practices
 Pre- and post-test
 Goal: level 4 practice
 General or youth program
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14.
Benchmark Assessment Tool
 Pair up with a colleague
 Take the Assessment for your agency
 10 mins.
 Questions?
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15.
What is a Logic Model?
 One page conceptual map showing flow
of influence
 Shows how program helps participants
achieve outcomes
 Target population, inputs, activities,
outputs, outcomes
 Outcome measurement plan (separate)
to track only most important outcome
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Measurement 15

16.
Role of Logic Model in
Performance Management
 Identify specific target participant
 Clarify logical expected outcomes
progression
 Clarify program strategy necessary to help
participants reach outcomes
 Provide some indication that program
provides realistic dosage and duration to lead
to outcomes
 Help with program planning and/or
improvement
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Measurement 16

17.
Logic Model Criteria
1. Logical flow activities through outcomes?
2. Outcomes clearly benefits to participants?
3. Program accountable for initial &
intermediate outcomes?
4. Longest term outcomes meaningful,
influenced by program?
5. Appropriate stakeholders included?
6. Inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes are
clear, comprehensive, and detailed?
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Measurement 17

18.
Outcome Measurement Plan
 Select most important outcome to
measure
 Identify indicators to signal outcome
has been achieved
 Select/create measurement tool and
data collection process
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19.
Effective Client Tracking
Systems
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20.
What does an effective Client
Tracking System look like?
 Intake: Know your community
 Enroll: Demographics and cohort
 Manage: Logic Model activities
 Measure: Measure outcomes
 Analyze: Up and down the organization
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21.
Think in Cycles
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22.
Think Holistically
Community
Partners
Referral
Sources
Donors,
Funders
Leadership
, Board
Staff,
Volunteers
Referral
resources
Advocacy,
Media
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23.
What system do I have?
What do I need?
 Basic List Management (Excel, Google)
 Custom database (Access, Filemaker)
 Customizable off the shelf (Salesforce,
CiviCRM)
 General Human Services (ETO)
 Specialized Human Services (KidTrax)
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24.
Look for the Secret
Spreadsheets
Positives Negatives
Easy, Quick Flattens the data
Low Tech Hinders comparisons in
time
Self Managed Hinders holistic view
Adapt to change easily Lots of hand counting
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Measurement 24

25.
Client Tracking System
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Measurement 25
ParticipantParticipant
Enroll 1Enroll 1
ClassClass CaseCase
Program
A
SY13
Site 3
Stacey
Referral
10/1/13
Marie
Health Cntr
Health Careers
Oct-Nov 13
Peter
Roosevelt HS

26.
Participation Differences
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Measurement 26
ParticipantParticipant
Enroll 2Enroll 2
CourseCourse CaseCase
Program
A
SY13
Site 3
Stacey
Referral
10/1/13
Marie
Health Cntr
Health Careers
Oct-Nov 13
Peter
Roosevelt HS
ClassesClasses
Enroll 1Enroll 1
CourseCourse CaseCase
StepsStepsActivitiesActivities

27.
Where to record outcomes
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Measurement 27
ParticipantParticipant
Enroll 2Enroll 2
CourseCourse CaseCase
Program
A
SY13
Site 3
Stacey
Referral
10/1/13
Marie
Health Cntr
Health Careers
Oct-Nov 13
Peter
Roosevelt HS
ClassesClasses
Enroll 1Enroll 1
CourseCourse CaseCase
StepsStepsActivitiesActivities

28.
Outcomes And Processes
 Find measures that indicate outcomes
 “Successful Referral”
 Define processes behind the measures
 “Steps in making a Referral”
 Empower All Staff to monitor
 “My referrals over a week old
 Empower leadership
 “Which case types get stuck most often?”
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Measurement 28

29.
Steps to a New System
 Assess Needs
 Select Software
 Discovery/Planning
 Build/Configure
 Data Import
 Reporting and Analytics
 Train/Administer/Support
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Measurement 29

30.
Current System Assessment
 Pair up with a colleague
 Take the Assessment for your agency
 10 mins.
 Questions?
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Measurement 30

31.
Software Selection Tool
 Using the Worksheet
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32.
Ready to start planning?
 Imagine project leader
 Imagine planning team
 Imagine executive sponsorship
 Imagine board, development funding
 Imagine fitting to annual calendar
 Imagine a data manager
 Imagine when to go live
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33.
Your Next Steps to Advocate
for Outcomes Management
 Identify champions
 Draft a change statement
 Identify costs and benefits
 Develop a strategy to win key people to
your vision
 Invest in outside assistance, long term
 Keep your measurement plan simple
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Measurement 33

34.
Are You Ready for
Performance Management?
 Get ready: Read, learn, assess, plan
 Build your system:
 Identify funded peer cohort of organizations
(Capacity Institute, Bridgespan)
 Build agency system solo (David Hunter, FSG
Social Impact Consultants, Wellspring
Consulting)
 Performance contracts (Pay for Success
bonds)
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Measurement 34

35.
Useful books and reports
 Leap of Reason, Mario Morino
http://www.vppartners.org/leapofreason/getit
 Working Hard and Working Well, David E. K.
Hunter
http://www.vppartners.org/leapofreason/get-working-
hard-and-working-well
 Software for Program Evaluation, Idealware
http://idealware.org/reports/understanding-software-
program-evaluation?key=10035930
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Measurement 35

36.
About Us
Ellen Bass, ebass@bmaboston.org
Capacity Institute of the Black Ministerial
Alliance. bmaboston.org/node/4
Steve Backman, sbackman@dbdes.com
Database Designs, dbdes.com
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Real World Introduction to Outcomes
Measurement 36