Outcomes are the way forward

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Outcomes are the way forward

• Simon Davey, (Omega Alpha and preponderate.net)
• Diana Parkinson, ME Consulting
• www.preponderate.net
• Making it easier for you to do what you do.

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About Us

• Simon Davey
• Diana Parkinson
• Why were interested in this
• Our work with homelessness groups

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About this session

• What do we mean by ME and outcomes?
• What difference does ME/outcomes make and where
  is the need?
• Where and how does ICT fit?
• How can we make a difference?
• How do we involve others?
• Next steps

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Whats on your mind?

• Time for a brain dump

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What is ME?

• Monitoring and evaluation is the process of
  gathering data and making judgements based on
  that data. It enables organisations to assess and
  report on their progress and value.
• This simple checking becomes monitoring when
  information is collected routinely and
  systematically against a plan.
• Evaluation involves making judgements about the
  meaning and value of the monitoring data in order
  to enable organisations e.g. to be accountable or
  gain support.

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What are outcomes?

• Outcomes are the effects of your activities
• the changes, benefits or learning that occurs as
  a result of the work you carry out. They are
  changes over time something that is noticeably
  different for a person or target group, after a
  week or six months.
• Take care not to confuse outcomes with outputs or
  user satisfaction feedback.
• EXERCISE Where do ME and outcomes impact your
  client work as Circuit Riders?

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Why do we need ME and what difference does it
make?

• BRAINSTORM (pairs work) How is your clients ME
  impacted by ICT, what do they need to do
  differently, and how could they be supported?
• Example ME Management information and reporting
  to funders
• Do your client groups even know whats going on?
• How easy is it to generate reports?
• How can you successfully manage an organisation
  if it takes days or months to get accurate
  information?
• Is there a future in standard template reporting
  for groups of funders?
• Are current systems more trouble than they are
  worth?

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The outcomes approach

• More than simply adding another piece of
  paperwork to your systems.
• A continuous cycle of enquiry and service
  improvement based on factual information about
  what is being achieved.

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The outcomes learning cycle

• To fully adopt this approach, your organisation
  must
• Clarify outcomes
• Measure outcomes
• Analyse and draw learning
• Make changes

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The return on investment goal here comes the
maths

• Business analysis A
• Outcomes healthcheck and developments B
• Requirements analysis C
• System procurement/development and implementation
  D
• Cost savings through improvements in service (to
  users and internally) E
• If E A B C D is positive, then its worth
  doing.
• What cost savings could better ME/outcomes
  management do for your client?

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Where and how does ICT fit?

• Process involves gathering and assessing
  lots of information
•     Different people need access to this
  information and to be able to use it in different
  ways
•     Makes sense to keep information centralised
•     ICT can provide short-cuts for viewing/using
  data
•     Safer information can be backed up and
  more secure
•     Cheaper and easier compare paper based
  systems

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PAWS FOR THOUGHT

• Does this make it easier to engage senior
  management in ICT planning or developments?

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Hopeless IT case study

• BRAINSTORM What is the result?
• What are the problems for Hopeless IT?
• BRAINSTORM So what do we need to do?

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How can we make a difference?

• Firstly, carry out a review of the organisations
  monitoring and evaluation system. (Its dangerous
  to assume your clients fully understand the
  implications of their ME and outcomes
  management.)
• Secondly, carry out a review of the ICT the
  infamous ICT healthcheck! 
• Thirdly, consider the opportunities for improving
  M E through using ICT (doing things better,
  doing better things) more effectively.

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How would you improve ME through ICT?

• You might like to consider
• Streamlining processes
• Creating shared access
• computerising work processes
• IT-based casework management system
• training staff

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PAWS FOR THOUGHT

• Is this the sort of thing that just might get a
  problematic Chief Exec to finally engage with
  ICT?

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You will need to considerwhether to

• modify or extend the existing system,
• build a bespoke system, or
• buy an off-the-shelf system for M E data
  management
• Would you use a web-based system?
• EXERCISE What are the main advantages and
  disadvantages of the three options

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And finally

• write and implement an action plan for taking
  forward issues identified in these reviews
• bear in mind that some may be things that can be
  tackled immediately like minor changes to
  system or procedure - whilst others may take
  months to carry out

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So where do youwant to end up?

• It helps to have a vision of where you want this
  work to get the organisation

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Case study Super Effective
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How do we involve others?

• Think you can do this all yourself?

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Well, maybe but

• Support of client organisation to identify what
  they do and their aims and objectives
• Outcomes healthcheck (someone with experience of
  ME and the tools involved)
• Developing an effective outcomes strategy and ME
  process
• ICT healthcheck
• Developing an ICT strategy and implementation
  plan
• Project management around system development,
  procurement, implementation etc.
• Change management support (youre not only
  changing the ICT but the way they work)
• A willingness to see it through to the end

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Is it time

• to bring together the ME experts and the ICT
  gurus and rethink the role of ICT in ME?
•  
• PAWS FOR THOUGHT
•         How can you share experiences/processes/s
  ystems between groups?
•         What are you trying to do and why?
•         Is this an in for raising the profile
  of ICT in one of your client organisations?
•         How will this raise morale and what are
  the time/resource/cost considerations?
•         Are you ready to handle the change
  management issues?

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Where do we go from here?

• So does ME or outcomes interest you and/or apply
  to your clients?
•  
• EXERCISE Where could ME/outcomes benefit your
  existing clients?
•  
• What would you like to do next?

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Building expertise and experience on

• How we do this
• Who can do this
• What tools are available
• What systems are available
• How much it costs
• How long it takes
• What difference it makes
• How we get clients interested

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Some ideas

• Training for front line groups (a conference
  planned for later this year)
• Training for circuit riders and
  suppliers/providers (conference in preparation)
• Directory of experts where to go for help
  (linked to Hub suppliers directory)
• Online tools, guides, support

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Were up for it, are you?

• General feedback
• If youre really interested in this, contact us
  at simon_at_preponderate.net or call 020 8892 7085
  or 07958 292990
• Outcomes ARE the way forward!

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Acknowledgements

• London Housing Foundation
• Homelessoutcomes.org.uk

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Thank you

• Simon Davey
• Preponderate.network
• simon_at_preponderate.net
• 07958 292990 or 020 8892 7085
• www.preponderate.net
•  
• Diana Parkinson
• diana.parkinson1_at_virgin.net
• www.preponderate.net/outcomes