There’s lots of talk about outcomes in the social services sector but the understanding behind their importance is sketchy. Hopefully this will bring some clarity to the importance of measurable outcomes. Outcomes are the building blocks of your theory of change.
As an organization you have an obligation to your board, your funders, and your clients to diligently work towards the outcomes that must be achieved for your mission to be realized. Your ability to demonstrate progress towards achieving your intended outcomes is the most accurate measure of your effectiveness.
There is a desire within the nonprofit sector (funders and organizations) to improve the overall level of accountability and to work more productively. This desire has led to an increased interest in outcomes. However, for many, the good intent that has fueled interest in outcomes has resulted in confusion and a data collection and reporting headache that has actually hampered performance.
So far in our journey we have explored six areas that are critical to achieving Radical IMPACT through your work. Those areas include Passion, People, Purpose, Principles, Preparation and Planning. Each of these is important in and of themselves. However Radical IMPACT ultimately occurs when these six elements are combined together into the Program(s) your organization provides. For the purpose of this article we use the term Program to describe the integration of resources and activities to provide a service or a suite of services to clients. Programs are to not-for-profit organizations what products and services are to for-profit corporations. Programs are the avenue of impact for not-for-profits. Programs are where your passion, people, purpose, principles, preparation and planning intersect with your clients at their point of need to IMPACT their lives.
