Planning and Evaluation

Fiscal responsibility requires careful planning to ensure resources are used in the most effective manner possible, focusing on the most important priorities or on efforts that have the highest impact.  Boards of directors are obligated to ensure programs are running as they should and achieving the desired outcomes.  Here are some tools for careful planning to determine desired outcomes and program evaluation to determine whether they have been achieved.  

Strategic Planning
Organizations benefit when board, staff and stakeholders work together to assess their environment, are clear about the mission, vision and values, choose strategic goals and outline how they will achieve those goals.  Many models for strategic planning exist.  Here are two to get you started: Authenticity Consulting/Free Management Library and Yellow Springs-based Fred Bartenstein and Associates.  

Be sure to check with The Center for a list of local facilitators and consultants available to assist your organization with strategic planning.

Program Planning and Logic Models
Jacob Burgoon offers a great overview of Planning and Evaluation.
Logic model template
Logic model template with example
Program Design Logic Models
W.K. Kellogg Logic Model Development Guide

Program Evaluation and Outcome Measurement
Choosing appropriate performance indicators or outcome measurements can be a challenge, but well worth the effort in terms of ensuring that a program is achieving desired results.  CompassPoint makes available an extensive Library of Performance Indicators to choose from. 

Other Resources
W.K. Kellogg Evaluation Handbook
Equitable Evaluation Initiative