Week 10: Assessing Organizations

UTA SSW, Generalist Macro PracticeProfessor Dick Schoech

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Summary of Classes 1-11• Generalist macro practice, history, change

process, roles, levels of intervention, theories, values, perspectives

• The community as client• Conditions/problems & assessing them• Intervening in social conditions• Organization as client• Administration overview

• Assessing organizations• Leading, supervision, societal & political practice §

Management Contingency Approach (text 118)

Purpose/goals

Politicalforces andinstitutions

Socioculturalforces andInstitutions

Technologicalforces andInstitutions

Economicforces andInstitutions

Tasks People/manager

Structure

Technology

Inputs of resources,policy, theories,values, etc.

Outputs of servicesprovided, behaviorschanged, goals met,rules/ethicsfollowed, etc.

Environment

Assess by looking at

•Purpose = vision, mission, goals •Tasks = objectives•Structure = arrangement of

money and facilities, (hierarchy, network, matrix)

•Tech = information management•People (next 2 weeks supervision & leadership) §

Assess purpose by looking at Vision, Mission, and goals

Purpose as Expressed by Vision

• What the program wants to become or destiny

• What agency would be if resources plentiful

• Shows key problems/issues to address• Where the program hopes to be in 15

years • Examples: Conservation Int, UW Dallas

Purpose Expressed by Mission

• The purpose for being or identity • Encapsulates the program’s overall effort• Easy for public to understand• Grounded in “customer” needs• Grounded in client outcomes• Grounded in definition of quality services• Renewed periodically• Ex drug treatment agency: To promote and support the achievement

of a positive and productive lifestyle for those formerly addicted to chemical substances.

• Catholic Charities Salesmanship club-Dallas§

Purpose Expressed in Goals which

•Describe future outcomes or states of being

•Are not measurable or achievable

•Focus on outcomes and impacts•Should be ambitious and

idealistic §

The Power of Goals to Influence

•Goals are expected future outcomes or states–What would an agency look like with a a goal of accountability

–What would an agency look like with a goal of efficiency

–What would an agency look like with a goal of effectiveness

Assess tasks as defined by

objectives and evaluation outcomes

Objectives typically are

• Action statements• Clear, specific and concrete• Measurable• Time limited• Realistic• Hierarchical (ultimate, intermediate,

immediate)• Build on strengths and reduce need• Can focus on outcome or process §

Outcome Objectives (summative or outcome evaluation, text 321)

• Specifies results or ends to be achieved• Use words like: to reduce, to lower, to

improve• Focus on client change needed to reduce

need• Contain an “as measured by” statement• Provide details for evaluation (text Ch 10)Example: To lower the number of high school students

becoming pregnant in Arlington from 25 per 1000 to 20 per 1000 by 12/1/08 as measured by health department records. §

Writing Outcome ObjectivesComponents of Obj

• Direction of change• What will be changed• Target of change• Results to be achieved• How measured• Time frame

Objective

• To increase• parenting knowledge• in 30 teenage parents• by 10%• as measured by the

Baby Index• by 12/1/08

Process objectives

• Specifies how things will be done, e.g., the means or processes involved

• Use words like: to provide, to serve, to assess, to train

• Provide details for monitoring• Can be immediate, intermediate or

ultimateExample: To provide 2 hours of peer counseling to 525 high-

risk females high school students by Dec 08 as documented by AISD peer counselor records.Use objective practice worksheet in course pack §

Writing Process Objectives (formative or monitoring evaluation, text, p 319, 476)

Component of Obj

• Action taken

• Object of action taken

• Recipient of action

• How measured

• When accomplished

Objective

• To provide

• 3 hours of parenting classes

• To 100 teenagers identified as high risk

• As measured by school records

• By 1/1/08 §

Levels of objectives

• Ultimate outcome objective – Intermediate outcome objective

•Immediate outcome objective

• Ultimate process objective– Intermediate process objective

•Immediate outcome objective– Activities

For example, see course pack: Writing goals and objectives

Issues related to objectives/evaluation• Hard to understand total program

from objectives• Objectives do not say who is

responsible• Frequent program changes:

objectives do not reflect program (text, p. 318)

• Good objectives makes the evaluation easy

Assess structure as reflected in the

organizational chart and management of money and facilities

Ways to View Structure

• Large vs. Small organization (think of examples)

• One location vs. Many locations--networked

• Centralized authority & power vs. Decentralized authority/power

• Participatory management vs. Authoritarian: no involvement of workers

• Individual work/problem solving vs. Team approach to work/pblm solving

• Well defined rules and procedures vs. Informal rules and procedures

• Many communication channels vs. Few communication channels

• High interaction between workers vs. Low interaction between workers

• Single administrative hierarchy vs. Professional & admin hierarchy §

Structure via Organizational Chart

• Chart shows hierarchy/levels– Board & subcommittees of boards

– Staff committees & task forces

– Executives

– Administrators

– Supervisors

– Workers

• Chart shows authority relationships §

(see course pack, p. 80)

