THE RESULTS-BASED

ACCOUNTABILITY™ GUIDE
The Results-Based Accountability™ Guide uses and is based upon concepts and
materials developed by Mark Friedman, author of Trying Hard is Not Good Enough
(Trafford 2005) and founder and director of the Fiscal Policy Studies Institute.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 Introduction 02
What is Results-Based Accountability™? 2
How does RBA Work? 2
Why use RBA? 2
What is the RBA Guide? 2

02 The RBA Turn-the-Curve Template 03

03 Step-by-Step RBA Turn-the-Curve Process 04

What is the end? 4
How are we doing? 5
What is the Story Behind the Curve? 6
Who are partners who have a role to play in Turning The Curve? 7
What works to Turn the Curve? 7
What do we propose to do to Turn the Curve? 8

04 An Accountability Tool 09

05 Boost Your RBA Implementation With the Right Software 10

Built-In RBA Training 10
Foster Transparency and Accountability 11
Support the Population /Performance Accountability Distinction 11
Collaboration 11
Turn the Curve Action Planning 11

Appendix A 12
Introduction 12
What are Performance Measures? 12
Sorting Performance Measures:The Data Quadrant 12
Step 1 How much did we do? 13
Step 2 How well did we do it? 13
Step 3 Is anyone better off? 14
Selecting Headline Performance Measures 14

06 Resources 16

01 The Results-Based Accountability Guide - 2022 Clear Impact ©

 01
INTRODUCTION
What is Results-Based Accountability™?
Results-Based Accountability™ (RBA) is a disciplined way of thinking and taking action used
by communities to improve the lives of children, families and the community as a whole. RBA is
also used by agencies to improve the performance of their programs

How Does RBA work?

RBA starts with “ends” and works backwards, step-by-step, towards “means.” For communities,
ends are the conditions of well-being we want for children, families, adults, or the community. For
example, ends could be “residents get and keep good jobs,” “children are ready for school,” or
“our neighborhood is clean and safe.” Ends can be even more specific than that, like “our public
spaces are graffiti-free” or “our neighbors know each other.” These types of ends are referred to as
Results. For programs, ends are how our customers are better off when the program works the way
it should. For example, an end for a program could be “% of people in the job training program
who get and keep good paying jobs” or “% of children in our afterschool program with improved
reading scores.” These types of ends are referred to as “Performance Measures.”

Why Use RBA?

RBA improves the lives of children, families, and communities and the performance of programs
because it:

Gets from talk to action quickly

Is a simple, common sense process that anyone can understand
Helps groups to surface and challenge assumptions that can be barriers to innovation
Builds collaboration and consensus
Uses data and transparency to ensure accountability for both the well-being of children,
families and communities and the performance of programs.

What is the RBA Guide?

The RBA Guide includes a brief overview of
the framework’s most important ideas. You
can use the RBA Guide to lead or facilitate a
group in using the framework to improve
decision-making. The RBA Guide is
ultimately a road map to help you navigate
the complete RBA decision-making process,
step-by-step.

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 THE RBA “TURN-THE-CURVE” TEMPLATE 02
This template is an overview of the step-by-step RBA Turn-the-Curve decision-making
process.

What is the “end”? How are we doing?

01 Choose either a Result and Indicator
or a Performance Measure
02 Graph the historic baseline and forecast
for the Indicator or Performance Measure.

100

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

What is the Story Behind the Curve of the baseline?

03 Briefly explain the Story Behind the Curve (i.e., the contributing and limiting factors that are most
strongly influencing the curve of the data baseline.

Who are partners who have a role to play in Turning the Curve?
04 Identify partners who might have a role to play in Turning the Curve of the baseline.

What works to Turn the Curve?

05 Determine what would work to Turn the Curve of the baseline. Include no-cost/low-cost strategies.

What do you propose to do to Turn the Curve?

06 Determine what you and your partners propose to do to Turn the Curve of the baseline.

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 STEP-BY-STEP RBA TURN-THE-CURVE 03
PROCESS
The following is a step-by-step guide for conducting an RBA decision-making process
to get from talk to action.

01What is the end?

The starting point in Turn-the-Curve decision making is to identify the desired “end.” First,
determine if your end is:
(1) to improve the quality of life for a Population (Population Accountability)
(2) to improve how well a program, agency or service system is performing (Performance
Accountability).1
If the focus is Population Accountability:

Begin by identifying a Population (e.g., all children in a specified county).

