Project Impact

2010

Rationale

• Believing that all organizations grow in the direction of their most persistent inquiries and that what gets measured most likely gets done within an organization, the kinds of questions an organization asks itself are of utmost importance. In other words, the kinds of assessment—not just the presence of assessment—matters. Consequently, an introduction of qualitative assessment modes into the DNA of the YMCA could impact the effectiveness of the YMCA as a human service organization.

Qualitative Analysis

• Currently, most organizations rely heavily on quantitative measures and isolated, illustrative anecdotes to make their case. Good qualitative findings, emerging from the reflections of those most intimate with the work, provides a different and compelling means to justify organizational effectiveness.

The “Big” Question

• What is staff’s vision of a cause driven organization?

Interview Protocol

– How does it feel working for a cause driven organization? How does that add meaning to your work?

– What do you believe to be the most compelling parts of our cause? What part of our cause do you have a hard time connecting with?

– How do you want to contribute to defining the cause? How have you become a believer in the cause?

– How do you see the cause of the Y making a difference in the lives of the staff? What would it take to help the staff “live out” the cause?

– How does our overall community understand our cause? How do you think our cause might most powerfully affect what the community becomes in the future?

– How is our cause visible in our programs? When our programs impact people like we dream, how do you see their effect on the lives of people?

– In your mind, what is the biggest (internal/external) threat to our cause? What makes us vulnerable as an organization to being less cause-driven than we could be?

– What does our Y do that compromises or distracts us from our cause? What causes us as an organization to value things other than our cause?

– How do our means of evaluation and measuring success align with our cause? How does it help us/hinder us from fulfilling our cause?

– When you think about the cause of the Y, what functional areas of our jobs and programs excite you the most and seem to be getting right to the heart of our cause? Which seem peripheral or perfunctory?

– As you look into the future, what kind of impact would be most exciting for you to see us achieve? Who do we need to become collectively in order to have that kind of impact?

Interviewee Pool

• All Vice Presidents of Operations and Executive Directors

• All Association level staff - (professional and support)

• All Department areas would be represented in the pool

• All Senior Program and Program Directors.• All part time staff who have worked 5 years or

more • Total of 136 staff in our pool

Interview Guidelines

• No interviews of direct reports, family members.

• Minimum 45 minutes in length• Minimum of 18 questions asked• Questions asked in “heart triangle”

tandem format

Emerging Themes

• PASSION- “Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who could not hear the music.”-Angela Monet

Emerging Themes

• Business-Cause Dichotomy. Two buckets, carrying one in each arm and trying not to spill.

Emerging Themes

• Currently, Cause is Individually Defined.

Recommendations

• Increase Intentional Communication Implement the practice of intentional listen first conversations internally among all levels of staff to foster conversations that focus on finding out what staff love, know, and are becoming.

• Icebergs begin as Ice Cubes Make all decisions based on the association’s ultimate aims, premises, intended impact, and best means.

• Car without a GPS Utilize the qualitative data collection and analysis protocol on a large scale to determine a collective associational ultimate aim (Box A)

• We know enough to know that we don’t know enough. Train an additional cohort enlisting key staff personnel to assure project mass and proliferation.

Conclusion

Questions?