6.6 Family and Youth Program Measurement Simplified
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The document is a presentation by Iain De Jong from the National Alliance to End Homelessness focused on the importance of data in homelessness services. It outlines key concepts, definitions, and offers strategies for improving program effectiveness and meeting funder expectations through good data practices. The presentation also emphasizes the need for a culture that prioritizes data and provides solutions for common problems encountered in data collection and analysis.
6.6 Family and Youth Program Measurement Simplified
- 1. National Alliance to End Homelessness Los Angeles, CA February 2012 Presented by Iain De Jong
- 2. To Get Started • If you want a copy of the presentation, send an email. • At some point presentations will be on the NAEH website – www.naeh.org - as well as oodles of other cool resources. • The OrgCode website - www.orgcode.com - will also contain the presentation and other information you may find useful and/or interesting.
- 4. Overview a) About the Presenter b) Why Do We Need Good Data? c) You’re Better At This Than You Thought d) Key Concepts and Definitions e) How It All Works Together f) Case Study g) Funder Expectations h) Creating a Data Loving Culture i) Common Problems j) Q and A
- 5. About Iain De Jong • President & CEO, OrgCode Consulting Inc. • Performance measurement, standards and quality assurance program development for $750 Million housing, shelter and homeless program service system • Developed and provided leadership to North America’s largest integrated ICM Housing First program • Reduced street homelessness in North America’s fifth largest city by 50% in three years using a data driven approach • Worked with non-profits, academics, funders, elected officials and government in more than 100 jurisdictions
- 6. About Iain De Jong • Examples of current projects: – Optimizing data and performance, especially for HEARTH – Speaking series on ending homelessness – 10 Year Plan Evaluations – Service User Surveys & Counts – Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool – Municipal Housing Strategies – Housing First, Rapid Re-housing and Intensive Case Management Training • Recipient of 16 national and international awards and accolades in housing and homelessness for innovation, quality assurance, leadership and policy • Part-time faculty member in Graduate Planning Programme at York University
- 7. Math & The Human Services Professional • I know what you’re thinking – Pick a number between 1 and 25 – Double it – Add 12 – Divide by 2 – Subtract the original number – And the answer is… • I know how you feel
- 9. Good Data: Understanding What You’re Doing “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data.” Arthur Conan Doyle
- 10. Good Data • The plural of “anecdote” is not data. • If you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. • “Some” is not a number, “soon” is not a time. • A sample size of “one” is unlikely to be indicative of the population as a whole and is several data points short of a trend. • That which we think and that which we know can be two totally different things.
- 11. Good Data • Demonstrate prudent use of funding. • Make program improvements. • Meet client needs. • Ensure delivery of service relative to mandate. • Inform hiring and staffing decisions.
- 12. Good Data Keeping the Interest of the Client at the Heart of the Matter Quality of Life Changes As A Result Advocate for of Service System Change # of Different Clients Served What Happened As A Prioritize Who Gets Result of Your Served Using Which Service? Services System Gaps Unmet Service Needs # of Clients Basic Served > 1 Time Demographics
- 13. The “Funnel” of Homeless Services
- 14. Until you spread your wings you’ll have no idea how far you can walk.
- 15. “ To build a better world, we need to replace the patchwork of lucky breaks and arbitrary advantages that today determine success with a society that provides opportunities to all.
- 16. Good Data: 5 Good Reasons To Collect It & Use It 1. To understand whether current activities are working to achieve intended results. 2. To drive program improvement and share information on effective practices with others. 3. To ensure a common understanding among all partners, staff, and clients of what you intend to achieve and how you intend to do it. 4. To communicate and advocate for community support, public interest, combating NIMBY, leveraging funding. 5. To accomplish your goals. What gets measured, gets done.
- 17. How Many?...How Much? ™ Not so Really Bad bad A statistical measure of Badness
- 18. - Someone (or seven) has come in late - If they sat near you, tell them how they can get the presentation PAUSE
- 19. You’re better at this than you thought!
- 21. Learning to ask the right questions. I want to live in a world where a chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
- 22. Find x X 3” 6”
- 23. Find x Found it! X 3” 6”
- 24. Key Definitions & Core Concepts “It depends on what your definition of ‘is’ is.” - Bill Clinton
- 25. Inputs Inputs include resources dedicated to, or consumed by, the program: money, staff and staff time, volunteers and volunteer time, facilities, equipment, and supplies.
- 26. Activities Activities are what the program does with the inputs to fulfill its mission, such as providing shelter, managing housing subsidies, or providing case management.
