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The Ecology framework assumes that using outcome information is a process, not an event. Two primary elements in the process of utilizing the results rest on this assumption. These elements are the process of interpreting the outcome information and the action decisions made as a result of what has been learned. Figure 3 illustrates that output is produced by the child-serving system in the form of system information regarding who the system has served, what services have been provided, and what outcomes have been produced. The process of interpreting the outcome information and the action decisions made on the basis of what has been learned results in adjustments in service planning and delivery which take the form of new inputs into the child-serving system. This feedback loop is critical to the integration of outcome information into a service system's decision process. Further, the outcome information system becomes a tool for self-evaluation. This process of ongoing feedback must achieve and maintain a certain momentum in engaging decision makers and other stakeholders in order to facilitate the utilization of outcome information (Meadowcroft, et al., 1994).
A child-serving system may be committed to an outcome-based approach that collects data on pertinent outcome indicators, tracks those indicators regularly, and provides timely and useful feedback throughout the organization, but it is the degree to which that information is incorporated into the organization's decision processes that reflects the utility and impact of outcome information. The Ecology framework proposes that effectively interpreting the results of an outcome information system necessitates the involvement of key stakeholders in the work of understanding what has been learned. Interpreting the results is a process of asking the right questions and having the right information.
The interpretive process requires returning to the work generated in the Building Blocks component and measuring outcomes against goals that were developed for the service system. The interrelationships among who was served, what services were provided, and what outcomes have resulted must be considered in the interpretive process. This is illustrated in Figure 4. Baseline information about all these elements at the beginning of the measurement period become the reference for understanding the meaning of the information and results.
The second element in utilizing the results, taking action on what has been learned, is the point at which decisions have to be made on the basis of outcome information. The focus of this element is on modifying service planning and delivery, as needed, based on an assessment of the status of the results. This approach requires that outcome information be provided in a timely and predictable manner, and that the outcome information provide the opportunity for corrective action. Both of these requirements are guiding principles for building a system of outcome accountability.
This use of the interpretive process to inform a decision to either change or not change aspects of service planning and delivery is best understood as a continual process of working toward improved results rather than an end result. Rather than a static, one-time process, utilizing the results should be imbedded into day-to-day management.
Factors Affecting Utilization
Although it is crucial for a system to track and distribute information about clearly defined outcomes, this alone is not enough. Outcome information is only useful to the degree that it contributes to service decisions that help child-serving systems reach desired goals. Schensul (1987) differentiates between the dissemination of knowledge and knowledge utilization. This distinction is important when applied to outcome information in child-serving systems. Information about outcomes must be incorporated into the decisions affecting service planning and delivery for the outcome system to be truly successful in helping human service organizations accomplish their intended purposes.
Preliminary findings of the System Accountability Study (Hernandez and Hodges, 1996) indicate several factors are emerging that may be critical in the utilization of outcome information by managers and service providers. These include, but are not limited to:
- the format and language in which outcome information is presented;
- immediacy of feedback;
- availability of local or program specific outcome information in addition to more general results;
- orientation to the purpose and goals of the outcome accountability system;
- training in the use of the outcome information system;
- how outcome information is integrated into discussion at staff meetings;
- the ease of data entry and retrieval;
- the degree to which the organizational culture supports the utilization of outcome information in decision-making.
In order to understand where these factors influence information utilization, the Ecology of Outcomes framework suggests it is necessary to involve three integrated processes: 1) the collection of data;
2) the analysis and synthesis of data into information; and 3) the dissemination of information and its transformation into knowledge that contributes to decision making. These processes can be summarized as Data, Information, and Knowledge. As shown in Figure 5, data can be understood as input about who is served, what services are provided, and how change is measured. Information can be defined as the analysis and synthesis of the outcome data into a useable form. This can include the format and presentation of data, language of presentation, and the availability of global as well as program specific data. Knowledge can be defined as ideas inferred from Information and connotes awareness, understanding, and interpretation of information.
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