How We Work
Children and Youth Planning Table members have chosen to use Results Based Accountability (RBA) to plan, guide and evaluate Table work. Using local data, RBA provides a framework and process to develop and assess planned interventions. RBA is a system of thought and action that allows population well-being and the performance of programs and agencies to be treated as separate but connected enterprises.
What is Results-Based Accountability™?
Results-Based Accountability™ (RBA) is a disciplined way of thinking and taking action used by communities to improve the lives of children, families and the community as a whole. RBA is also used by agencies to improve the performance of their programs
How Does RBA work?
RBA starts with “ends” and works backwards, step-by-step, towards “means.” For communities, ends are the conditions of well-being we want for children, families, adults, or the community. For example, ends could be “residents get and keep good jobs,” “children are ready for school,” or “our neighborhood is clean and safe.” Ends can be even more specific than that, like “our public spaces are graffiti-free” or “our neighbors know each other.” These types of ends are referred to as Results. For programs, ends are how our customers are better off when the program works the way it should. For example, an end for a program could be “% of people in the job training program who get and keep good paying jobs” or “% of children in our afterschool program with improved reading scores.” These types of ends are referred to as “Performance Measures.”
Why Use RBA?
RBA improves the lives of children, families, and communities and the performance of programs because it:
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Gets from talk to action quickly
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Is a simple, common sense process that anyone can understand
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Helps groups to surface and challenge assumptions that can be barriers to innovation
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Builds collaboration and consensus
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Uses data and transparency to ensure accountability for both the well-being of children, families and communities and the performance of programs.
How we make a difference, View our impact
Turning Curves Podcast
Listen to the inaugural episode of Turning Curves Podcast and hear from RBA creator Mark Friedman.
Clear Impact Scorecard Introduction
