Measurements of Success

Beginning January 2007 PFI revamped its outcomes management system to make it a more effective tool in measuring effectiveness of services, efficiency of services, consumer access to services and consumer and stakeholder satisfaction with services and increasing its effectiveness as a management tool for the Company.

Measurable annual goals were set at this time and, where possible, the previous year’s results were calculated as a way of measuring effectiveness and progress.

Included in the changes to the outcomes management system was a requirement to review and analyze progress at six months and at the end of the year, making any decisions necessary to improve services, efficiency, access or satisfaction. This is the six month review of the plans and goals set in January 2007. At the end of the year another review will take place and new goals set for the following year.

Most of the plans include measurable goals we can review, revise, and assess for accomplishment and effectiveness. These include:

1. Strategic Plan
2. Job Connection Outcome Management Report
3. Vocational Services Outcome Management Report
4. Accessibility Plan
5. Technology and Systems Report
6. Personnel Turnover and Wage and Salary Survey Report

There are also some reports being presented which do not have specific goals that were set in January, but present information necessary to accurately evaluate important aspects of the business or the people we serve. These include:

1. Demographic report of the people we serve including age, sex, race and an estimate of income to determine how many are above or below the poverty line. This is compared to the same statistics for Mendocino County as a whole and the State of California as a whole. This is to determine if we are serving a representational demographic profile of our community and tries to determine if not, why not, and what if anything should be done organizationally to remedy the situation.

2. Personnel turnover rate and wage/salary report. This report shows the total number of personnel who left employment with PFI and their stated reason. It shows how many employees were lost to competitive jobs or other reasons. It also compares PFI’s wage and benefit programs to other non-profits in Northern California and presents some strategies for increasing and maintaining employee satisfaction and retention.

3. All these reports are included in the Board Package for review and discussion. This will serve as an over view and analysis of the information contained in the reports.

Taking the reports one at a time, results are:

Strategic Plan

1. Promoting participation in the community by the people we serve. Four goals were set. Two of these goals were accomplished, one was partially accomplished and one not accomplished. The partially accomplished goal was to serve both adult and non-adult consumers and PFI is legally restricted from serving consumers under eighteen years of age. The non-completed goal is to explore a 24-7 service for care and community inclusion. There has been no need or interest expressed at the regional center level. Exploration is continuing.

2. Achieve financial stability and predictability. Seven goals were set,
a. Three goals were fully met, four goals have not been met yet. These include retiring $350,000 in debt with the sale of Harrison St. House. The property has not sold yet but is expected to by Dec. 2007. Final reports and filings are happening now.
b. Build a $100,000 reserve. $60,000 is in place with the remainder dependent on selling Harrison St. House.
c. Moving the furniture annex next to the Thrift Store. This canÕt be done due to zoning and the requirement for a licensed facility, which the current one is.
d. Move the Community Connection to Cypress St. This could not be accomplished because of the licensing requirements stated above.

3. Attract and keep dedicated, talented, caring and experienced staff. a. Nine goals were set to help achieve this. Seven were met and continue to be worked and two were partially or not met.
b. Partially met was bringing all personnel into compliance with the wage and salary survey as soon as financially possible, Some personnel have been brought into compliance and others have been moved toward compliance. Full compliance is defined as each job description average equaling the survey average. Progress continues as finances allow.
c. Not accomplished is budgeting at least a 10% increase in payroll to help come into compliance. Finances have not allowed for this yet, and this goal was set before receiving the survey, which showed that in some job categories PFI was not as far out of compliance as we had thought originally.

