By Liza Andrews, MSW, Public Policy Director, CT Nonprofits
We’ve all heard a great deal of discussion about Results-Based Accountability (RBA) in recent years. Developed by Mark Freidman of the Fiscal Policy Studies Institute, RBA offers a straightforward, easy-to-understand approach to framing discussions about the quality of life results of various human services programs. RBA is a disciplined way of thinking that starts with the ends and works backwards to the means. What do we want? How will we recognize it? What will it take for us to get there? These are some of the important questions that are asked as part of the RBA method.
Results-Based Accountability is a new way of thinking about our programs. One of the keys to this method is the distinction between the ends and the means. RBA begins by looking at results or desired outcomes. Results are conditions of well-being for consumers of human services programs provided by nonprofits. Meanwhile, performance measures are measures that demonstrate how well public and private programs are working. The most important performance measures indicate whether or not our consumers are better off after receiving our services. Results are the ends that we hope to see for our consumers, while performance measures are the means to get there. Success is first defined in measurable outcomes and those measures are then used to gauge success or failure.
We all use the thinking process behind RBA to solve problems in our every day lives. Has your furnace ever decided to stop working during a cold New England winter? You know it’s broken when you can see your breath in the air. How do you go about fixing the furnace? First, you think about who could help you. Then someone has to look at the furnace to determine why it’s no longer working. Next, you think about how it could be fixed. And finally you decide what you will actually do to fix it. You know it’s fixed when you can feel your fingers and toes again. This sequence is obviously more complicated when you are trying to solve problems in your community, but the RBA steps stem from this same process.
The Connecticut General Assembly has adopted RBA as a critical planning and policy tool for the Appropriations Committee. RBA enables policy makers, funders and program administrators to identify how well a program is doing against an historical trend line and to judge progress in terms of whether they are “turning the curve” or beating the baseline. It is a practical tool that allows nonprofits to demonstrate the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of their programs. More and more the Appropriations Committee will be looking to RBA to ensure that the state is putting funding where it is most needed and most effective. It will be increasingly crucial for state-funded nonprofits to apply this method to their programs and illustrate the quality of life results for their consumers.
In early December, Connecticut Association of Nonprofits offered members an opportunity to participate in hands-on RBA training with The Charter Oak Group. The Charter Oak Group is a leader in RBA here in Connecticut having trained the General Assembly in its value and application, and having provided continued consulting support to legislators. While space was limited in order to enable the most hands-on instruction for participants, we are hopeful that with a positive response from members we’ll be able to offer the training more frequently.
Please contact Liza Andrews, Public Policy Director, with any questions at 860-525-5080 or landrews@ctnonprofits.org.
