Results-Based Accountability: Evaluating Program Outcomes in a Social Services Organisation in New Zealand

Abstract

In times of financial constraint, social services organisations reliant on external funding from government, community and philanthropic sources are under increasing pressure to demonstrate to their stakeholders the difference they are making to their clients' lives. This can present a challenge for organisations, encouraging them to move beyond traditional methods of financial accountability. From collecting data on the level and extent of their services, they need to explore new accountability tools that best demonstrate client outcomes to stakeholders. This article presents a case study of a two-year evaluation that explored the challenges for Presbyterian Support Northern, a large New Zealand social services organisation at the forefront of the sector, as they attempted to improve the quality of measurement and evaluation of organisational and service performance through the adoption of Results-Based Accountability, a client outcomes-focused approach. The evaluation aimed to investigate the impact of Results-Based Accountability on the organisation's culture and performance, using a participatory action research mixed methods approach. Data from interviews and focus groups were used to look at changes in culture. Senior management of Presbyterian Support Northern are committed to Results-Based Accountability and steady progress has been made in embedding it into the organisational culture. An ongoing challenge for the organisation is to help staff, in particular those on the front-line, to understand the dimension related to making a difference in client outcomes. Implications for evaluation practice are based on the lessons learnt by the organisation in implementing Results-Based Accountability.