Framework

Framework: How This Website Connects POLICY With RESULTS

Focus on Results.  Focusing on the results, or priorities, that we want to achieve as a nation for children and families is an approach to developing priorities that can be easily understood and embraced by both policymakers and the general public. Policy priorities based on evidence about achieving results then drive decisions about specific policy options, programs, practices and investment of taxpayer dollars. When policy implementation is anchored by a results framework, policymakers can track progress and make adjustments as needed to achieve better outcomes for children and families in a transparent and common-sense way.

How To Use This Website

The tools in this website are organized using the following framework.    

1. WHAT RESULTS DO YOU WANT?    Priorities and Indicators
   Explains "strong families" or "economic success" and the key components that define this result or priority. Identifies key data indicators available for states to measure their progress.
   

2. HOW ARE YOUR KIDS?    Trends, Root Causes, Projection, and Targets  
   Examine data trends in your state and compare these trends with other states and national averages. Analyze the root causes behind the data with guidance for thinking about data projections and setting targets for improvement.
   

3. WHAT WORKS?   Strategies, Financing, and Success Stories
   Concise and powerful strategies for impacting the population based on research that shows effectiveness. Financing strategies to provide ideas for you to fund these policies. Includes success stories of jurisdictions using the strategies presented here. Government alone can not improve outcomes for children and families, it is important to consider the roles of partners as strategies are developed. Partners include families, private funders, business, the faith community and more.
   

4. HOW CAN YOU ENSURE SUCCESS?   Implementation and Accountability
   Tools for implementation and monitoring accountability.

Cross-cutting Tools   

 

• Strategies for protecting kids and families during major fiscal challenges. This resource provides guidance for how states can maximize federal resources and approach budget balancing while at the same time protecting the well-being of children and families.
  
  
• Tools: Self-assessments, check lists, printable summaries or diagnostic tools and other help for users of the site.

What Are Results? 

 

Results are what you want to achieve for children and families. They are goals at the 100,000-foot-level that require the work of many agencies, organizations and people to achieve.   

Questions To Consider

• What results or goals does your state want to accomplish for children and families?

• How will you know if your children and families are thriving?

• How do you know that these results are important to your constituents?                                                                                       

What You Need To Know

• Focusing on results helps build consensus. Helping everyone focus on the goal creates common ground and sets a strong, achievable course for the future.    

• Results can mobilize public support for change. Results are ambitious goals that people can work both individually and collectively to accomplish.

• Progress leads to more progress. Improvement of one result usually has a positive impact on others.