Supporting Outcome Focused Practice within

Community Learning and Development

 

As part of a consortium led by the Scottish Community Development Centre and including Avante Consulting and Youthlink we were contracted to deliver support to the project.

This involved materials development, event facilitation and support.

Outcome focus practice underpins the ethos of public services.  For CLD the outcomes should reflect its values.

Why does outcome based practice still need attention?

• Despite progress some workers and agencies still confuse outputs and outcomes

• Outcome led practice frequently challenges established output focused culture of performance measurement/management information systems

• Lack of consistent commitment to a learning and continuous improvement culture

• Resistence to:
          - discipline of evidence gathering and recording
          - perceived external bureaucratic obligation

• Understanding intermediate and end outcomes

• Recognising personal, group, community and societal outcomes

• Appreciating and integrating outcome perspectives of stakeholders
          - participants
          - policy makers
          - practitioners

• Some practitioners and agencies still seem confused about the functions of the core support tools, when and how to use them