Transcript presentation source

Programs, Services &
Measurement
Working with Social Problems
Encountered by Human Service
Agencies
Presentation Derived from Martin & Kettner’s Measuring the
Performance of Human Service Programs, Sage, 1996
Historically Utilized Data Types
• Number of clients served
• Number of unduplicated clients
served
• Amount of funds expended
Program Analysis Tasks
• Task 1: Determining how many human
service programs an organization has
• Task 2: Specifying the social problem
each human service program addresses
• Task 3 Identifying the assumptions each
human service program makes about the
social problem it addresses
What Are Human Service Programs
Human service programs can be defined
as a prearranged set of activities which
specify the means to achieve a goal.
In the public sector, a program is
formulated in order to provide services
which accomplish defined objectives
Determining the Number of
Human Service Programs
Criteria Descriptive of Human
Service Programs
• Addresses an identified social problem
• Represents a significant proportion of the
total activity of an organization
• Has goals and objectives (explicit or
implicit), and
• Has designated resources, including
personnel
SEA Reporting & Human
Service Programs
Sea Reporting has formally adopted
programs as the unit of analysis and
requires that all performance measures
data (both programmatic and financial)
be reported by programs
SEA reporting uses the “program” as the
unit of analysis.
Specifying the Social Problem
• For governmental organizations or
nonprofit or proprietary organizations
receiving government funds, the social
problem being addressed is typically
defined in the
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enabling legislation
regulations
committee reports
public hearing transcripts
Block Grants
Block grants do not any particular social
problem but involves funds directed to a
“basket” of problems, giving states
(governors) significant discretion in how
these funds are spent.
Linkages
Regardless of funding sources goals must
be linked to social problems
Identifying Social Problems:
Drugs as a Social Problem:
Example One
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Assumption: Lack of Education
Program: Drug Education Program
Output: Number of TV Ads Placed
Quality Measure: Number of Requests for
Additional Information Generated by
Ads
• Outcome: Percentage Decrease Incidence
in Number of Drug Abusers
Drugs as a Social Problem: Example
Two
• Assumption: Mental &/or Emotional Problems
• Program: Counseling Program
• Output: Number of Drug Abusers Completing
Treatment
• Quality Measure: Number of Drug Abusers Satisfied
with Program& Who Think the Program Will Keep
Them off Drugs
• Outcome: Number of Participants Remaining Drug
Free