Next, ask what quality of life or condition you desire for that Population (e.g., all children in our
county enter school ready to learn). This statement is called a “Result.”
Finally, ask how you will measure whether you are achieving the Result identified in the
previous step. For example, you could create a measure for kindergarten readiness
assessment scores. These measures are called “Indicators.”

To select an Indicator (shoot for 2 or 3 at the most) for a Result, use the following criteria:

COMMUNICATION POWER: PROXY POWER:

Does this Indicator communicate to a Does this Indicator say something of central
broad range of audiences? Would importance about the Result? Is this Indicator a good
proxy for other Indicators? Data tend to run in a
those who pay attention to your work
“herd” (in the same direction). Pick an Indicator that
(e.g., voters, legislators, agency
will tend to run with the herd of all of the other
program officers) understand what this Indicators that could be used (so it is possible to use
measure means? only 1 to 3 Indicators).

(1): Note: This distinction between Population and Performance Accountability allows two different assessments: first, what
efforts and programs should be undertaken to achieve a desired quality of life or “Result” and, second, how well these efforts
and programs are performing. This distinction also recognizes that a single program, agency or service system cannot take
sole responsibility (or credit) for achieving a desired Result.

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 If you are focused on Performance
Accountability:

Begin by identifying the program, agency,

or service system.
Next, select a Performance Measure. There
are three kinds of Performance Measures:

DATA POWER: How much are we doing?

How well are we doing it?
Is there quality data for this Indicator on a timely
Is anyone better off?
basis? To be credible, the data must be consistent
and reliable. And timeliness is necessary to track Appendix A describes the process for developing
progress.2 and selecting Performance Measures.

02How are we doing?

After you have selected your Indicator or Performance Measure, present the corresponding
data on a graph with:

A A historic baseline (a trend line spanning at least 5 years of data, if available).

B A forecast of what the trend line would do assuming there were no changes in your
current level of effort (spanning 3 - 5 future years, if possible).

To provide the forecast, you will need

to complete Step 3, the “Story Behind the
Curve.” Turn the Curve decision-making
involves systematically determining the
best actions to take to improve the forecast
for the baseline - in other words, to Turn
the Curve on the baseline.

(2): Note: If an Indicator is strong on the first two criteria, but data is not available, consider putting that Indicator onto a “Data
Development Agenda.”

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03What is the Story Behind the Curve?
In this section, list the key factors underlying the historic baseline and forecast for the Indicator or
Performance Measure. Identify: (1) contributing factors that are supporting progress and
(2) restricting factors that are hindering progress. Progress is defined as Turning the Curve of the baseline
(or accelerating the curve if it is already headed in the right direction).

FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS

This “Force Field

Analysis” illustrates RESTRICTING FACTORS

how you can view

factors according to
their contributing
and restricting
BASELINE
influences on the CONTRIBUTING FACTORS

curve of the
baseline.

It is important to identify not just the most

immediate and easily observed factors
impacting the baseline (i.e., the “proximate
causes”), but to engage in the kind of rigorous
analysis that will identify the underlying
or more systemic factors (i.e., the “root
causes”). It is also important to conduct
additional research where necessary and
feasible.

Once you’ve identified the root causes,

prioritize those root causes according to
which ones are likely to have the greatest
influence on progress. These causes thus
become the most critical for you to address to
improve progress.

The best format your Force Field Analysis is

bulleted list that lists each root cause on its
own bullet line with a brief underlined header
and a brief description of the root cause.

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04Who are partners who have a
role to play in Turning the Curve?

Identify potential partners who may

have a role to play in improving
progress. The identification of root
causes impacting progress will
often point the way to the types of
partners you should engaged.

05What works to Turn the Curve?

Before developing your strategy to Turn the Curve on the baseline, it is necessary to determine whether you
know what will actually work to Turn the Curve. In this step, it is important to explore the full range of options
for strategies. A strategy may involve the discontinuation of existing activities and the implementation of new
ones. Your strategy should be multi-year and integrated.

