2) Accountability

Accountability is the ability to show that the work that you do “makes a difference” – that you are achieving your mission. When you do this, you are said to be "accountable." Logic Models, and by extension Outcomes Frameworks, are essential for program accountability. In order to be accountable for our use of resources, CentroNía programs must demonstrate that we are meeting the goals, and that meeting the goals is achieving our mission.

Logic models are formal declarations of program goals, outcomes, and measures, and therefore lay out the means by which a program may be judged for accountability purposes. This Outcomes Framework provides us with Logic Models for each department and a link between the Logic Models and its main Mission. Then, we and others (e.g., stakeholders and funders) can use this Outcomes Framework to evaluate the “chain” of accountability from individual outcomes to Macro Outcomes to Core Values to Mission.

Another advantage is that the Outcomes Framework assists programs and funders with evaluation. This Outcomes Framework will allow us to demonstrate the breadth and depth of the evaluation plan and outcomes measures to both current and future funders. We could approach future funders with already-in-process evaluations and measures that are standards-based. This, in turn, may help us reduce their overall measurement and evaluation burden, and limit redundancies in measurement.