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Outcomes, Accountability, and Funding: Key Redesign Themes

This article discusses the key themes of outcomes, accountability, and funding in redesigning social services. It explores the concept of accountability, the importance of information and resources, and the need for accountability mechanisms at all levels. The article also highlights the use of performance indicators for measuring processes and outcomes, and the benefits of flexible funding. It concludes with suggestions for enhancing accountability mechanisms and addressing performance issues.

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Outcomes, Accountability, and Funding: Key Redesign Themes

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  1. Outcomes, Accountability, and Funding: Key Redesign Themes Richard P. Barth Jordan Institute for Families School of Social Work University of North Carolina

  2. Accountability • What it is: • Answerability • Explainability • Responsibility “How do you account for what has occurred and what will you (or your organization) do to improve on it?” • What it isn’t: • Punishment-focused • “We’ll hold you accountable (by taking something away)”

  3. Keys to Accountability • INFORMATION ABOUT PROCESSES & OUTCOMES • RESOURCES • FISCAL STRUCTURES THAT SUPPORT IMPROVEMENT

  4. VOTERS Information and AccountabilityMechanisms are Needed at All Levels COUNTY • Line staff • Managers • Private Providers • Agency Directors • Boards of Supervisors • FEDERAL • ACYF • DHHS • Congress • STATE • DSS • Legislature CHILDREN & FAMILIES

  5. Measured Processes & Outcomes=“Performance Indicators” PerformanceIndicators Measured Outcomes Accountability Measured Processes

  6. Purposes of “Performance Indicators” • Information regarding performance to: • Service Deliverers (public and private agencies) • Service Funders (taxpayers, clients) • Service Recipients (parents, children, grandparents) • Basis for comparing service performance • Across settings/agencies • Across time • Provide feedback for improving services

  7. Developing and Using Performance Indicators is A Long-Process • Rallying point for action planning • Management tool regarding implementation of redesign • Information to identify needs for corrective action • Aid to improving performance and use of flexible funding Performance Improvements Fiscal Flexibility

  8. Standards for Performance Indicators • First and foremost, “Measure What You Manage” • Also measure: • Factors related to what you manage • Conditions that you want to see improved • CWS • Dual (CWS and Other Program in Agreement) • Community Partnerships • Measure the entire distribution (i.e., avoid notches) • Break into meaningful social and developmental groups

  9. Standards for Using Performance Indicators • Use rates, rather than counts • Multi-method data collection • Use a mixture of data collection methods (CWS administrative data, surveys, archival data) • Patterns vs. single indicators • Provide Information to all: • Service providers, clients, funders, other stakeholders

  10. Three Levels of Performance Indicators REFLECT • Community • Dual Partnership • CWS Efforts to Identify/Address Problems Joint Concern Specific Responsibilities of CWS

  11. From Performance Indicators to Flexible Funding • Greater accountability for performance will help justify NEW and more flexible funding $ $ $ $ $ $

  12. Possibilities to Provide More Efficient Services • Two prime areas of practice that could yield better practice at less cost • CPS “Investigations” • Out-of-home Care Costs

  13. WELCOME Standard Fiscal Strategies Often Protect Against Disaster • Placement:So that no child will be denied a placement that they need no matter how long they need it or what it costs per day. • CPS: So that no child should be denied a necessary investigation for abuse and neglect should they need one, no matter how often then need one

  14. Flexible Fiscal Strategies Must Also Support EXCELLENCE

  15. California Foster Care Caseload Dynamics

  16. Supporting Excellent Performanceand Addressing Poor Performance BEST: Los San Santa Worst: Santa Clausa

  17. Examples of Mechanisms of Support for Excellence(County Level) • Program Improvement with Peer Consultation • Fiscal Flexibility • Greater State Involvement and Local Oversight

  18. Maintaining “Safeguards” Against Poor Performance • Vigilantly contrasting current performance with prior performance and with performance of comparable counties • Obtaining performance information from non-child welfare agencies to be sure that poor child welfare performance is captured outside of the CWS • Having performance indicators in place • HAVING ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISMS IN PLACE

  19. Comprehensive Accountability Mechanisms Must Be Enhanced • CWS/CMS has capacity to analyze many accountability units, including performance of individual workers, supervisors, program managers, counties, and statewide CWS

  20. Next Steps • Clarify the top priority indicators and levels of accountability • Develop performance indicator partnerships with allied agencies • Clarify data collection needs • Develop long-term plan for providing information needed for accountability • Identify strategies for addressing high and low performance by accountable units

  21. Workshop Options MAY 16, 2002 ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA

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