4. Create and maintain open and honest two way communications. a. Six goals were set in this area. Of those, three have been met, two have been partially met and one has not been met.
b. The partially met goals were to publish two more Progress newsletters in 2007. One was completed and mailed in late April and the second is in early production now for mailing in late September/early October. The second partially met goal is to survey all consumers, stakeholders, customers and employees. Consumer and customer surveys are completed. Still left to complete are other stakeholder and employee surveys. The third partially met goal is to sponsor four fundraisers through the Board of Directors in 2007. Two have already been completed; a dance and the Hoity Toity Fashion show, and two more are in planning (raffle and golf tournament) for completion by the end of the year.
c. Not met was the goal of scheduling two Path type meetings in 2007. These have been difficult to schedule due to other staff priorities.

PFI staff has made great progress in achieving the strategic goals set out in January 2007 as well as in specific department goal achievement, reported separately. For some goals set in January it became apparent, after working on them, that they were not achievable. These goals were:

1. Move the furniture annex, staff and consumer staff to the space adjacent to the thrift store or other appropriate retail space.
a. This became unattainable because the Community Connection needs to keep the space as a licensed facility.
b. The Furniture Annex has, however, increased hours and days of operation which is beginning to increase revenue, which was the intent, if not the specific tactic, of the goal.

2. Move the Community Connection into Cypress Street or a more convenient location to down town. This was a goal in conjunction to one above, and, for the same reasons, is not achievable at this time.

Other goals which still could be accomplished will probably not be accomplished by the end of the year for a number of factors, not the least of which is staff time in the light of another CARF survey coming in October/November. These include:

1. Explore the possibilities of providing 24-7 service where required for care giving and community inclusion.
a. Serious advocacy for this by PFI to the regional center has not taken place so far, aside from raising the topic in conversation.
b. A service design and business plan will need to be completed and submitted to RCRC with a rate structure. This will take time which is now being spent on writing and negotiation the new service L.I.F.E On the Coast for which PFI received a start up grant from RCRC, and CARF preparation.
2. Schedule and hold two Path type meetings in 2007. After analysis it is recommended that the not accomplishable goals stated above be dropped from the tracked strategic goal list and that the goals identified as still accomplishable, but not in 2007 be left on the list with a changed goal date of December 2008. Responsible person for goal accomplishment in the Strategic Plan is Rick Moon, Executive Director.

The Job Connection’s Outcomes Management Report is divided into four areas of measurement. They are service effectiveness, efficiency, access and satisfaction. There were eight goals set in January 2007, six annual and two semi-annual goals.

1. Service Effectiveness. There were three annual goals set for service effectiveness. At the half year point all three goals have been exceeded. These were new goals so previous year’s percentages are not available.

2. Service Efficiency. There was one goal set for service efficiency. This was Percentage of placements made within 90 days of referral. The goal was 75% of placements would be made within 90 days. For the first six months 68% were placed within the first 90 days. This was a new goal so previous year’s percentage is not available.

3. Service Access. There were two goals set for access to services. Both goals have been exceeded for the first six months of the year. One was a semi-annual goal and one an annual goal. Both goals also had last years percentages, which were also exceeded for the first six months of this year.

4. Service Satisfaction. There were two goals set for satisfaction of services, one on satisfaction of services by consumers and the other satisfaction of stakeholders. Both measurements are done by survey. Both surveys are still in process and will be reported separately to goal if the results are not in by the Board Meeting date.

Job Connection has made great strikes in improving services and reporting practices. Surveys are not in yet, but so far only one goal was not exceeded, and this goal did not have historical data to draw upon. While a goal of 75% of placements being made within 90 days was set, 68% was achieved, which seems at least very respectable. With more data at the end of the year, we can analyze better the causes of not placing 100% within 90 days and what actions, if any, we should implement if we decide a higher rate is indeed possible.

Jessica Newell, Job Connection Manager, is responsible for implementing, reporting on and meeting these goals.

Vocational Services Outcomes Management Report

Vocational Services has nine outcomes goal, five annual, three semi-annual and one monthly. These goals are also divided into service effectiveness, efficiency, access and satisfaction.

1. Service effectiveness. There are two annual and one semi-annual goal in effectiveness. All goals were exceeded for the first six months of the year and exceeded last year’s percentages as well.

