results based accountability (RBA) Initiative
CYSA is partnering with the State Department of Education and The Charter Oak Group, LLC to develop a Results Based Accountability (RBA) Framework for Youth Service Bureaus statewide.
The Connecticut State Legislature has adopted RBA and state agencies have begun to use the RBA framework for the development of strategic plans and budgets. What does that mean for YSBs? RBA will be applied to the SDE cost-sharing grant for YSBs. CYSA members were identified to participate in a pilot program to develop the RBA framework with SDE and The Charter Oak Group, LLC. That work has resulted in draft data collection forms for the YSB grant that are currently being reviewed at CYSA Chapter meetings. When finalized these forms will become a regular part of the YSB grant reports. The data collected from those reports will demonstrate not only the cost effectiveness of YSB programs and services but will also demonstrate that Connecticut children, youth and their families are better off as a result of participation in those programs and services.
RBA is “a disciplined way of thinking and taking action that can be used to improve the quality of life in communities, cities, counties, states and nations. RBA can also be used to improve the performance of programs, agencies and service systems” (Friedman, Mark. Trying Hard Is Not Good Enough, How to Produce Measureable Improvements for Customers and Communities. Trafford Publishing, 2005). For those who use it, RBA creates a common language, enhances decision making based upon analysis of data, uses common sense measures to identify what works and tells the user whether or not programs or services really make a difference in the lives of the people served.
