Smart leaders use outsourced services to obtain much greater skill and expertise at the fraction of the cost of bringing someone in house with much less knowledge and skills. More common outsourced functions include human resources, marketing, IT, and accounting services to manage their critical business functions. Performance management services are a less well-known outsourced service that most effective and efficient organizations look to for increased efficiency of their teams. These services are critical to ensuring leaders have the data insights needed to make data-driven decisions and prove their unique impact.
Outsourcing performance and data management has real value in terms of tangible growth, such as workforce expansions and decision-making based on measures aligned with strategic priorities. Here is a recent example from one our clients, who has been using our services for seven years. The feedback, guidance, and reporting of key performance and outcome data provided by Measurement Resources Company (MRC) gave this organization the information they needed to prove how increasing staff capacity would reduce recidivism to homelessness. This information justified the hiring of another staff member. And, they were able to leverage that data to apply for and receive a grant to pay for that position.
Reducing Recidivism with Outsourced Performance Management
After several years of trying to implement their own measurement framework, the leaders of this social services organization clearly saw they not have the time or dedicated staff to ensure this work was being done. Measurement Resources helped fill this capacity gap by providing our fractional performance measurement services; we assisted them with data collection technical assistance, reporting and analysis. For a fraction of the cost required to hire a full-time analyst, MRC’s dedicated team of highly qualified professionals provided reporting, feedback, and guidance for continued application of key performance and outcome data. The overall goal of engaging in outsourced performance management services was to better understand if the organization’s programs were meeting mission goals and if residents were receiving the assistance, they needed to help them increase their independence.
As is faced by many other housing organizations serving individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, different grant funding and criteria control the eligibility of this client’s residents for programs and services. Eligible residents were enrolled in a program where they met with a case manager once a month. The case managers helped residents enroll in benefits, maintain a livable apartment, and increase residents’ independence by living in an environment of their choosing. Yet, other residents, although they received housing, did not qualify for programs, therefore they did not receive case management.
Every six months, Measurement Resources analyzed the organization’s outcome data, increase in self-sufficiency and negative move outs, by program type. The results revealed a very powerful trend. Residents who receive case management services were 2.1 times as likely to have a successful/no fault moveout reason as compared to residents who did not have case management. In 2017 and 2018, the odds of having a successful/no fault moveout were two times higher for those who received case management services during their stay.
Using this information, the organization confirmed their suspicions that case management was critical to reducing recidivism to homelessness. Their mission was to reduce homelessness in their community and the lack of resources for case management for residents not eligible for certain programs was hampering their ability to deliver their mission. They were able to use these insights and raise the money for additional case manager. By outsourcing performance and data management, this organization was able to grow while continuing to focus on furthering their mission and helping residents move forward in their new lives.
The client reported measurement was a very important piece of the work they do, and they could not have accomplished this analysis without Measurement Resources. As they have done in the past, this organization currently uses the data they receive from MRC to determine which programs are effective, so they can replicate and build on this success to advance their mission. By receiving the data justification to hire another case worker, they were able to advance their input and help more of their residents reach independence and success.
From recurring sessions for reviewing and interpreting performance measurement results to helping organizations use data to continuously evolve and improve the quality of their programs, MRC’s fractional performance management services allow social sector professionals to fully focus on capitalizing on their core competencies to deliver on their mission. Additionally, MRC’s professionals help hold leadership teams more accountable by bringing unbiased perspective, and MRC ensures the right data is used to generate the most value possible.
Measurement Resources invites you and your organization to explore using our services and to learn more about the dynamic impact it can make. Please reach out to schedule a call with us, so that we can explore this solution together.