2. Service efficiency. There is one monthly goal for service efficiency. The goal is to provide actual services on 85% of authorized services days. Actual for the first six months of this year has been 84% of authorized service days and for 2006 it was 74%.

3. Service Access. There are two goals set for service access, both bi-annual. Both goals were exceeded and one exceeded last years actual. The second goal was new and last years percentage is not available.

4. Service Satisfaction. There are two annual goals for service satisfaction. One of the goals was exceeded for the first six months of the year and also exceeded last yearÕs percentage. The other goal, Percentage of customer stakeholders who give a satisfaction rating in the top 30th percentile on survey is new and did not meet the goal of 85%, with survey results coming in at 83%. Last year’s percentage is not available.

Vocational Services has real, measurable goals which are routinely being met. Two of the goals were not met, but missed by only one to two percentage points. It is believed that with the consistency now being maintained these goals will also be met and exceeded by the end of the year.

Mike Berry, Vocational Services Manager, is responsible for implementing, reporting on and meeting these goals.

Technology Report

The technology report exposed one problem that needed to be addressed. This was the need for a new, easier method of doing backup of individual desktop computers. Research has been completed and new Jump Discs will be purchased for individuals to use one their desktops for backup purposes. This will be accomplished by September 1, 2007.

Responsible person is Rick Moon, Executive Director.

Personnel Turnover Rate and Wage/Salary Report

While the overall turnover rate of personnel at PFI was 36% for the year July 2006 through June 2007 it is still significantly below the national average of 35% to 70% per year, depending on the type of direct services being provided. An analysis shows that turnover due to unknown causes or losing an employee to another competitive job, however, was only 4.25%, while reorganization, poor performance, medical and relocating out of the area was 23.4% and personal, not job related was 8.5%.

Taking personal/not job related and unknown/found another job as possible loss of employees because of poor job satisfaction the worst case possibly preventable turn over rate was 12.8%.

Four goals have been set for maintaining and possibly further improving unwanted employee turnover. All of these goals have been met and are continuing.

Responsible person is Rick Moon, Executive Director.

A wage survey has been received and analyzed. It shows that PFI ranks very high in benefits paid, but under average in most job descriptions for salaries paid. In some cases this is fairly minimal and in some cases it is by a large amount. In spite of this, turnover has been low. The problem is that the largest discrepancies are in the management and supervisor job categories, who are the most highly trained and most key personnel in the organization. Because of their experience, they are also the most likely to command more on the open job market than PFI is currently able to provide. As finances continue to improve steps will be taken to lessen this gap. Goals toward this end have also been set in the strategic plan for 2007.

Consumer Demographics

PFI has no goals concerning Consumer demographics. PFI statistics on race and gender generally fall within Mendocino County parameters except for American Indian, reporting two or more races, Hispanic and persons aged over 65. This is primarily due to the American Indian population in Mendocino County being predominately inland, there obviously being many persons of mixed race in all categories but PFI not specifically noting or reporting mixed race people and, while the PFI population base is growing in age, no one has reached sixty five yet, although there are six people in their fifties and two in their sixties, out of a total population of 44.

It is not believed that PFI should, or for that matter could, take any actions to change its demographic profile. All people who are served are referred to PFI by either the Regional Center or the Department of Rehabilitation, PFI does not solicit for its own referrals or offer services for hire on the open market. PFI demographics, therefore, actually reflect the Regional CenterÕs and DORÕs referral demographics rather than itÕs own generated demographics.

PFI has not reported financial demographics, such as household income, individual income and percentage above and below the poverty line because it does not have access to that information for a large part of the population it serves. To report and estimate based on best available information and innuendo would seem to be counter productive. Intuition, however, since most consumers served earn at or below minimum wage, seems to indicate that the population is generally low income, however household incomes may vary dramatically from consumer to consumer.