WRITING WRITING EFFECTIVE EFFECTIVE

GRANT GRANT PROPOSALSPROPOSALS

With an Eye toward With an Eye toward Performance and Performance and Evaluation IssuesEvaluation Issues

What I will do todayWhat I will do today

Give a historical perspective on Give a historical perspective on outcomesoutcomes

Review different models of outcome Review different models of outcome measurement and define basic measurement and define basic concepts common to themconcepts common to them

Explain how outcome measurement Explain how outcome measurement and logic models fit into grant and logic models fit into grant proposalsproposals

Provide tips for preparing Provide tips for preparing performance-based proposalsperformance-based proposals

A Century of Changing A Century of Changing ExpectationsExpectations

100 years ago: “Doing Good” 100 years ago: “Doing Good” Does your organization have a Does your organization have a

charitable purpose?charitable purpose? Depression Era: Fiscal Depression Era: Fiscal

Accountability Accountability How did you use the money?How did you use the money?

After WWII: Efficiency After WWII: Efficiency How much did you produce with How much did you produce with

the money?the money? 1980’s Onward: 1980’s Onward: OutcomesOutcomes

What difference did you make What difference did you make with the money?with the money?

FORCES FOR CHANGEFORCES FOR CHANGE

Government Performance and Government Performance and Results ActResults Act

National Performance Review National Performance Review Service Efforts and Service Efforts and

Accomplishments ReportingAccomplishments Reporting Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management Managed CareManaged Care

What are Outcomes?What are Outcomes?

OutcomeOutcome – A positive change in – A positive change in thethe BehaviorBehavior Attitudes or beliefsAttitudes or beliefs Condition or StatusCondition or Status Knowledge, orKnowledge, or SkillsSkills

of the person, organization, of the person, organization, or environment the or environment the program exists to serve!program exists to serve!

A Sampling of OM A Sampling of OM modelsmodels Logic Model (United Way of Logic Model (United Way of

America/Urban Institute)America/Urban Institute) Outcome Funding Framework Outcome Funding Framework

(Rensselaerville Institute)(Rensselaerville Institute) Benchmarking for Nonprofits Benchmarking for Nonprofits

(Saul)(Saul) Balanced Scorecard/Nonprofit Balanced Scorecard/Nonprofit

Dashboard (Harvard Business Dashboard (Harvard Business School)School)

Getting to Outcomes (CSAP)Getting to Outcomes (CSAP) Results Based Accountability Results Based Accountability

(Fiscal Policy Studies)(Fiscal Policy Studies) Targeting Outcomes of Programs Targeting Outcomes of Programs

(Bennett & Rockwell)(Bennett & Rockwell)

What They Want To What They Want To KnowKnow

Inputs Activities Outcomes

OutputsOutcomeIndicators

OutputTargets

OutcomeTargets

Infrastructure or Process Measures

Process Targets

Key Questions Key Questions

To Answer To Answer

Why do you think you Why do you think you shouldshould do this? do this?

Why do you think you Why do you think you cancan do this? do this?

WhatWhat do you plan to do, do you plan to do, how much, and by when? how much, and by when?

What What differencedifference will your will your efforts make, and by efforts make, and by when? when?

For all of these questions:For all of these questions: What evidence can you What evidence can you

produce? produce? Where do you get the Where do you get the

evidence? Who will collect evidence? Who will collect it, how and by when?it, how and by when?

Look beyond TERMS to Look beyond TERMS to CONCEPTSCONCEPTS

What What resourcesresources are devoted to the problem - are devoted to the problem - INPUTSINPUTS What the org. What the org. does to advance its mission does to advance its mission - -

ACTIVITIESACTIVITIES How muchHow much the org. does/ the org. does/how manyhow many it serves - it serves -

OUTPUTSOUTPUTS What What changeschanges are brought about (knowledge, skills, are brought about (knowledge, skills,

attitude, beliefs, behavior) attitude, beliefs, behavior) in the participantsin the participants – – OUTCOMESOUTCOMES

What longer-term effects may occur because of the What longer-term effects may occur because of the achievement of outcomes – achievement of outcomes – IMPACTSIMPACTS

What What quantifiable evidence quantifiable evidence exists to demonstrate that exists to demonstrate that the outcome has occurredthe outcome has occurred – OUTCOME INDICATORS – OUTCOME INDICATORS

The Extended Logic The Extended Logic ModelModel

Inputs ActivitiesPrimary

OutcomesIntermediate

OutcomesLong-termOutcomes

Outputs Indicators

OutputTargets

Targets

Indicators

Targets

Indicators

Targets

Infrastructure or Process Measures

Process Targets

Data Collection MethodsData Collection Methods

Participants can tell youParticipants can tell you Other people can tell youOther people can tell you Participants can show youParticipants can show you You can weigh or measure You can weigh or measure You can check internal or You can check internal or

external recordsexternal records

COMPARISON OF MAJOR COMPARISON OF MAJOR DATA COLLECTION DATA COLLECTION

METHODSMETHODSReview of

Program Records

Self-Admin Survey

Interview Rating by Trained Observer

Cost Low Moderate Moderate to high

Depends

Data Collector Training Required

Some None to some

Moderate to high

Moderate to high

Completion time

Short Moderate to long

Long Short to moderate

Response rate

High Depends Moderate to good

High

Performance Based Performance Based ProposalsProposals

Advance the funder’s agendaAdvance the funder’s agenda Meet a compelling and demonstrated needMeet a compelling and demonstrated need Are focused on outcomes, but don’t Are focused on outcomes, but don’t

neglect process or infrastructureneglect process or infrastructure Propose best practice and/or innovative Propose best practice and/or innovative

activities likely to produce outcomesactivities likely to produce outcomes Have clear and logical indicators and Have clear and logical indicators and

reasonable targetsreasonable targets Have practical and defined methods to Have practical and defined methods to

gather evidencegather evidence

Evaluation Evaluation ConsideratioConsideratio

nsns Whenever Whenever

possible without possible without sacrificing sacrificing quality or quality or

appropriateness,appropriateness,

Pick Pick the minimum number the minimum number of indicators and outputs of indicators and outputs for each outcome or for each outcome or activity – one or two is activity – one or two is bestbest

Pick indicators that are Pick indicators that are easy to measure and easy to measure and recordrecord

Pick indicators that can be Pick indicators that can be measured measured at low cost.at low cost.

Pick the Pick the lowest reasonable lowest reasonable targetstargets

Measure Measure a sampling of a sampling of participantsparticipants

Use Use internalinternal agency data agency data over externalover external

Avoid situations requiring Avoid situations requiring consent formsconsent forms or or IRB IRB reviewreview

Performance Based Performance Based ProposalsProposals

Are more about Are more about funders and funders and beneficiariesbeneficiaries than agencies than agencies

March in formation:March in formation: Needs and InputsNeeds and Inputs Activities/Programs/Activities/Programs/

ProcessesProcesses OutcomesOutcomes TargetsTargets Evaluation methodsEvaluation methods

Thank You for Coming!Thank You for Coming!

WRITINGWRITING

EFFECTIVEEFFECTIVE

GRANT GRANT

PROPOSALSPROPOSALS

©Lori Fabian©Lori Fabian

Fabian Consulting, Inc.Fabian Consulting, Inc.

May 2007May 2007