Strategies and Program Outcomes
Strategies
Strategies are the approaches (broad categories of activities) that lead to desired program outcomes, which contribute to community impacts. The strategies you choose help answer the question, “Where are you focusing your efforts?” with a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) lens. This is a helpful question to ask when you are planning, implementing, and evaluating your efforts – whether you are creating a new program, writing a grant proposal, developing a strategic plan, fine-tuning a budget, strengthening a partnership, developing a new policy, or giving grants or donations to community-based organizations.
Like an “a la carte” menu at a restaurant, you can pick multiple strategies that match your goals and interests. Expand the links below to view examples of strategies.
Where are you focusing your efforts?
-
People
-
Are you focusing on People who might benefit from specific programs or policies?o Examples: Women experiencing homelessness; Seniors who are homebound; Undocumented immigrants and mixed-status families
The boxes below list examples of strategies and examples of activities that could be implemented.
Outreach, education & engagement in servicesFor example...- Marketing/Communications
- Media (traditional & social)
- Community events
- Neighborhood outreach
- Presentations
Promote optimal statusFor example...- Education re: issues
- Universal Screenings
- Preventive / Proactive Care
- Skills Training
Identify issues & respond earlyFor example...- Assess / Gather info
- Education & skills-building
- Link to / provide resources & supports
- Coordination / Navigation
Provide responsive, appropriate interventionFor example...- Assess / Gather info
- Education & skills building
- Provide services to address existing need
- Coordination / Navigation
Maintain progressFor example...- Assess / Gather info
- Ongoing or long-term care / intervention
- Coordination / Navigation
-
Organization and Systems
-
Are you focusing on policies and practices within your Organization or Systems that impact equitable health and well-being?
- Examples: Your agency’s hiring practices (organization); A school district (system); A multi-agency collaborative (system)
The boxes below list examples of strategies and examples of activities that could be implemented.
OperationsFor example...- Hours of Operations
- Location(s)
- Purchasing
- Facilities
HR Policies & PracticesFor example...- Recruitment, hiring & on-boarding
- Salaries & benefits
Learning & DevelopmentFor example...- Training & technical assistance
- Coaching
- Mentoring
- Peer learning
SustainabilityFor example...- Budgeting practices
- Partner/leverage resources
- Shared operations
- Co-invest resources
Cross-Sector CoordinationFor example...-
- Collaboratives
- Data sharing for service coordination
- Data sharing for evaluation
- Co-located and/or integrated services
-
Places & Communities
-
Are you focusing on enhancing the Places and Communities where people live, work, and play?
- Examples: The neighborhood of Live Oak; South County; community infrastructure
The boxes below list examples of strategies and examples of activities that could be implemented.
Community Engagement & Trust-BuildingFor example...- One-on-one meetings
- Neighborhood outreach
- Community events
Community Organizing & Power-BuildingFor example...- Assets & barriers analysis
- Issue analysis & research
- Action planning
- Advocacy
Community & Economic DevelopmentFor example...- Policies
- Funding/budgets
Land & Natural Resource ManagementFor example...- Policies
- Funding/budgets
Infrastructure InvestmentsFor example...- Parks/rec space
- Transportation, roads
- Internet
- Buildings/Facilities
-
Public & Political Will
-
Are you focusing on building the Public and Political Will to enact policies and investments that enhance people’s quality of life and ability to live in equitable, thriving, resilient places and communities?
- Examples: Parent Leadership Committees; City Council; Board of Supervisors; ballot measure
The boxes below list examples of strategies and examples of activities that could be implemented.
Education & Public Awareness CampaignsFor example...- Safety: Seat belts
- Health: Smoking / Vaping
- Environment: Climate change / resilience
Community Engagement & Trust-BuildingFor example...- One-on-one meetings
- Neighborhood outreach
- Community events
Community Organizing & Power-BuildingFor example...- Assets & barriers analysis
- Assets & barriers analysis
- Action planning
- Messaging / Storytelling
- Advocacy
Advocacy with Policymakers & Decision-MakersFor example...- Policy platform
- One-on-one meetings
- Letter-writing campaign
- Testimonials / Hearings
Policy Change / DevelopmentFor example...- Provide advice / guidance on policy proposals
- Propose new / modified policies
- (Co) Sponsor legislation
No approach or strategy is better than another, it just depends on what you’re trying to accomplish and the resources you have available to realistically implement one or more strategies.
Choosing a focus (whether it’s people, organizations and systems, places and communities, public and political will) is one way to start thinking about the types of strategies that can have an impact.
Program Outcomes
Program outcomes are the measurable changes you plan to achieve as a direct result of the strategies and activities you implement. In other words, program outcomes help you answer the question, "Is anybody better off?" Some program outcomes are achievable in the short term, while others may take longer. Usually, outcomes build on each other: short-term outcomes (changes in awareness, knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and skills) occur before intermediate outcomes (change in behaviors and status), which contribute to longer-term community impacts.
The boxes below list common types of short-term and intermediate outcomes and examples of program outcome statements that can be modified for various programs and policies.
What types of changes do you hope to accomplish in the short term?
-
Short-term Outcomes
-
What do you want a specific population to be more aware of? What types of knowledge might be missing? What attitudes would either help lead to change or hinder it? What skills would help people experience greater health and well-being, or access the services and supports they and their families need?
Change in AwarenessFor example...- Increased awareness of [issue] among [population]
- % increase in awareness of [issue] among [population]
- % increase in [population] who are aware of [issue]
- % decrease in [population] who are not aware of [issue]
Change in knowledgeFor example...- Increased knowledge of [topic] among [population]
- % increase in knowledge of [topic] among [population]
- % of [population] who know about / know how to [topic]
- % of [population] who increased their knowledge of [topic] after participating in [program/service]
Change in Attitudes/ BeliefsFor example...- Increased [attitude / belief] among [population]
- % of [population] who believe [belief]
- % of [population] who feel [feeling/sentiment] % of [population] who feel [feeling/sentiment]
- % of [population] who agree / disagree that [statement]
- % of [population] who are willing to [action/behavior]
- % of [population] who are ready to [action/behavior]
Change in SkillsFor example...-
- Increased / Improved [skill] among [population]
- % of [population] who are able to [skill]
- % increase in [skill] among [population]
-
Intermediate Outcomes
-
If changes in awareness, knowledge, attitudes/beliefs, and skills occur, what behaviors might change? What changes in status — health, educational, economic, housing, safety, environmental — could occur if behaviors change? For example, if enough people quit smoking or never smoke, we can see changes in lung cancer rates. If more children are ready for school, their prospects for graduation and economic stability are greater.
Change in BehaviorsFor example...- Increased / Improved / Decreased [behavior] among [population]
- % increase of [population] who [do this behavior]
- % increase / decrease in [behavior] among [population]
Change in StatusFor example...- % of [population] who increased / decreased / maintained [status]
- % increase / decrease in [status] among [population]
- % of [population] who are / are not [status]
Linking Strategies and Program Outcomes to Promising Practices
DataShare offers another way to explore local, state, and national strategies: the Promising Practices database. This searchable database includes a variety of programs, practices, and policy changes in a way similar to the CORE Continuum of Results and Evidence. In the future, it will include local strategies as well. For now, it is searchable not only by topic (e.g., health, economy, education, environment, etc. — many overlapping with CORE Conditions) but also by primary audience.