designing effective action for change · output results. outcome results. assessment. how do you...

PROGRAM ALIGNMENTMaking sure the

services you provide will lead to the

change you want to see!

Learning Objectives

1. The definition and importance of “program alignment”

2. How to accurately identify and quantify the community problem you are tackling

3. How to make sure your resources and services address the need or problem you have defined

4. Understanding program performance (outputs & outcomes)

5. What “theories of change” and “logic models” are and how they can help you address the need or problem you have defined

1. What is Program Alignment?

The process of ensuring that ALL aspects of your program – resources, services (interventions) – address the specific community needs you have

identified and will result in the outcomes you want to achieve.

Why is Program Alignment Important?

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Community Problem or

NeedWhat’s wrong?

Services (Intervention)How will you fix the problem?

ResourcesWhat resources are available to

help you address the problem?

Performance Measures(Results)

What actually happened?

Output Results

Outcome Results

AssessmentHow do you

know what you achieved?

Assessment of Outputs

Assessment of Outcomes

2. Identifying the Community

Problem or Need

Identify the Community Problem or Need

The gap between “what we say we want” and “what we see we have”

Community Problem or Need

What’s wrong?

Quantify the Nature or Scope of

“The Gap”

Use data to quantify:

The nature of the gap – who or what is affected?

The scope of the gap – how severe, longstanding, or pervasive is the problem?

Causes: Why the problem exists?

Not just a “gut feeling”

Not just the lack of services you are providing


What’s wrong?

Need: Get Specific!

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Data: the number of elementary students who scored below grade level on curriculum-based tests or state assessments of reading proficiency

General Need Statement: Too many children in the area do not read well

Specific Need Statement: 45% of low-income 3rdgraders at Riverton Elementary read below grade level, as indicated by performance on standardized reading tests


What’s wrong?

3. Providing Services and Utilizing Resources to

Address a Community Need

How to make sure your resources and services address the need or problem.

Identify the Resources Available to Address the Need or Problem

What resources can you tap into?

• Staff, AmeriCorps Members

• Materials (curricula or instructional materials)

• Equipment or supplies (technology, computers, etc.)

• Professional development (training and coaching)

• Community partners for service or referrals


NeedWhat’s wrong?

ResourcesWhat resources are available to


Your Planned Services (Your Intervention)

Activities designed to solve the problem and produce the intended outcome

The “action link” between your objectives and your results


NeedWhat’s wrong?


ResourcesWhat

resources are available to


Design, Select, or ReviewYour Planned Services

(Your Intervention)

Services should address defined needs and be likely to help you achieve your objectives.

How do you know your intervention will be effective?

How do you know it will work with your proposed target population?


NeedWhat’s wrong?

Services (Intervention)How will you

fix the problem?

ResourcesWhat



Define Your Services (Your Intervention)

Given your resources, what will your intervention look like?

Who will you serve?

What will the frequency, intensity and duration of your services be?


fix the problem?

ResourcesWhat

resources are available to help you address the problem?


NeedWhat’s wrong?

Service/Intervention Example

Provide tutoring to 30 low-income 3rd grade students who scored below proficiency levels on state standardized tests last spring.

Provided by trained AmeriCorps members Occurs one-on-one or in small groups of three

to five students One hour 2x/week for nine months Focused on five “building blocks” of literacy

skills Includes integrated reading, writing, and

verbal communication activities


4. UnderstandingProgram Performance

(Outputs & Outcomes)

Using outputs and outcomes to determine program performance

How will you know if and when you’ve achieved your objectives?

Provided the level of service you projected?

Made the change you intended to make?

Assessment: Monitoring Progress toward Output and Outcome Objectives


fix the problem?

AssessmentHow do you know what

you achieved?

ResourcesWhat



Performance Measures/Results


fix the problem?

Performance Measures(Results)

What actually happened?

AssessmentHow do you know what

you achieved?


NeedWhat’s wrong?

o Assessment helps determine whether or not you’ve achieved your objectives (did you get the results you intended?).

o These output and outcome results are also called “Performance Measures”.

Get Specific!

