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Co-Creating Standardized Outcomes for
Disaster Recovery
The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance (Disaster Alliance) brought together its Core and Community nonprofit partners for a collaborative workshop to co-create shared, standardized outcomes for future disaster recovery grants. By working together to define common measures of success, the Disaster Alliance can more clearly demonstrate the collective impact of our region’s recovery efforts, ensure consistent reporting across partners while elevating their unique strengths, and improve our ability to communicate its effects.
Continue reading to learn how this interactive session fostered learning, brainstorming, and consensus-building so the Disaster Alliance can share a stronger, unified story of recovery and resilience.
Outcomes vs. Outputs
The workshop began with context-setting exercises and discussions to help attendees understand the difference between outcomes and outputs. For nonprofits, measuring outcomes and outputs is key to showing impact, improving programs, and building trust with funders and the community. It helps guide strategy, ensures accountability, and keeps staff and volunteers motivated by highlighting the difference their work makes.
Outputs
Since outputs show what a service or program is doing, it’s helpful to start with a number to give a quick snapshot. Understanding these numbers matters because it shows the real, everyday effect of a program. A good output should always include:- How much or how many: The number of people helped or activities done
- What was provided: The service, support, or action given
- Who benefited: The group of people impacted
There are several ways to measure outputs. Below are key considerations to keep in mind when evaluating them:
- Types of clients: Who or what does your organization’s service help?
- Efficiency: How quickly was your service delivered to the client?
- Period of time: How much time did the client spend receiving your services?
- Volume of work: The number of clients that received your services.
- Frequency of services: How often did the client need your service?
- Average cost of services: What was the average cost to the organization per client served?
Outcomes
Outcomes focus on the changes an organization hopes to achieve. They are more client-centered and should describe the changes in people due to the services provided. Crafting clear outcome statements is essential, and should include:- Who is affected: The people or group benefiting
- Action: A present-tense verb describing the change
- Result: What you want to happen or improve
While an example of an output could be, ‘The number of individuals that attended the Disaster Preparedness and Resilience clinic,’ an outcome measurement could be ‘The number or percentage of people who attended the clinic that reported an increased feeling of preparedness.’ In this case, the number of individuals is the target group impacted, attended is the verb or action, and the result is an improved sense of disaster readiness. Some common data that is collected to measure outcomes are:
- New knowledge or increased skill: How many or what percentage of clients learned about a specific skill from an organization’s program?
- Change in attitude or modified behavior: How many or the percentage of clients that completed or conducted a specific action due to participation in an organization’s service.
- Improved condition: How many or what percentage of clients report the service provided by an organization was beneficial to them?
Approaches to Developing Outputs and Outcomes
Here’s a breakdown of the core elements needed when developing outputs and outcomes:- Tailored or standardized: Can be developed internally or mirror an industry standard
- External stakeholder feedback: Input from clients and community (external points of view)
- Collaborative input*: Brainstorm session with a diverse group of staff and leadership (internal points of view).
- Articulates impact: Communicates the purpose and value of your service
*The purpose of the workshop was to obtain collaborative input for the Disaster Alliance.
Challenges with Measuring Outputs and Outcomes
Common challenges to measuring outputs and outcomes are:
- Unclear language: If language is vague or not clear, results can be skewed. To combat this, share it with a stranger to see if your output or outcome is clear.
- Developed in isolation: When only one or two individuals create an output or outcome, an organization will miss out on the opportunity to gain external points of view.
- Irrelevant: The output or outcome should apply to your service, program, or mission. This relevancy is essential to help share an organization’s value.
- Fragmented: When an organization is trying to measure too many things, including numbers.
Co-Creating Standardized Outcomes for Disaster Alliance Nonprofit Partners
Since its inception, the Disaster Alliance has faced challenges in consistently tracking outcomes. By co-developing the outcomes with key nonprofit partners, the Disaster Alliance now seeks to balance the unique capabilities of each organization while collectively telling a more unified story of impact.
Attendees participated in one of three breakout sessions organized by program areas relevant to disaster response: home repair, emergency financial assistance, and disaster resource navigation. Each group collaborated to propose approximately ten standardized outcomes for their respective areas. Following the small group discussions, all attendees reconvened to review and vote on their preferred outcomes to arrive at three to five outcomes per category. These selected outcomes will serve as options for future grantees when administering these services for future disaster funds.
Below are the top potential outcomes by program area, as voted on by all workshop participants:
Emergency Financial Assistance
- 70% of clients report reduced financial strain or stress due to emergency financial assistance.
- 70% of clients report that emergency financial assistance was provided in a way that was accessible or low barrier.
- 70% of clients report that emergency financial assistance contributed to their household’s recovery.
- 70% of emergency financial assistance clients receive assistance within seven days from intake to payment.
- 75% of clients are referred to outside programs to meet additional needs.
Home Repair
- The percentage of repaired systems (roof, electrical, HVAC) that are safe and functional at completion.
- The percentage or number of families that feel better prepared or safer for the next disaster.
- The percentage of clients reporting satisfaction with the repairs.
- The percentage of families who are now weatherization ready.
Resource Navigation
- Percentage of clients who feel they got connected to the resources they needed post disaster.
- Percentage of clients that move from active crisis to stability post disaster after receiving services.
- Navigators or internal staff connected clients with at least three resources the client self-identified as needing.
- The percentage of navigators or internal staff who feel confident and knowledgeable about available resources within the network.
Collaborating for Success
The insights that the Disaster Alliance gained by hosting this workshop were invaluable. By co-creating potential standardized outcomes for all Disaster Alliance nonprofit partners, the Disaster Alliance will have consistent benchmarks to help comprehend the whole picture. When the Disaster Alliance — and it’s grantees —can more clearly demonstrate the collective impact of our region’s recovery efforts, it strengthens its ability to communicate results to funders, stakeholders, and the community it serves.
To learn more about the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance, visit www.disasteralliance.org.
