Proposition 10 requires each county to demonstrate results-based accountability. Counties must provide data indicating that the money spent to support programs has indeed had an impact on young children and their families. The diverse set of programs means that Commissions confront the task of developing an evaluation plan that documents the impact of Proposition 10 funding on multiple levels.

    Recipient level:
Each contracted entity that receives county funds must document the impact of its unique service. Recipients must be able to demonstrate the value of their projects in order to secure continued/additional funding from other sources.

    County level:
County Commissions have a broader view of the programs they fund and seek an evaluation design that collapses the diverse programs into a common aggregate framework. The county must address long-range countywide objectives and answer aggregate questions concerning the development of children.

    State level:
California has developed a statewide evaluation design to which counties must provide required information.

Commissions are charged to develop an evaluation design that meets multiple evaluation protocols while being neither cumbersome nor duplicative. Riverside County's approach would be to build the evaluation design from the ground up as opposed to the top down. The Commission proposes to work with each recipient to co-develop an evaluation design that responds to its unique program. This partnership approach consists of the following components:

    Ensure recipients fully understand how to link their project to an outcomes-based management model.
Evaluation technical assistance including evaluation staff would spend considerable time working with the staffs of recipients to target plans that shift the focus from work plans (what the implementers do) to milestones that reflect client progress in getting from the present condition to the end of specified gains.

    Assist recipients with performance tracking.
The Commission, through purchased Web-based data software, would integrate performance tracking with data management. Software functions would be used for entering, following, accounting and tracking gains achieved for children and families in the system through the utilization of evaluation indicators. Recipient input at conception and throughout the process, assists the recipients to develop an assessment instrument that they feel adequately measures the effectiveness of their program. This methodology encourages the recipients to assume ownership of their evaluation process, become proficient in evaluation implementation, and enhance data integrity.

    Build on the recipient's deliverables.
A contracted evaluator and staff would include verifications to demonstrate that a milestone or target has been achieved. The evaluator would assist staff with outcomes-based assessments that range from summative profiles of intended versus actual performance to result and impact studies. The evaluation methods would connect to management and the constant focus on how program staff use data to improve their results over successive repetitions of implementation.

The purpose of this evaluation design is to include service providers and community members in the evaluative process. By incorporating these key partners in the evaluation design, the Commission increases the evaluation capacity at the local recipient level, cultivates a new interest in evaluation by local recipients, and redefines evaluation from an obligation to a valued method for improving service delivery. Although this approach can be labor-intensive and time-consuming, it responds to the multiple levels of evaluation required in Proposition 10, and builds local evaluation capacity.

The Outcomes Management Administrator for First 5 Riverside is Johnathan McDannell. He can be reached at:
First 5 Riverside, 2002 Iowa Avenue, Suite 100, Riverside, CA 92507
Tel: (951) 248-0014     FAX: (951) 248-0079     E-mail: first5@rccfc.org

Riverside County Children & Families Commission, 2002 Iowa Ave, Suite 100, Riverside CA 92507-2423 (951) 248-0014 / Fax (951) 248-0079 Toll Free: (800) 266-3880 TDD: (951) 321-0063 Email: first5@rccfc.org Copyright © 2007 Riverside County Children & Families Commission. All rights reserved.