Output

Vague: Provide tutoring to students who need it

Specific: Provide tutoring to 30 low-income students identified as below grade level

Outcome

Vague: Improve reading proficiency for students

Specific: Among students served, at least 80% will meet or exceed 3rd- grade proficiency benchmarks

Examples of Output

# of Students Tutored

# of Adults who Received Job Training

# of Veterans Engaged in Community

Service

# of Acres of Land to be Restored

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Examples of Outcome

Attitude/Belief

Knowledge or Skill

Behavior Condition

80% of students who participate in afterschool programming will indicate they are more interested in school

75% of students who receive tutoring in math will have achieved grade-level proficiency in algebra by the end of their 8th grade year

25 additional students each quarter will attend school every day

At least 70% of the 100 acres to be restored will be replanted with rapid-growth saplings.

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5. Putting it All Together

The Theory of Change and the Logic Model

The Theory of Change andthe Logic Model

Theory of Change:

An idea about how and why a set of activities will lead to a desired change in a given context or situation.

Logic Model:

The roadmap that illustrates your Theory of Change and shows how your services (intervention) will create the change you are looking to see.

Everyday Life Example

Theory of Change: Patient has a strep throat (problem) Patient wants to get rid of the strep as quickly

as possible (outcome objective)

Doctor gives patient antibiotics (service or intervention)

Patient has another strep test (assessment) Patient’s strep is gone (outcome result)

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Logic Model:


Need:Strep throat identified by

strep test

Services (Intervention)Provide a ten-day course of

antibiotics, 500 mg, 2x/day

ResourcesAccess to a

doctorAvailability of

antibiotics

Performance Measures/

Results

Output Results:

One patient treated

Outcome Results:

Strep eliminated

Project Resources Core Project Components

Evidence of Project

Implementation and Participation

Evidence of Change

INPUTS ACTIVITIES OUTPUTS OUTCOMES

Short-Term Medium-Term Long-Term

What we invest(# and type of AmeriCorps members)

What we doDirect productsfrom program

activities

Changes in knowledge,

skills attitudes, opinions

Changes in behavior that

result from participants’

new knowledge

Meaningful changes,

often conditions or status in life

Logic Model for CNCS(Specific to CNCS Grant Applications)

How to Read a CNCS-Style Logic Model

Review of Learning Objectives

1. The definition and importance of “program alignment”

2. How to accurately identify and quantify the community problem you are tackling

3. How to make sure your resources and services address the need or problem you have defined

4. How to measure program performance using “outputs” and “outcomes”

5. What “theories of change” and “logic models” are and how they can help you address the need or problem you have defined

Summary of Key Points

Program Alignment

Community Problem or need

Objectives: Output and Outcome

Services (Interventions)

Output and Outcome

Theory of Change

Logic Model

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Reflection Questions

What data exist to document the extent or severity of this problem in your community?

Why does the problem exist?

Can you provide data to show that the problem exists?

What evidence exists to document that the proposed intervention (specific activities delivered at the dosage described) is an effective way to solve the problem?

Thank You!

Please use the following linkto complete the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WSCFeedbackSurvey

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WSCFeedbackSurvey

PROGRAM ALIGNMENT�Learning Objectives1. What is Program Alignment?Why is Program Alignment Important?2. Identifying the Community �Problem or NeedIdentify the Community Problem or NeedQuantify the Nature or Scope of�“The Gap”Need: Get Specific!3. Providing Services and Utilizing Resources to Address a Community NeedIdentify the Resources Available to Address the Need or ProblemYour Planned Services �(Your Intervention)Design, Select, or Review�Your Planned Services�(Your Intervention)Define Your Services �(Your Intervention)Service/Intervention Example4. Understanding�Program Performance�(Outputs & Outcomes)Assessment: Monitoring Progress toward Output and Outcome Objectives�Performance Measures/ResultsGet Specific!Examples of OutputExamples of Outcome5. Putting it All Together�The Theory of Change and�the Logic ModelEveryday Life ExampleLogic Model for CNCS�(Specific to CNCS Grant Applications)How to Read a CNCS-Style Logic ModelReview of Learning ObjectivesSummary of Key PointsReflection Questions Thank You!

designing effective action for change · output results. outcome results. assessment. how do you...

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