| p>I mentioned Outcome Measures in a previous | | | | measurement. The goal might be to deliver meals |
| article (For Profit vs. Not for Profit) about | | | | to shut-ins and the indicator might be the number |
| opportunities for project managers to gain some | | | | of meals delivered. The indicator might be an |
| valuable coaching and mentoring and volunteer | | | | interim one, measuring progress towards a long |
| their time to a charitable organization at the same | | | | term goal. Outcome Measurement uses target |
| time. This article will explore these opportunities in | | | | indicators as well, so if the goal is delivery of |
| a little more detail in the area of measuring the | | | | meals the target indicator might be 10,000 meals |
| outcomes of projects and programs. | | | | and the indicator might be the number of meals |
| Outcome Measures is an initiative that actually | | | | or the percentage of the target indicator. Project |
| began with government agencies changing the | | | | managers do this every day, using MS Project (or |
| way they deliver social services. Governments | | | | whatever other PM tool they use to manage their |
| wanted to be able to measure the effects their | | | | schedules). Qualitative indicators approach |
| services were having on their clients. There are | | | | measurement from the personal angle. A |
| were agencies that governments fund in | | | | qualitative indicator might be an increase in |
| partnership with organizations such as United Way | | | | self-confidence, or in the case of the meal |
| and those agencies were forced by the | | | | deliveries, it might be a degree of satisfaction with |
| governments to implement outcome measures in | | | | the service. Any project manager who has |
| order to retain their funding. United Way became | | | | participated in a customer satisfaction survey will |
| involved, both because outcome measurement is | | | | have a head start in this area. Project managers |
| a good approach to delivering value for donor | | | | tend to have a fairly restricted view of indicators. |
| money and because funded agencies needed help | | | | Most will come from the MS Project tool, those |
| to implement outcome measurement. | | | | that don't usually come from a trouble reporting |
| The SMART Fund in Vancouver, British Columbia, | | | | system, or a time tracking system. Outcome |
| Canada describes Outcome Measurement as "... an | | | | Measurements uses a set of criteria to determine |
| approach to planning, managing, and evaluating | | | | the feasibility of an indicator: |
| projects that encourages us to be clear about | | | | • Accuracy - does it measure the result? |
| what our projects are DOING and what they are | | | | • Can the information be gathered in a cost |
| CHANGING". The way that Outcome | | | | effective way? |
| Measurements help organizations do this is by | | | | • Does it give useful information with which to |
| ensuring that program objectives support the | | | | make management decisions? |
| agencies strategy and that the goals and | | | | • Will the information communicate well to |
| objectives of component projects support the | | | | stakeholders, including funding bodies? |
| program's objectives. Further, measurements are | | | | You may want to apply these same criteria to |
| put in place to determine the project's success in | | | | choosing performance indicators for your project. |
| meeting stated goals and objectives. Outcome | | | | Outcome Measurements offers different |
| Measurement goals go further: | | | | approaches to information gathering. These |
| • To gather the right information to know | | | | approaches are suited to the service delivery |
| whether the project is achieving the results you | | | | nature of the not for profit sector but can be |
| want. | | | | adapted to the for profit sector as well. They are: |
| • To know how to improve project activities | | | | • Interviews, surveys, and questionnaires. |
| based on the information gathered. | | | | • Observation |
| • To identify opportunities and maximizes | | | | • Documents and records |
| them and identifies obstacles and helps remove | | | | • Sample or focus groups (subsets of the |
| them. | | | | stakeholder community) |
| • To communicate plans and achievements | | | | • Data sampling - surveying a subset of the |
| clearly to the team and other organizations. | | | | stakeholder community |
| • To gain from the knowledge, experience, | | | | We're all pretty well acquainted with collecting |
| and ideas of the team. | | | | information from documents, records, and other |
| • To provide accurate and convincing | | | | Project Management Information Sources (PMIS), |
| information to support applications for funding. | | | | but how about surveys? I would advise any |
| There are other goals that are specific to the Not | | | | project manager to get well acquainted with the |
| for Profit sector (as is the support of funding | | | | not for profit agency's interviewing, survey, and |