- 27. Outputs Outputs are the direct products of program activities. Outputs are usually presented in terms of the volume of work accomplished: the number of participants served, the percentage of participants who received rent subsidies and the average subsidy value, or the frequency and intensity of service engagements each participant received. Outputs document what you delivered, so you can exactly replicate or adjust your approach in the future.
- 28. Outcomes Outcomes are benefits or changes among clients during or after participating in program activities. Outcomes may relate to change in client knowledge, attitudes, values, skills, behaviors, conditions, or other attributes. You can quantify a program’s outcomes by methodically mapping and describing its results.
- 29. Let’s Make & Bake a Cake! • What resources (inputs) do we need? • What do we need to do (activities) with those inputs? • What do those activities result in (outputs)? • What is the benefit (outcomes) of those outputs?
- 30. Outputs and Outcomes: Common Confusion OUTPUTS… OUTCOMES… • Focused on what the client and/or • Focused on what the client will program will do to achieve the outcome. gain from that program. • Quantified in terms of the frequency • Quantified in terms of the client- and intensity of the activity from the level impact with clear targets client’s perspective. and methods. • Specific to the activity described • Specific and attributable to for the program. (a result of) that program. • Feasible. • Meaningful. • Attainable. • Attainable. • Understandable to someone outside of • Understandable to someone the program. outside of the program.
- 31. Creating a Data Typology • Remember what you learned in 9th Grade Science • Categorize your data based upon such things as funding source, type of program, type of service, characteristics of client served (singles, families, veterans, substance users, consumer survivors), who offers the service, etc.
- 32. Creating a Data Typology • Don’t lose sight of the client in the typology! • The six types of people you serve will always be the same: 1. Someone’s father 2. Someone’s mother 3. Someone’s brother 4. Someone’s sister 5. Someone’s son 6. Someone’s daughter
- 33. Logic Models • Used to organize inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes for a project or program. • Clearly state the problem/need and a service to address that problem/need. • Should make the road map clear – not purposely obfuscate. • May provide indication of how evaluated, other measures to be considered, and/or timeline.
- 34. Project Logic Model Agency Name: Problem Statement: Service: Input Activity Output Outcome Measurement Timeline Tool A project logic model may look like this…
- 35. Program Logic Model Agency Name: Problem Statement: Program: Service Input Activity Output Outcome Measurement Timeline Tool A program logic model may look like this…
- 36. Interactive Case Study It’s All About You…
- 37. Your Reality • One volunteer raise your hand! • Congratulations – you now get to pick someone else at random! • Let’s walk through the inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes of a service you are doing or thinking about doing together.
- 38. Your Reality: Everyone This Time! • Think of a service you provide or are thinking of providing • Jot down what you believe the inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes would be • Chat with the person on either side of you
- 40. Important Steps to Remember Before you Even Start Analyzing Data 1. Don’t force data to “say” something it doesn’t. 2. Keep it simple. 3. Know your limits. 4. Don’t be an idiot. 5. Repeat steps 1 through 4.
- 41. Start with a Baseline • Baseline data is the basic information gathered before a program starts. • Baseline data is used later to provide a comparison of whether the program is having an impact. • Clear goals and objectives for a program make it easier to determine baseline data. • There are two types of baseline data: – Determinate – clearly indicated by the goals and objectives of the program. – Indeterminate – useful for understanding context, though not directly related to goals and objectives.
- 42. Turkeys & Mutual Funds – What Both Have to Tell Us About Community Responses to Homelessness
- 43. 43
- 44. What the Turkey Story Tells Us
- 45. Set Clear Targets & Milestones in Advance • Target is the future reference point to aim your goal towards. • While some will set a target as an aspiration, it is better to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timed. • Milestone is a pre-determined or major project event, such as the first cohort through a program, the end of a funding year, 100th graduate, etc.
- 46. Create a Data Analysis Plan at the Beginning • Look at how you are doing compared to your baseline at predetermined times — quarterly, annually, etc. • Look at how you are doing relative to your targets at predetermined — monthly, annually, etc. • Look at how you are doing each time a milestone is reached.
- 47. Make Data Analysis Happen Effectively • Do it when you say you will do it. • Present your findings in different ways – visually, written, numerically, etc. • Avoid common mistakes: incomplete data set; averaging averages; using words like “sample” or “significant” in the wrong way; etc • Don’t ignore the data if it tells you something you didn’t want to see/know.
