Outcomes Assessment and the Paradox of Nonprofit Accountability

David A. Campbell

126 citations0/0 files storedNonprofit Management and Leadership

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Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering Public Policy and Administration Research Community Development and Social Impact

Abstract

Abstract Leaders of nonprofit organizations face a particular bind in responding to the demands for results‐based accountability. If they focus only on the project‐level outcomes over which they have the most control or for which indicators are readily available, they risk default on the larger question of accountability to publicly valued goals. On the other hand, if they try to demonstrate the impact of their particular projects on communitywide outcomes, they risk taking credit inappropriately or shouldering the blame for indicators beyond their control. Here, I present findings from a research project, conducted in collaboration with economic development organizations on the north coast of California, that explored the practical demands and dynamics associated with this paradox. The key challenges are more civic and political than technical.

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References

2018Utilization-Focused Evaluation 1992Coming to Public Judgment: Making Democracy Work in a Complex World.1991Resource Interdependence: The Relationship between State Agencies and Nonprofit Organizations 1998Measuring Program Outcomes: A Practical Approach 1992The Case for Performance Monitoring 1987Exploring the Limits of Privatization 1996Managing for Accountability: Preserving the Public Trust in Public and Nonprofit Organizations 1999Reinventing Government in the American States: Measuring and Explaining Administrative Reform

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