| applications) but the ones stated here seem to | | | | questionnaire techniques. Try borrowing those |
| me to be applicable to any project, no matter | | | | techniques to perform a client satisfaction survey |
| which sector it is in. Even the goal of providing | | | | with project performance. |
| accurate and convincing information to support | | | | There are 2 approaches the seasoned project |
| funding applications is applicable. Isn't a Business | | | | manager can take to volunteering. They can look |
| Case a form of funding application? | | | | for an agency that has yet to implement their |
| There are clearly many areas where the discipline | | | | Outcome Measurements program (or one that is |
| arising from a successful Outcomes Measurement | | | | struggling to do so), or one that has successfully |
| program could help a project manager from the | | | | implemented and has project managers and other |
| for profit sector. The key difference between the | | | | workers who are experienced. Project managers |
| not for profit and for profit sectors is the focus | | | | who choose to volunteer to the novice agency |
| on helping people in the not for profit sector vs. | | | | can bring their for profit experience to bear on |
| helping a company's bottom line in the for profit | | | | the problem and help the agency to a successful |
| sector. This gap may not be that great though, | | | | implementation. There are also learning |
| particularly in the area of software. Software | | | | opportunities here. There are many resources |
| systems are designed to be used by people to | | | | available to an agency that wants to reach out, |
| perform a job, to enter and process orders, or | | | | including coaching/mentoring from more |
| manage support calls, or sell software over the | | | | experienced organizations. This could be your |
| internet for example. The objective of the | | | | opportunity to learn from that coach or mentor. |
| system is to help the user community to do their | | | | Choosing an agency that has experience with |
| jobs or help them do them more efficiently. One | | | | Outcome Measurements will provide the project |
| of the problems with software development | | | | manager with new insights into defining project |
| projects is the view that the overarching goal of | | | | objectives that fulfill a human need. It will also |
| the project is to deliver a software system; it | | | | provide you with new insights into how to choose |
| shouldn't be. The overarching goal should be to | | | | measurements and the information to perform |
| enable the user community to do their jobs, or | | | | those measurements, in particular measurements |
| enable them to do them more efficiently! | | | | that are meaningful to stakeholders. There is also |
| Exposure to a project team that focuses on | | | | an opportunity to learn about putting together the |
| delivering a benefit to people as opposed to | | | | business case. Funded agencies are very focused |
| delivering a product will help project managers to | | | | on proving their programmes are effective in |
| get more value from their projects and in doing | | | | meeting their clients needs and being able to |
| so, they improve their impact on the bottom line. | | | | verify with reports. The ability of these reports to |
| The experienced project manager can contribute | | | | communicate successful results means the |
| to the not for profit's Outcome Measurements | | | | difference between receiving funding and going |
| program. Our experience managing risks and | | | | out of business. |
| opportunities are, or should be, well developed; | | | | Look for opportunities in your community to |
| this is a knowledge area that we should have lots | | | | volunteer with a charitable organization. |
| of experience in. Opportunities and risks are no | | | | Opportunities abound and your offer will be acted |
| different in the not for profit project than in a for | | | | on. It's a win-win situation: the charitable |
| profit one. The management of those | | | | organization gets your volunteer services and |
| opportunities and risks requires the same analysis, | | | | your project management expertise; you get |
| prioritization, and mitigation strategies that takes | | | | exposure to their outcome measurement |
| place in the for profit project so this is an area | | | | processes. There is one other benefit you should |
| that the seasoned risk manager can be of help as | | | | experience. One of the areas that charitable |
| a volunteer in a not for profit organization. | | | | organizations are measured in is their ability to |
| Outcome Measurement uses indicators to | | | | attract, retain, and utilize volunteers. Most |
| determine the project's success at meeting goals | | | | successful charitable organizations are very good |
| and objectives. The indicators used are divided | | | | at putting your experience to good use and |
| into 2 categories: quantitative and qualitative. | | | | making you feel appreciated. |
| Quantitative indicators use metrics for | | | | |