How do you go about evaluating systems and programs, whether it’s in an organization or across a community?
A framework and tools can help and this workshop offered by The Learning Center of the Community Foundation of Elkhart County will help leaders in our nonprofit community assess using Results-Based Accountability.
Lisa Osterman, vice president of strategy for Community Solutions, will lead this workshop from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. February 7. The workshop is free for people associated with Elkhart County nonprofits or those serving Elkhart County. Registration is limited to 40 people.
The Results-Based Accountability (RBA) framework informs the work of Community Solutions, based in Indianapolis. RBA is a disciplined way of thinking and acting to improve entrenched and complex social problems. The approach starts with the end in mind and works backward to the means.
RBA helps communities and organizations:
- Define the results they are seeking — in their community, for the population served, for their organization
- Determine and get buy-in for Indicators of Success.
- Identify what works, especially in terms of best practices and promising practices, and then prioritize strategies
- Identify all those who could potentially play a role in contributing to results. Who are the partners?
- Move from talk to action. RBA is not strategic planning, but it can replace strategic planning with an action-oriented approach to making a positive impact over a long period of time. It helps organizations that want to improve the quality of life of individuals and families move from doing “good” things to doing “effective” things.
Community Solutions, based in Indianapolis, helps groups and organizations work to co-create healthy, just, and equitable communities. The organization believes a community can get results when its members have effective tools, resources, strategies, and partnerships. Our team members come together with a common commitment to help organizations that serve diverse communities strengthen their work through organizational development, community engagement, planning, and evaluation. We also help community leaders, groups, and coalitions collaborate to identify and achieve shared goals.
About our speaker
Lisa Osterman has a rich history of work in youth development, community development and organizational capacity-building. She specializes in social research, system and program evaluation, performance measurement coaching, strategic planning, and leadership development. Lisa comes to the firm after serving as Director of Planning and Measurement at the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. Prior to that, Lisa worked as a research and evaluation consultant on a number of projects in the youth development, family economic success, and education sectors. Lisa holds a graduate degree in Applied Sociology with a concentration in research and evaluation from the University of Indianapolis. Through her diverse professional experience with universities, not-for-profit and for-profit research organizations, youth-serving organizations, social service providers, religious organizations, and foundations, Lisa has demonstrated an ability to coach individual organizations and community collaborations to increase impact and achieve results.