Types of Organizational Structures

• Hierarchy (TDPRS)– 6-8 workers per supervisor, best when you can define

what people do & accountability is demanded• Matrix (United Ways)

– Workers report to functional & product boss, e.g., case manager & director of mental health

• Project management (NASA, some United Way activities)– Flat, many groups, flexible, highly skilled workers,

• Network (manage care provider or case management)– Linked, many teams, contracts, partnerships, virtual

offices, telecommuting, telecommunications §See Course Pack reading

Influences on Structure

Favors Bureaucracy• Goal =

accountability• Task = well defined• People = low prof• Tech = low tech• Env = High political• One source funds• Stable environments

Favors flatter structures• Goal = effectiveness• Task = ill-defined• People = high prof• Tech = high tech• Env = low political• Many sources of funds• Changing

environments

Working with Boards/Committees

• Board must control paid staff• Executives must staff board• Diversity is critical (via turnover)• Training is necessary• Rewarded boards by positive

press, meaningful work, and sense of helping §

See Tropman book on working with boards

Assess Financial Management

• Financial management– Non-profit accounting – Budgeting– Financial reporting (annual report)

• Fund raising (Text, p. 456)– Benefits, solicitation, part of group,

dues, grants & contracts, see www.grants.gov

Financial Mana Assumptions

• A tool/resource to support mission – (treat same as computer, office, people)

• Diversity of funding sources is required• One of the best managed resources

(compared to people, information)• Mistakes show up and cause problems

quickly

Basic Terms

• Accounting = Standard tools and procedures to handle money

• Budgeting = techniques/processes to track income, expenditures & balances

• Budget period = That period which the budget covers, fiscal year, calendar year

• Direct costs = requires new $s, e.g., salary & equip• Indirect cost = overhead (electricity, bookkeeping)• Match (hard $) vs. In-kind (soft e.g. volunteer hrs)• Costing out, e.g., unit costs• Cash flow and debt management • Capital expenditures = money for equip & buildings

Non-profit Accounting--bookkeeping methods• Cash method

– credit, debit or encumber as $s exchanged

• Accrual method– record when transactions occur,

accumulate debt and credit

• Modified cash/accrual method– record revenue on cash basis,

expenditures on an accrual basis

Non-profit Accounting -- bookkeeping

• Accounts– the categories/funds $s are charged or

credited to

• Chart of accounts– standard list of accounting codes, usually

based on items in the budget

• Journals– list of entries recorded as they occur, e.g.,

accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll

• Ledgers– list debit and credit column for each account

Budget type: line item (text p. 480)

Definition = cost by itemAdvantages• Easy to understandDisadvantages• Focuses attention on input &

throughput vs. outcomes

Budget type: program (text p. 481)

Def = costs out by each program

Advantages– Relates resources to programs– Focus on programs & output– Helps planning and evaluation

Disadvantages– Must cost out everything by program– Time and complexity

Budget type: performance/functional

Def = cost out outcome objectivesAdvantages• Easy to understand outcomes• focuses on outputDisadvantages• Requires cost per unit of service• Requires calculating indirect costs

Financial Analysis Techniques

Cost Benefit analysis– Translates outcomes into economic benefits

Cost effectiveness analysis– Focuses on cost-efficiency

Break even analysis– Focuses on when you stop loosing money

Zero-based = levels from 0+– Links planning, budgeting, and evaluation– Challenges basic service assumptions– Time consuming – Focuses attention on costs vs. outcomes– Destructive to staff morale: threatens jobs

Financial reporting

•Statements (periodic summary)– Income, expenditures, balance–Changes in fund balance

•Audits (using approved procedures)

•Annual reports

Assess IT and Technology via

information systems and connectivityText, pg. 450.

Information Systems (Text, 454)

• An information system is an collection of people, procedures and equipment working together to collect, manipulate, retrieve, and report data. 

• In today's world, almost all information system are computer-based and some are enhanced to operate over the Internet. 

• A key issue in information systems is data security and protecting client privacy.

• Agency connectivity is a big issue (text 455)

Information System Components

• Data Collection• Data Processing• Data Reporting• Data Security and Privacy

Information/technology as basic resource• Treat as any other basic resource, e.g., $s, people, etc.• One of easiest resources to change & manage

– As compared to people, task, goals, structure

• Management more difficult

– If resource is shared across departments & outside agency

• Information resource is easily sabotaged by workers

– garbage in—garbage out

• Computers add power to information management, but errors can be bigger and more disastrous

• Technology keeps changing requiring constant attention§

Guidelines for Success with Technology

• IT needs separate high level dept• Planning with stakeholders is essential• Centralize control, distribute power• Avoid relying on small # technicians• 10/40/50 rule and 80/20 rule• Design for privacy/security/accessibility• Use continuous improvement

mechanisms• Expect frustrating and time consuming

(2-3 years for basic system §

Conclusion

• Assessing is key to solving management problems

• One way to structure the assessment is to look at contingencies

• If goals are internalized, they drove all other contingencies §