The following are criteria to consider in developing potential options to Turn the Curve:

A Does the option address one or more of the root causes you have identified?
The alignment of a proposed option with its root cause provides the rationale for selecting that particular
option. When selecting and prioritizing options, make sure there is a link between the “end” (as measured by
the Indicator or Performance Measure) and the “means” (the strategy).

b Is the proposed option evidence-based?

In most cases you should support your strategy with research or evidence. Figure out what research or other
evidence is available demonstrating that the strategy is viable and that it has a reasonable chance of Turning
the Curve on the baseline. There may be times that data is limited or unavailable. In this case, move forward
using your best judgments and those of experienced professionals.

c Have “no-cost/low-cost” options been developed?

Funding is often a critical need and you must give careful thought to ways to increase funding where
needed. However, it is equally important to explore “no-cost/low-cost” options (i.e., options that may be
pursued with existing resources). This line of inquiry, in turn, can help you surface outdated assumptions that
stand in the way of innovation.

d Is additional research necessary to determine what would work or to identify other options?
When you identify needs for additional information, add it to a "Data Development Agenda" for ongoing
attention.

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06What do we propose to do to Turn the Curve?
Selecting the proposed strategy involves applying four criteria to each of the options: leverage,
feasibility (or reach), specificity, and values.

LEVERAGE: FEASIBILITY (OR REACH):

How strongly will the proposed strategy impact Is the proposed strategy feasible?
progress as measured by the baselines?
Can it be done? This question is the necessary
Given that resources are finite, you must base counterpart to the question of leverage. Questions
your decisions on the dedication of resources to of feasibility should be handled so as not to limit
a proposed strategy on the expected impact of innovation. Sometimes the consideration of an
those resources on progress. One way to gauge apparently infeasible option will be the catalyst in
impact is to assess the importance of the the thinking process that leads to a highly creative
underlying root cause(s) each option is and feasible option. Once you’ve adequately
designed to address. In other words, the explored ways to improve feasibility, you must
strategy that you propose should address the weigh leverage and feasibility and create a
most important root causes identified. It will, balanced strategy. A strategy that has high
therefore, be geared towards having the leverage and high feasibility will, of course, be a
prime candidate for action. The choice among
greatest potential impact on the trend for the
other options, however, will likely involve trade-offs
corresponding baseline. This concept is
between leverage and feasibility and will need to
sometimes referred to as “leverage.”
be weighed accordingly.

SPECIFICITY: VALUES:
Does the strategy include budget details, Is the strategy consistent with the values of the
including implications for future budgets? community and/or agency?

The strategy options should contain budget At this point, you've probably come up with a long
details, including implications for future budgets. list of options and strategies. Some low-cost, some
There should also be a tentative timeline at the no-cost. Some "off the wall." Consider the
very least, that answers "Who?", "What?", "When?", appropriateness of each option with respect to
and "How?" you organization's and community's values.

Once the proposed strategies are selected, list them in order of priority. The best format is a “bullet
list” for each strategy with a brief header that is underlined and a brief description of the strategy.

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 AN ACCOUNTABILITY TOOL 04
The “Turn-the-Curve” template is not meant to be used to produce a static document; rather,
it is intended to be used as a tool. On an ongoing basis, in consultation with key partners, stakeholders should
use the data to assess progress and systematically adjust strategies where necessary to improve progress.
The following schematic, a succinct RBA reporting format, demonstrates the nature of this ongoing process.

Results-Based Accountability™

100%

Result and
Indicator or
Performance
Measure
Data presented as a
graph, with both an
historic baseline and a
forecast.

TIME UNITS (E.G., MONTHS OR YEARS)

STORY BEHIND THE WHAT WE PROPOSE TO DO TO

CURVE IMPROVE PROGRESS
Key factors (positive and negative, Feasible, high-impact actions/strategies with
internal and external) impacting progress specific timelines and deliverables. Partners
(i.e., impacting the curve of the baseline). with roles to play in improving progress.

Monitor both implementation and the baseline for improvement and, as new data are obtained, repeat the process.

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 Boost RBA Implementation with 05
Software
Now that your team has a better understanding of the elements and processes of RBA, you may be
wondering how to get started or how you should store and monitor your Indicators and Performance
Measures. If you’re ready to start designing effective RBA measures, boost your RBA initiatives, get more
organized, and optimize your results, you may want to consider utilizing a data management software
system designed to support RBA.

