Developing a Plan for Measurable Success

Steps in Developing a Measurable Plan

1. Revisit research and development.

In the research and development process, did the station really get at the core of the community's needs? To revisit the community's needs:

• Ask open-ended questions:

  —what's working?

  —what's not working?

  —what can we do to fix it?

• Direct those questions to a wide range of people:

  —service providers;

  —those intended to be served; and

  —the broader community.

2. Determine whether your plan is feasible.

For a plan to have a measurable outcome, it must first be feasible. After determining what the community needs, ask:

• does our present plan address those needs?
  
• is the plan passive, or is there a call to action?
  
• does the plan make use of the strengths of both partners?
  
• could these results be achieved in another, easier fashion?
  
• can we really do what we say we will do?
  
• will each action we plan help us reach our intended goal?
  
• will we be able to describe what happened when we are done?

3. Ask whether your plan will reach the targeted audience.

• how can the partner(s) make sure the targeted audience is reached?

• how can the station make sure the targeted audience is reached?

• what kind of community activity is under way to address the problem?

• what issues might the news media cover that haven't been addressed or understood by the public?

• what resources do you and your organizations offer to help the public become engaged in the issue?

• how can the public become involved in problem-solving around the issue?

• who else should be involved to solve this problem?

4. Make sure partners' roles produce measurable results.

Partners are not just supporters-they're stakeholders in the project as well. Strive for an equal balance of effort and results among partners. Remember: "The Community Owns the Problem and Solution."

5. Make sure your project can be measured both quantitatively and qualitatively.
Quantitative Measures

Gathering quantitative information is the most direct way to measure what happened. One way for stations and partners to track the results of their project is to count any of the following:

• numbers of brochures distributed;
  
• increase in hotline calls;
  
• number of people who attend a forum;
  
• amount of press coverage;
  
• number of new clients;
  
• number of new listeners; and
  
• number and value of new station memberships.

If, upon reviewing your proposal, you find that you're measuring success only by counting, expand your horizons. Here are some of the shortcomings of relying on quantitative measures alone:

• they encourage short-term thinking, as in "If we can only get 200 people to six town meetings then we will reach 1200 people;
  
• numbers can be fudged or misinterpreted. If the same 150 "insiders" attended all six town hall meetings, then only 300 new people actually attended the meetings, not the 1200 reported; and
  
• they tell nothing about results. Distributing 50,000 brochures doesn't tell how those who read them responded to the message.

Qualitative Measures

Assessment tools such as surveys, questionnaires, and evaluation forms are frequently used to gather qualitative information. If you know what you hope to achieve with your project, you can formally ask community partners and listeners for feedback on the campaign. To find out how the community responded to the effort, partners could distribute assessment tools, including postcards attached to outreach materials or evaluation forms handed out at events.
In larger-scale campaigns aimed at raising public awareness, the station can use surveys to measure changes in awareness. For example, a random sampling of listeners could answer questions about the issue before and after the outreach campaign.

6. Capacity building is a measure of success.

If your effort is a part of a long-term initiative, you need to be able to talk about the role you played in promoting the effort and your vision for the future.

7. Measure success in the final report and follow-up.

Grantees' final reports should reflect what happened in qualitative and quantitative terms. Revisit the project timeline, benchmarks and outcomes. Return to the original goal and visualizations at the project's end, and honestly describe what did/didn't work in the partnership and the campaign.
Continuous Learning and Improvement

The first time a station engages in outreach, it is on a steep learning curve. Everything is new. What you learn through this endeavor is the foundation for your station's future outreach success. The key to making the process easier next time is to use this experience to work smarter, not harder. To benefit the station and the partner, go beyond describing what happened this time, and tell what you learned and how you would do things differently next time.

Proof of Performance

Make a clear plan to let funders, community partners, staff and listeners know what you have achieved. Suggest that partners tell constituents about the partnership's success. Be sure to congratulate your partners in a public way for their roles in the project's success. This can lead to greater visibility within the community and even to potential new funding sources.
What are 10 ways for stations to optimize outreach results?