- 48. "The only man I know who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measurements anew each time he sees me. The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to fit them.” - George Bernard Shaw www.worldandi.com
- 49. Another Way of Thinking About How to Simplify Data
- 50. A Vision to End Homelessness
- 51. Thinking Like a System While Meeting Funder Expectations And if you are a funder – how to be a nicer, gentler and more organized requester of data…
- 53. HEARTH: Key Indicators • HEARTH identifies the following indicators to be used by HUD: – Length of time homeless – Recidivism (subsequent return to homelessness) – Access/coverage (thoroughness in reaching persons who are homeless) – Overall reduction in number of persons who experience homelessness – Job and income growth for persons who are homeless – Reduction in first time homeless – Other accomplishments related to reducing homelessness – Prevention/independent living for families with children and youth defined as homeless under other federal programs
- 54. Thinking & Acting Like a System • A comprehensive, integrated set of program offerings; not a collection of projects. • Expectations of services. • Strategic direction for each service area. • Invest in change; spend on impact. • Performance management.
- 55. Four Strategic Areas of Investment
- 56. Thinking in Sectors of Service
- 57. Performance Management • Multi-dimensional framework for improvement, not backward looking accounting. • An interest and capacity in working to organize a system as a whole: – Coach for success – Multiple voices – Performance measurement – Enhance service excellence – Be clear to service users what they can expect
- 58. The Science of Feedback Loops
- 65. Meeting Funder Expectations • Meet core requirements of funding approval. • Ensure data collection is in place at the time the program is started – not after! • Don’t be afraid to collect data to meet your own needs too!
- 66. And if you are a Funder… • Have a longitudinal perspective even if the funding is for a shorter number of years at a time. • Be consistent. • Create business practices that ensure data collection is accurate and comparable. • No retroactive requests! • Respect that the landscape of community partners is already stressful…
- 67. Under Pressure: Stress Landscape of Community Partners
- 68. Some Data Requests Are Outside Your Control • Lift your right leg. • Turn your leg clockwise. • Extend your right index finger. • In the air, draw the number six. • What happened to your leg? • Now force your leg to go back to the original clockwise direction.
- 69. Creating a Data Loving Culture Helping you, your staff and peers find their inner nerd and love it.
- 70. Align Metrics to Vision
- 71. Creating a Data Loving Culture • Ask for input – what do others think is important to track. • Be consistent in what you want and how you want it. • Follow change management practices and realize the six stages of change apply to data behavior too! • Create time in the work day for data entry as part of the “real” work. • Use data to report back in staff meetings, newsletters, community meetings, press releases, fundraisers, etc.
- 72. Creating a Data Loving Culture • Set realistic targets and incentivize! • Simplify the message. • Track only what you need to track to know if the mission is being accomplished. • Systematic review as easy as 1, 2, 3! • Use adult learning strategies to make your data “real” to all of your audiences. • Avoid junk science and distracters.
- 73. Use it or Lose it: Actions Speak Loudly • Homelessness has never been ended in a committee. • Homelessness has never been ended by a data analyst.
- 74. If you aren’t the lead dog, the view is always the same.
- 75. Common Problems And how to fix them.
- 76. Problem Solution • Difference between • Output is what will be done. Outcome is output and outcome what will be gained – the result. • Overshooting on targets • Examine targets on a regular cycle. Revise at start of funding cycle. • Lag in data entry • Ensure time is set aside every day for timely data entry • Staff resistance • Fire them. • Kidding. • Try the ideas for a data loving culture.
- 77. Problem Solution • Just meeting funder • Focus on your own needs and needs becoming reflective practitioners. • Complex data system/ • Consider moving to a friendly HMIS platform. Build in time for training. • Different approaches • Establish an agency standard. across multiple program Appoint someone to create areas in one agency common process. • Slap them. • Multiple funders with • Kidding. different requirements • Try to find commonality in outputs and alter logic model to best capture other areas.
- 78. Problem Solution • Confusing logic model • Keep it simple. Consider starting at a service level and working up to a program level. • Design your data process, data • Brainiacs mucking collection and data analysis such around that a PhD is not required. • When choosing an approach make • Want to analyze the sure you can export data for other data in different ways analysis.
- 79. Problem Solution • Can’t tell if making a • Don’t collect data for data sake. difference Ensure what you collect tells you if you are getting results. • A gazillion pieces of • KISS. data • Collect only what you need to know if you are achieving results. • Build consistency throughout your • Fruits and vegetables agency and entire CoC. Consider a data committee. • Forgot the good stuff • Email me. You can have from the presentation the whole thing.
- 80. Questions
- 81. Thank you twitter.com/orgcode @orgcode