Clear Impact Scorecard:

(Scorecard) is one data management solution available to you.
Clear Impact Scorecard is the only software system specifically designed to support the RBA implementation process
from start to finish. It's based on decades of RBA implementation and consultation experience to make sure it contains
the essential ingredients for success.

How Scorecard Supports RBA

Scorecard supports the entire RBA training and implementation process from start to finish:

Organizes your data with adherence to the Population/Performance Accountability distinction.

Allows you to make connections between different levels of accountability, roll up data into
aggregates, or get more detailed views through disaggregated data.
Supports transparency and accountability by allowing you to share data and Turn the Curve
plans publicly.
Guides you through the RBA Turn the Curve Thinking process for each measure.
Contains built-in training and support to improve your RBA capacity and guide your
practice.

01Built-In RBA Training

Scorecard’s features are optimal for organizations that
already use RBA in their work, but it can also help those
beginning to understand the framework. Internal
training videos guide users through the most important
processes of RBA and show you how to use the
software to engage in each process.

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02Fosters Transparency and Accountability
The easiest and quickest way to communicate with donors, partners, funders, and the public effectively is
through transparent visualization of data with your accompanying Stories Behind the Curve. To help you do
this, Scorecard allows you to "embed" your data on your website (display your Scorecards within web
pages). These embeds automatically update as you make changes in your account. Scorecard also
supports public sharing via links that you can send via email and social media.

03Supports the Population /Performance Accountability Distinction

Scorecard helps make this distinction clear by allowing you to look at your data on different "levels" while
demonstrating connections between all levels. You will be able to look at your big-picture collaborative
goals, strategies, and data or dive in deeper to manage the lower levels of accountability that contribute to
your big-picture goals.

04Collaboration 05Turn the Curve Action Planning

Data collection becomes more collaborative when Scorecard has a built-in space to develop your
you use Scorecard’s Partner Connect feature to Turn the Curve action plans. When starting with
share data with other Scorecard users. Additionally, data analysis, you can factor in targets, measure
Scorecard allows you to have multiple users polarity (do you want the measure to increase or
participating and using the system together to create decrease?), trend lines, forecasting, and baseline
and manage RBA measures. You can also assign percentage change. Scorecard also provides
actions to individuals, send email notifications, and editable note containers for each step of the Turn
track project completion through interactive progress the Curve thinking process for each measure.
charts.

You can learn more about Scorecard, sign up for a demo, or create your first ten
RBA measures for free at https://clearimpact.com/scorecard

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 APPENDIX A
Performance Measures

Introduction
The selection of Performance Measures is the first and most essential step in the performance planning
process that corresponds to each element of your Population Accountability strategy. The following
directions will assist you in choosing your headline Performance Measures.

What are Performance Measures?

Your agency/division/program provides services that improve, in some way, the quality of life of your
customers/clients/constituents. Performance Measures simply give you the means to know how well the
agency/division/program is doing at providing those services and improving those lives. A good
Performance Measure gives you and your staff the ability to make changes and see whether those
changes improve your performance, that is, your ability to improve customers/clients’ quality of life.

Importantly, Performance The following Data Quadrant, Figure 1, is

a useful tool for sorting and categorizing
Measures are data - they Performance Measures.

quantitatively measure the

Quantity Quality
agency/division/program’s
performance.

Sorting Performance Effort

Measures: The Data

Quadrant
All Performance Measures fit into one of four
categories. The categories, the four quadrants,
are derived from the intersection of quantity
and quality and effort and effect. Effect
The rows separate measures about effort (what
is done and how well) from measures about
effect (the change or impact that resulted).

The columns separate measures about quantity Figure 1

(of the effort or effect) from measures about
quality (of the effort or effect).

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Figure 2 shows how these combinations lead to three universal Performance Measures:
How much did we do? How well did we do it? Is anyone better off? The most important Performance
Measures are those that tell us whether our clients or customers are better off as a consequence of
receiving the services (“client Results,” the lower left and right quadrants). The second most important
measures are those that tell us whether the service or activity is done well (upper right quadrant). The least
important measures are those that tell us what and how much we do. To answer the two most important
questions – to identify candidates for the most important Performance Measures – take the following steps,
using the Data Quadrant.

step: How much did we do? Upper Left Quadrant

First, list the number of clients served. Distinguish different sets of clients as appropriate.
01 Next, list the activities or services the department/division/program performs for its clients.
Each activity or service should be listed as a measure. For example, “child welfare casework”
becomes “# of child welfare cases” or “# of FTEs conducting child welfare case work.” “Road
maintenance” becomes “# of miles of road maintained.” “Stream monitoring” becomes “# of
stream sites monitored.” “Provide health care” becomes “number of patients treated.”

