Title: Outcomes Measurement in Service Enriched Housing: What it is, Why it Matters,
1Outcomes Measurement in Service Enriched
HousingWhat it is, Why it Matters, How to do
it
- Joelle K. Greene, Ph.D.
- Director of Community Assessment Program
Evaluation - National Community Renaissance
2Background
- Primary functions for social services are
- Community needs assessments
- Best practices research
- Evaluation
- Separation of evaluation function and service
delivery - Report to the VP of Operations, under the CAO
3What is Outcomes Measurement?
- Evaluating the effects of an intervention or
program on the stakeholders it was intended to
effect
4Outputs versus Outcomes
- Outputs
- Units of service
- Number of contacts
- Number of contact hours
- Number of participants
- Number of programs offered
- Number of referrals
- Outcomes
- Effects of service
- Increase in graduation rates
- Decreased evictions
- Increased wages
- Move-out to home ownership
- Reduced feelings of loneliness
5Data can be used to
- Demonstrate the impact a program has on a valued
outcome or progress toward a benchmark - Increase in student grades after participation in
an after school program - Make decisions about the way a program is
implemented - Is an 81 staff ratio as effective as a 51
ratio? - Document implementation of program elements
- How many times a month were financial literacy
classes offered?
6Why it matters
- Quality assurance
- Demonstrate program effectiveness
- Secure sustainable funding
- Increasingly mandated by funders
7Our model
- We have or will develop evaluation systems for
three core initiatives - Child Development
- Youth Development
- Senior Health Wellness
- Programs under each initiative are formulated
based on best practices - Programs formally articulate their theory of
change (logic model)
8What about collaborations?
- We require collaborative partners to participate
in our evaluation systems
9Are we crazy?
What motivates our partners to participate?
- We provide technical assistance
- Build their organizational capacity
- Creates new opportunities to pursue joint funding
- Share the data
10When choosing an affordable housing partner ask
- Do they evaluate the impact of their social
programs on residents? - On what basis are social programs selected to be
offered? - Do the social programs offered align with a
formal theory of change?
11When choosing an affordable housing partner ask
- Does the organization track outputs and outcomes?
- Are the tools used to measure outcomes
scientifically reliable and valid? - What percent of program budget is dedicated to
evaluation?
12DIY Evaluation
- Partnership with local university
- Hire an evaluation firm
- Bring capacity in-house
13Thank you!
Joelle Greene, Director Community Assessment
Program Evaluation National CORE 9065 Haven
Avenue, Suite 100 Rancho Cucamonga, CA
91730 jgreene_at_NationalCORE.org