704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There

1. 704: Conducting Business in Fiscally Challenging Times: Strategies and Tools to Get There PCYA Leadership Academy Presentation March 28, 2012

2. Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to: • Explore models and tools to identify core services; • Identify how data supports prioritization of services; and • Establish criteria for altering or eliminating services.

3. Agenda • Welcome and Introductions • Identifying Core Services • Defining Core Services • Using Quantitative Data to Support Assessment Assessing Core Services • Monitoring Continuous Improvement • Influencing Change • Summary and Evaluations

4. Defining Core Services Examples: • Services required by regulation or law to be provided. • Services designed to get us to our primary outcomes moving from our vision to desired outcomes. • Services expected by our community partners and stakeholders. • Services committed explicitly in our strategy to achieve our goals (for example, lessen disproportionate outcomes).

5. Standards for Core Services: Examples: • We have the resources to make the service effective. • We have the staff capacity (knowledge) to make them effective. • Feedback and data tell us they are effective. • The services are not duplicative in our community (we should be the provider).

6. Characteristics of Qualitative Research • Intentionally subjective • Encourages discovery • Explanatory • Relationship based • Contextual Using Qualitative Data in Program Evaluation: Telling the Story of a Prevention Program” from the FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (2009).

7. Process for Qualitative Assessment • Operationally define the programs goals and objectives, expected outputs, and outcomes with team involvement/input. • Identify who has the information needed to fully assess the program (staff at all levels, community partners, those who use the service, funders…) • Develop questions that will facilitate relevant information gathering from those with the knowledge.

8. Process for Qualitative Assessment (continued) • Develop a process and protocol for gathering the information and implement the process. • Gather supportive data and complete observations. • Develop findings in the form of strengths and gaps. • Review and test findings with the team. • Opportunity for initial determination to keep, seek to improve, or cut the program.

9. Steps to Improving the Program • Prioritize gap areas and complete “root cause analysis” by asking “why” until general remedies become clear. • Develop program improvement plan based on root causes for gaps, not superficial observations. • Monitor improvements in terms of impact on program improvement.

10. Monitoring Techniques • Implementation Reviews - measures accomplishments vs. plan milestones and commitments. • Impact Reviews - measures actual vs. expected impact on organizational capacity and client outcomes. • “Lessons Learned” Reviews - addresses new and emerging questions and findings; drive further innovations.

11. THANK YOU! Questions? Comments? Jon.rubin@aphsa.org 215-718-7301