Quantity Quality

How Much We Do
How Well We Do It
How much service did we deliver?
Effort How well did we do it?
#Customers served
% Services/activities performed well
# Services/Activities

Is Anyone Better Off?

What quantity/quality of change for the better did we produce?
Effect
#/% with improvement in:

Skills Attitudes Behavior Circumstances

Figure 2

step: How well did we do it? Upper Right Quadrant

This quadrant is where most traditional Performance Measures are found. For each service
02 or activity listed in the upper left quadrant, choose those measures that will tell you if that
activity was performed well (or poorly). The measures should be specific. For example, these
measures might sound like, "ratio of workers to child abuse/neglect cases"; "percent of
maintenance conducted on time"; "average number of sites monitored per month"; "percent of
invoices paid in 30 days"; "percent of patients treated in less than an hour"; "percent of
training staff with training certification."

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step: Is anyone better off? Lower Left and Lower Right Quadrants

Ask “In what ways are your clients better off as a result of getting the service in question?
03 How would we know, in measurable terms, if they were better off?” Create pairs of measures
(# and %) for each answer. Four categories cover most of this territory: skills/knowledge,
attitude, behavior, and circumstances (e.g., a child succeeding in first grade or a parent fully
employed). Consider all of these categories in developing measures of whether clients are
better off. Examples are: "#/% of child abuse/neglect cases that have repeat child
abuse/neglect"; "#/% of road miles in top-rated condition"; "#/% of cited water quality
offenders who fully comply"; "#/% of repeat audit findings."

Selecting Headline Performance Measures

The key to ensuring that your Performance Measures are useful is to limit the total number of measures
you use. In most cases, you can select 3 to 5 “Headline Measures” from the list of candidate
measures. Usually, headline measures will only include measures from both the upper right and lower
right quadrants. To select these headline measures, rate each candidate measure using the following
three criteria (these are similar to the criteria for selecting Indicators):

Communication Power: Proxy Power:

Does this measure communicate to a Does this measure say something of central importance
broad range of audiences? Would those about your department/division/program? Is this
who pay attention to your work (e.g., measure a good proxy for other measures? For example,
voters, legislators, agency program "reading on grade level" might be considered a proxy for
officers) understand what this measure other measures such as attendance, quality of the
means? curriculum, quality of the teachers, etc.

Data Power:
Do you have quality data for this measure on a timely basis? To be credible, the data must be consistent and
reliable. And timeliness is necessary to track progress. Rate each candidate measure “high,” “medium,” or
“low” for each criterion. Use a chart, like the one shown below, “Selecting Headline Performance Measures.”
The candidate measures that have high ratings for all three criteria are good choices for Headline Measures.
For those measures that are rated high for communication and proxy power, but medium or low for data
power, start a Data Development Agenda. These are measures for which you might want to invest resources
to develop quality data that would be available on a timely basis.

Selecting Headline Performance Measures:

Directions: List candidate Performance Measures and rate each as High, Medium, or Low on each
criterion: Communication Power, Proxy Power, and Data Power.

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 Who pays attention to your work? Does this say Do you have
Who watches what you do? something of central quality data on
importance about a timely basis?
Would they understand your department/
what this measure means? division/program?

CANDIDATE COMMUNICATION PROXY DATA

MEASURES POWER POWER POWER

H H H

H H L

HEADLINE PERFORMANCE MEASURE DATA DEVELOPMENT AGENDA

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Learn More
We hope you found The
RBA Guide to be a valuable
resource on your journey to
measurable results! You can
learn more about how to
effectively implement RBA
at the following links:

RESOURCES:
Access More In-Depth RBA Resources and How-Tos

Become a Results-Based Accountability Certified Professional

Access Turn the Curve Action Plan Examples

Access a Sampling of RBA Success Stories

Learn More About Virtual and In-Person RBA Training

Create, Store, and Improve Your RBA Measures

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