Community stakeholders are looking for ways to work together and have greater impact on social service issues.
The United Way of Greater Toledo, in conjunction with the city of Toledo, hosted a daylong workshop Monday by Maryland-based software company Clear Impact on its results-based accountability method.
“Results-based accountability is a decision-making process that helps organizations move from talk to action really quickly,” said presenter Marcais Frazier, institute director with Clear Impact. “It focuses on results and works its way back to need in order to achieve those results.”
The trademarked term describes a data-based method of analyzing issues, coordinating resources and services for maximum benefit, and setting measurable benchmarks. It is often used to address poverty, education, and community health.
“It’s coming to a common language within the community in how to measure and then how to invest in what will make the community better,” said Wendy Pestrue, president and chief executive of the local United Way. “It’s really trying to simplify the way we move together.”
More than 100 people representing local governments, organizations, academics, and funders registered for the event, with even more arriving to participate.
The idea of results-based accountability is to work together to determine what primary data to collect, establish metrics for measuring results, and share information in order to be more strategic when delivering resources, which are often limited and finite.
Katy Crosby, chief of staff for the city, said it’s important to not only collectively identify the big picture, but for each entity to identify the specific area or areas within the whole where they can have the greatest influence.
“Then you can align your resources to all move toward that larger goal,” Ms. Crosby said.
Ms. Crosby had worked with results-based accountability in her previous job as director of Dayton’s Human Resources Council. It will take time for the various stakeholders to learn the methodology and collect data, but she said Dayton has had some success in affecting measurable change.
“There is a lot of opportunity to eliminate some of the territorial-type stuff going on, the working in silos, and then work together,” she said. “I’m excited about this. I’ve seen it work in Dayton, and I think it’s really important.”
The method helps reduce unnecessary redundancies and ensures various entities are on the same page and working collectively toward the larger goal.
“There are a lot of really well-intentioned people in this community, and there’s a lot of money,” Breda Osburn, director of Lucas County Job and Family Services, said. “But I don’t think we’ve done a really good job collaboratively and really leveraging those dollars.”
Ms. Osburn said she believes results-based accountability will help stakeholders collect more meaningful, measurable data to ensure funding and other resources invested in a program are having actual benefits instead of simply maintaining the status quo.
She cited the example of after-school programs reporting more than just the basic numbers of children being served, such as whether the children’s grades or graduation rates are improving.
“There’s a lot you can impact when you’re looking at the right data,” Ms. Osburn said. “There are really a lot of organizations, a lot of programs in this community, and we can do a better job to try to hold them accountable and move them and the outcomes in a positive direction.”
First Published August 26, 2019, 5:41 p.m.
