Making outcomes theory more concrete – checklist for assessing outcomes systems April 21, 2009
Posted by Paul Duignan in : Accountability, Attribution, Communicating outcomes models, Doing evaluation more efficiently, Measurement, Outcomes models, Outcomes systems architecture, Outcomes theory, Reporting systems, Strategic planning, Using the approach , trackbackMost normal people would think that it’s very very obscure, but I’ve just put up a Checklist for Analyzing Outcomes Systems in the Outcomes Theory Knowledge Base and it’s a very exciting development. Up until now the Outcomes Theory Knowledge Base has consisted of a set of articles which outline various aspects of outcomes theory. Outcomes theory is a general theory which covers all types of outcomes systems. Outcomes systems are any type of performance management system, results-base system, monitoring system, evaluation system, outcomes-focused contracting system, or strategic planning system (the term even includes evidence-based practice systems). Such systems have, in the past, been seen as somewhat different types of things without a common theory existing to analyze them. Outcomes theory is based on the insight that we can theorize them as a common type of system and then use the theory to work out how such systems should be best structured. This approach becomes powerful at the moment that we can start applying it to actual real-world outcomes systems. This is the role of the checklist I’ve just developed.
The checklist takes some of the key aspects of outcomes theory and lays them out in the form of a checklist which we can then use to analyze the functioning of any particular outcomes systems. Once we can do this, we can then use it to quickly pin-point where the problems are occurring in any outcomes system. Of course, we identify these problems in cases where there is a negative answer for a checklist item in regard to the outcomes system which is being analyzed. If we want to fix the problem, we simply amend the system so that it will conform to what is required by the checklist item.
So when I get a minute, I will start putting up some analyzes of particular outcomes systems using the checklist. The checklist is here. If you have any comments, put them up on the article.
Paul Duignan, PhD
Outcomes and Evaluation Blog (OutcomesBlog.org)
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