Family Policy Program

Outcome Assessment

Overview

One of the significant achievements of the Family Policy Program during its first five years has been its contribution to Oregon's Benchmarks Initiative. Oregon has long been a leader in the use of social indicators as a kind of beacon guiding the bureaucratic ship of state- and community-level planners. Benchmarks help the state track its progress toward a broad range of social and economic goals. They also make agencies accountable for results.

What the benchmarks do not do is lay out specific intermediate steps along the road to a general goal. To address this need, the Oregon Commission on Children and Families (OCCF) developed and implemented a statewide accountability system in collaboration with the OSU Family Policy Program.

This system enables communities to implement and assess empirically sound prevention efforts addressing child abuse, teen pregnancy and parenting, juvenile crime, early childhood development, and other issues.

The OCCF accountability system builds on performance measurement and emphasizes results-based accountability. Using the Building Results model and guides, local commissions and programs identify the resources, activities and outputs, and outcomes that are appropriate for their local programs and initiatives.

Inputs - resources, such as money, in-kind, collaborators, staff, and volunteers
Activities and outputs - actions and products, such as the number and types of activities, services, and participants
Outcomes for participants - results, such as changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills, behaviors, or circumstances
Outcomes for communities - results or improvements such as greater collaboration, more resources, expanded volunteerism, and integration of services

Performance measurement is used to compare these planned inputs, activities and outcomes to actual activities and accomplishments. To facilitate performance measurement, the OCCF maintains a comprehensive, interactive database system links resources, activities, and results. County commission on children and families use this data system to record and link information about community planning and program implementation. Internal controls assure the accuracy of information entered into the database.

Local and state analysis of the database information informs future comprehensive planning and community implementation. Thus, future decision-making is grounded in the information about current efforts and successes.

Results Based Accountability

Goals are ambitious visions of our future. Goals established by the Oregon Commission on Children and Families are:

Strong Nurturing Families
Healthy Thriving Children
Positive Youth Development
Caring Communities

These four goals are interrelated. As shown in the model below, caring communities provide the foundation for strong families, thriving children, and positive youth.

Oregon Benchmarks are state and local population level indicators of where we are relative to our goals. Examples of key Oregon benchmarks are state and county rates of:

Family poverty
Readiness for school at age 5
Child maltreatment
Teen pregnancy
Juvenile crime

Outcomes are results for participants in programs or initiatives. Effective outcomes are clearly linked to Oregon's goals and benchmarks. Outcomes may include improved knowledge, skills, circumstances, or behaviors. Examples of outcomes include:

Parent knowledge of health risks for young children
Reduction in family risk factors for child maltreatment
Effective refusal skills and life skills among youth

Accountability for Results: From Goals to Measurable Outcomes

Resources for Results Based Accountability

As the foundation for this system, the OSU Family Policy Program faculty identified the empirical links between Oregon's social goals and benchmarks, achievable program-level outcomes, and proven prevention approaches. This research was summarized in two guides entitled:

Building Results I: From Wellness Goals to Positive Outcomes for Oregon's Children, Youth and Families
Building Results II: Measuring Outcomes for Oregon's Children, Youth, and Families (includes 350-page appendix of measures).
Building Results Through Community Mobilization: From Wellness Goals to Community Outcomes for Oregon's Children, Youth, and Families

Using the guides, communities mesh research findings with local needs and resources and select locally appropriate strategies and outcomes. Communities also use the guides to institute results-based accountability efforts.


	Limit results to this site.		Health and Human Sciences » Human Development and Family Sciences » Family Policy Program » Outcome Assessment. Outcome Assessment Overview One of the significant achievements of the Family Policy Program during its first five years has been its contribution to Oregon's Benchmarks Initiative. Oregon has long been a leader in the use of social indicators as a kind of beacon guiding the bureaucratic ship of state- and community-level planners. Benchmarks help the state track its progress toward a broad range of social and economic goals. They also make agencies accountable for results. What the benchmarks do not do is lay out specific intermediate steps along the road to a general goal. To address this need, the Oregon Commission on Children and Families (OCCF) developed and implemented a statewide accountability system in collaboration with the OSU Family Policy Program. This system enables communities to implement and assess empirically sound prevention efforts addressing child abuse, teen pregnancy and parenting, juvenile crime, early childhood development, and other issues. The OCCF accountability system builds on performance measurement and emphasizes results-based accountability. Using the Building Results model and guides, local commissions and programs identify the resources, activities and outputs, and outcomes that are appropriate for their local programs and initiatives. Inputs - resources, such as money, in-kind, collaborators, staff, and volunteers Activities and outputs - actions and products, such as the number and types of activities, services, and participants Outcomes for participants - results, such as changes in knowledge, attitudes, skills, behaviors, or circumstances Outcomes for communities - results or improvements such as greater collaboration, more resources, expanded volunteerism, and integration of services Performance measurement is used to compare these planned inputs, activities and outcomes to actual activities and accomplishments. To facilitate performance measurement, the OCCF maintains a comprehensive, interactive database system links resources, activities, and results. County commission on children and families use this data system to record and link information about community planning and program implementation. Internal controls assure the accuracy of information entered into the database. Local and state analysis of the database information informs future comprehensive planning and community implementation. Thus, future decision-making is grounded in the information about current efforts and successes. Results Based Accountability Goals are ambitious visions of our future. Goals established by the Oregon Commission on Children and Families are: Strong Nurturing Families Healthy Thriving Children Positive Youth Development Caring Communities These four goals are interrelated. As shown in the model below, caring communities provide the foundation for strong families, thriving children, and positive youth. Oregon Benchmarks are state and local population level indicators of where we are relative to our goals. Examples of key Oregon benchmarks are state and county rates of: Family poverty Readiness for school at age 5 Child maltreatment Teen pregnancy Juvenile crime Outcomes are results for participants in programs or initiatives. Effective outcomes are clearly linked to Oregon's goals and benchmarks. Outcomes may include improved knowledge, skills, circumstances, or behaviors. Examples of outcomes include: Parent knowledge of health risks for young children Reduction in family risk factors for child maltreatment Effective refusal skills and life skills among youth Accountability for Results: From Goals to Measurable Outcomes Resources for Results Based Accountability As the foundation for this system, the OSU Family Policy Program faculty identified the empirical links between Oregon's social goals and benchmarks, achievable program-level outcomes, and proven prevention approaches. This research was summarized in two guides entitled: Building Results I: From Wellness Goals to Positive Outcomes for Oregon's Children, Youth and Families Building Results II: Measuring Outcomes for Oregon's Children, Youth, and Families (includes 350-page appendix of measures). Building Results Through Community Mobilization: From Wellness Goals to Community Outcomes for Oregon's Children, Youth, and Families Using the guides, communities mesh research findings with local needs and resources and select locally appropriate strategies and outcomes. Communities also use the guides to institute results-based accountability efforts.