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Module E > Improvements   

Program improvement through reporting

Reports improve communication about the program for many audiences:

• Team members: Improve collaboration and morale.
• Institution: See program as part of mission; improve planning.
• Partners:  Improve coordination and accountability.
• Stakeholders: Improve reputation with visitors and supporters by getting credit for your accomplishments.
• Funders: Prove accountable to program funders, cite success as part of your capabilities and experience for future grants.

For each of the activities listed below, what audience(s) are affected?

"Grant announcement: You announce the award of a competitive grant by sending a press release in a letter of congratulations to your board, members, friends, and all in the community who support your institution." :
Funders are glad you’re spreading the word about their award. Team members, your institution and partners are glad for the publicity. Stakeholders think well of you and are alerted to watch for future services. 

"Weekly report: You send a weekly report about creation of a software prototype to all program team members, even those not on the software team." :
Probably only the program team will read this report; it keeps people in different departments and with different functions aware of overall progress. 

"Year One report: You send a Year One report to the granting institution." :
The granting agency probably requires this. But it’s useful to share the report or an executive summary with your institution, your partners and the program team. 

"Feature story: You write a feature story about the program for your newsletter, annual report, or your Web site. Be sure to add a link or web address to any granting agency for users to learn more about the award." :
Any one of your audiences may see this, but the main purpose is to attract attention among stakeholders in the community, especially possible participants. 

"Expanded service: You distribute a press release to news media about expanded service offered as a result of your program." :
Your main audience will be stakeholders in the community, but your announcement might be a part of a report to any of your audiences.  

Press Releases

A special kind of report that can be useful is a press release. And when you highlight outcomes, you are telling the story in terms your community cares about—how you improve their lives. You can get publicity and attract supporters throughout your program by preparing press releases:

• To celebrate a grant starting your program. 
• To announce the rollout of services 
• To report the success of your program.

Write the press release: Indicate who, what, when, where and why. Mine your Logic Model for content.

Distribute your release: Develop relationships with local publications and media that carry stories about programs in the community. Clip or save good examples for a file you keep. Develop a distribution list, including newspapers, television stations, news and wire services, and fax your press release. Follow up with a phone call to confirm receipt and to “pitch” the story. Include a picture if possible.

See each of the photographs below for examples of press releases.

Print Sources

(Example courtesy of the Institute for Museum and Library Services)

 

Public Service Announcements

Radio Public Service Announcement
Script for a Public Service Announcement (10-30 seconds). Courtesy of the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

 

Credibility through reporting outcomes

Another reason to report outcomes is that when you include outcomes, your report gains credibility. Below you can read the original report and an enhanced version of the same report. The additions are highlighted in italics.

Notice what kinds of things have been added.

Original Report

Washington Public Library is pleased to celebrate the end of our summer “Read Along with Me” program. The Read Along with Me program brought together children and their parents for weekly book discussions during July and August.

We all know how special the parent-child bond is. Children love doing things with their parents. Reading is important too! It is fundamental to how well children do in school.

Washington Public Library is happy to have brought this opportunity to the parents and children of our community.

Enhanced Report

Washington Public Library is pleased to celebrate the end of our summer “Read Along with Me” program. The Read Along with Me program brought together over 20 third and fourth graders, and 30 fifth and sixth graders, along with their parents, for weekly book discussions during July and August.
            
We all know how special the parent-child bond is. Children love doing things with their parents. Reading is important too! It is fundamental to how well children do in school.

At the end of August, most of our parents reported that their children had read even more than the four books that each group discussed over the summer. Last year, when we contacted parents in the fall after the family had participated in the program, they said their children’s teachers had noticed improved reading skills, and for a few children, their grades had gone up. The children themselves, too, said they had fun both reading, and spending time with their fathers or mothers.
            
Washington Public Library is happy to have brought this opportunity to the parents and children of our community.

 

What is success?

Library final reports show the program generally meeting or exceeding the targets set for success. But what if your program doesn’t? Can the report still be a success?

A good report includes an honest accounting of what happened plus an analysis of why you succeeded, as well as where you fell short. It allows others to learn from the experience.

Most important, a good report allows YOU to learn from the experience. Question your lack of success to learn from it. 

• What didn’t happen? Fixable? (Yes/No, but…)
• What did happen? Avoidable? (Yes/No, but…)
• How close did you get?
• Did you achieve a valuable Y instead of the intended X?
• What will you do differently?

 

Mid-course corrections

Consider the following comments in a final report. As you develop your logical Planning Model and plan your reports, consider how early reports could help you make mid-course corrections.

What didn’t happen? Fixable?
We didn’t reach our goal for participants. How could we have fixed this? Bigger groups to protect against dropout?

What did happen? Avoidable?
A bus strike reduced access for distant families. Could we have avoided this? No, but …could we have suspended the program for a week? Added on an additional week as a repeat?

How close did you get?
We realized we hadn’t planned for attrition, so we increased class size, and improved our numbers, but still missed our target by 2.

Did you achieve a valuable Y?
Didn’t achieve goal but the manual we developed will be a valuable starting place for the future.

What will you do differently in the future?
In retrospect, how would you have adjusted your budget, your staffing, your timing? Add cookies to events for young children. Be sure storyteller comes from the neighborhood. Start the institute between 7 and 14 days after the end of the semester. Adjust targets and future program based on this experience.

 

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