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Aligning Federal Performance Indicators Across Programs Promoting Self-Sufficiency: Local Perspectives
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Aligning Federal Performance Indicators Across Programs Promoting Self-Sufficiency: Local Perspectives

Published: Jan 31, 2019
Publisher: Washington, DC: Mathematica Policy Research
Human Services Employment Training and Re-employment Family Support TANF and Employment Issues Analytics & Operations Research & Evaluation Performance Management Policy Analysis

Authors

Elizabeth Brown

Kara Conroy

Gretchen G. Kirby

Key Findings

  • Local staff across the study programs generally agree that their programs share a common goal of improving self-sufficiency but the connection of their services to specific federal indicators, particularly those focused on employment, is varied.
  • Local practices surrounding the collection and use of data in the three sites reflect the intentional use of indicators to track staff performance, client satisfaction and progress, and program performance that connect to the ultimate goals of federal measures.
  • Local staff view differences in program requirements and the inability to integrate or simply share data as critical challenges to coordinating services or aligning performance measures across programs.
  • Respondents in all sites found that engaging staff at all levels is important in the development and ongoing use of data to inform service delivery and program performance. In addition, building staff relationships across programs makes a significant contribution to the ability to share information and coordinate services.

The EMPOWERED study, conducted on behalf of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, examines the use of performance measures, work requirements and child support cooperation requirements across human services programs. This issue brief is based on three case studies and provides local perspectives on the challenges and opportunities for aligning performance indicators across a variety of federal programs promoting self-sufficiency.

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