Results-Based Accountability (TM) for Vermont Food Systems

Results-Based AccountabilityTM for Vermont Food Systems

October 7, 2013

Anne Lezak, Coordinator BBVT

Acknowledgements to Amy Carmola-Hauf, United Way of Chittenden County and Trying Hard is Not Good Enough, Mark Friedman

3 kinds of performance measures    

RBA

2 kinds of accountability         

7 questions from ends to means

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Different Levels of Focus = Different Levels of Accountability1. Population Level

Focus - well being of populationCollective accountability: Many partners are responsible for achieving the desired result

2. Program (Strategy) LevelFocus - well being of program participants/ service recipientsProgram accountability: Program is responsible for its performance

Population/Community FocusQuestions to Ask

• What do we want?Clean Environment• How will we recognize it?% of days with clean air% of stream miles meeting water

quality standards% of solid waste going to landfills• How are we doing now?• Who are the partners?• What works?• What do we propose to do?

RESULTA condition of well-being for children, adults, families or communities as a whole INDICATORHow we measure this condition

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Criteria for Choosing IndicatorsCommunication Power•Does the indicator communicate to a broad range of audiences?

Proxy Power•Does the indicator say something of central importance?

Data Power•Are there quality data available on a timely basis?

F2P Goal 9The Majority of Farms will be Profitable

• What do we want? RESULTVT Farmers operate profitable farms

• How will we recognize it?• How can we measure these conditions? INDICATOR% change in Gross Farm Income, Production Expenses, Net Farm

Income% change in net farm income% change in number of farms Rate of farm employmentRate of gains and losses by scale of farm operation

How Are We Doing Now?Baseline & story behind the baseline

Key Indicator: Vermont Aggregate Gross Farm Income, Production Expenses, and Net Farm Income

Population/Community Focus:Questions to Ask, Cont.

• Who are the partners?• What works?• What do we propose to do?

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RESULT: What we want

STRATEGY 1Who? What?

For whom?

STRATEGY 2Who? What?

For whom?

STRATEGY 3Who? What?

For whom?

OTHER INFLUENCES

Indicator: • How we measure it• Baseline & trend data

Performance Measures: • How much? • How well?• Anyone better off?

Performance Measures: • How much? • How well?• Anyone better off?

Performance Measures: • How much? • How well?• Anyone better off?

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How well?

Is anyone better off?

# People served

# Hours of service# Activities (by type of activity)

Participant satisfaction

Use of best practice

Staff qualifications/training

External review

Change in skills, knowledge, attitude, behavior, circumstance, well being

Possible sources: program records, participant survey, external data

Program Performance Measures

How much?

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How well?

Is anyone better off?

# outlets approached by category

# of farms in program

# of hours marketing

# of website hits

% of current outlets refer us to peers

% targeted outlets contacted

% of contacts meet with us

# and % of farms selling to new outlets

# and % of farms increasing sales dollars to outlets with whom we matched them

# and % of farms selling new products to outlets

Program Performance: Food Hub Marketing

How much?

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Acknowledgements & Resources

Fiscal Policy Studies InstituteSanta Fe, New Mexico

www.resultsaccountability.comwww.raguide.org

Trying Hard Is Not Good Enough:How to Produce Measurable Improvements for Customers and Communities, Mark Friedman

Amy Carmola, Ph.D.Director, Community Impact & Volunteer

Mobilization United Way of Chittenden County

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