Evaluations and Measurements

Organizational Evaluation and Measurements: Author Thomas S. Monson said:

“When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported back, the rate of improvement accelerates.”

Evaluations and measurements need to be addressed at all levels of the organization from Board performance, to analyzing the implementation of plans, to the program level. The sustainable non-profit organization will address measurements and performance requirements.

Program Evaluation and Measurements

A sustainable non-profit will have a methodology for the evaluation of programs to define whether the programs are meeting the needs of the community served. Much has been written on the value of a Program Logic Model to describe each program in terms of inputs, activities, indicators, outputs and outcomes.

• Inputs describe resources used by the program (staff, dollars, time, equipment);
  
  
• Activities are what the organization does with the inputs to meet its mission (e.g. provides training, educates, plants trees);
  
  
• Indicators describe what the yardstick for measurement will be (e.g. rate of success, numbers of participants);
  
  
• Outputs are the direct results of the programs (e.g. number of people trained, number of hot lunches served); and
  
  
• Outcomes answer long term questions such as: How will life be better? For whom? For how long?