Nonprofit Organizational Assessment

[businesses] to increase these values,' giving way to unintended consequences. Lastly,
comprehensiveness is contingent upon measurement of resources available, as well as
any existing data problems.
Challenging Outcomes to Measure
Prevention Programs- (How does one measure the number of incidences
prevented?)
Basic Research and long range planning activities- (Outcomes may take years to
surface)
Programs with anonymous customers- (Ex: Hotlines)
Programs in which major outcomes apply to a very small number of events
Control Systems in the Workplace
Companies encourage independence and innovation among employees in order to
remain competitive, but in an effort to avoid unnecessary risk and control failures,
companies must also put in place mechanisms to monitor employee progress. Included
here are four major types of control levers or systems that enable managers to reconcile
employee autonomy with effective control.
Diagnostic Control Systems- Building and supporting clear targets
Belief Systems- Communicating company core values and mission
Boundary Systems- Specify and enforce rules of the game
Interactive Control Systems- Open organizational dialogue to encourage learning
Contracting-Out and Collaboration
When organizations (usually in the public sector) do not have the internal capacity to
complete their mission contracting-out occurs. An analysis of the capacities, the
contract or agreement, and the relationship between collaborating stakeholders is
conducted. Analysis of contracting-out and/or collaborations can ensure goals are met
successfully prior to the beginning of a partnership, and correct inefficiencies throughout
the time frame of the collaboration.
The analysis should examine collaboration in three categories: capacity, the agreement,
and the relationship. When analyzing the capacities of the collaborating organizations,
examine the contractor’s capacity to deliver and meet contract service requirements.
Explore the history of work and past successes as well as the financial standing of the
contractor. The organization that is contracting out should have the ability (now and in
the future) for monitoring, knowing when the contractor has fulfilled the contract, and
for capacity building.
An analysis of the agreement, or contract, should look for several indicators of future
success. The contract should be compatible with the mission statements of the
collaborating organizations. Adequate funding for completion of the contract is
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