Measurement Tips and Resources

This document is an introductory resource for new and seasoned Community Action for a 

Renewed Environment (CARE) communities looking for ways to measure progress made by 

their community projects. To receive a cooperative agreement under the CARE program, all 

grantees propose ways of measuring what they expect to achieve through their funded 

activities. This document gives a few basic measurement principles and some tips. Throughout 

the document we share examples and suggest resources for additional information. 

Basic principles 

• Establish measures of success for your work based on your workplan goals and strategies. 

• Gather data for each measure and use the data to assess progress. Revise activities as 

needed based on your assessment. 

• Regularly report progress to your community and to the funders. 

1. Establish measures of success for your work based on your workplan goals and 

strategies. What will success look like? How will you know you are achieving it? These are 

questions that are critical to project planning and management. The use of measurement 

enables you to demonstrate to yourself, the community, and other outside parties that you 

have thoughtfully weighed what work needs to be done to evoke positive environmental 

changes, and that you are accomplishing your goals and documenting progress. 

• Choose measures touching on each key work area and use them to inform your 

work. Key work areas for CARE projects include building and maintaining a

strong collaborative partnership, achieving environmental and public health 

benefits, and developing community capabilities. During your grant project, what 

measures can you select that will keep the partnership focused on meeting their goals? 

www.epa.gov/care

Definitions... 

A performance measure is a unit of information tracked over time that helps gauge the 

degree of success a project has had in achieving its stated objectives, goals, and planned 

activities. Performance measures may address the type or level of activities conducted 

(process), the direct products and services delivered (outputs), or the results of those 

products and services (outcomes). 

Performance measurement is the ongoing monitoring and reporting of accomplishments, 

particularly progress toward pre-established goals. 

To be most effective, each measure should include a: 

Baseline: the current state of performance 

Target: the desired level of performance 

Timeline: the goal date for when the desired level of performance will be achieved
• Select a few behavior change measures for your work, so that you can monitor the 

effect you are having on the ground. What key behaviors do you aim to influence? 

Write these behaviors down and determine ways to measure these actions, monitor 

them throughout your grant, and report your successes. 

• Focus on a few strong environmental/human health measures and back them up 

with a solid calculation methodology. 

2. Gather data for each measure and use the data to assess progress. Revise activities 

as needed based on your assessment. Evaluation followed by revision or adjustment is a 

critical component of good project management and sustaining a long-term project. 

Participants in the partnership and project need to have a clear and open way to develop 

lessons learned, correct mistakes, and celebrate breakthroughs. Without this, the effort will 

eventually fade away or break down. Determine a method to evaluate how as a 

collaborative you plan to learn from your successes and failures and grow as a group. 

3. Regularly report progress to your community and to the funders. You will be required 

to report to funders on a regular basis about the progress you are making. Make this a 

reflective and valuable time to assess your work and processes. Report your findings and 

readjust the plan, if necessary.

www.epa.gov/care

Example project goals and measures... 

The Boston Safe Shops Project had the goal of addressing negative environmental and public health 

impacts that small automotive repair and body shops have on their employees and neighbors, while 

avoiding putting these shops out of business by regulatory enforcement. 

Example knowledge and behavior change project measures... 

Number of in-shop tailgate training sessions conducted for shop workers and owners on pollution 

prevention and worker protection techniques, Changes in knowledge and practices 

Target: 40+ training sessions

Timeline: Within the 2 year grant period

Baseline and measurement: Baseline knowledge and practice established by pre-training questionnaire 

and shop assessment with behavior and knowledge change measured by follow up assessments one or 

more months after the training 

Number of shops that make at least one major physical improvement to reduce pollution and worker 

exposure (e.g., new equipment, improved ventilation) 

Target: 10 shops 

Timeline: Within the 2 year grant period 

Baseline and measurement: Baseline conditions measured by initial shop environmental assessments 

with adoption of changes measured by follow-up assessments and self-report/observations during followup visits 

Example estimated environmental results of behavior changes... 

1 shop switched to waterborne paints, reducing VOCs by about 1,200 lbs/yr 

Lead wheel weights were eliminated from 125 fleet vehicles— about a 260 lb elimination in lead 
Tips 

TIP 1: Talk to your EPA Project Officer. He or she is your main resource as well as your 

door to other resources within EPA. Your Project Officer may not be a measurement expert 

himself or herself, but by talking to your Project Officer you can tap into other resources within 

EPA, including measurement experts within the EPA CARE family. If you are struggling with 

measurement and have not spoken about it, share your concerns the next time you talk. 

TIP 2: Consider using a “logic model.” A logic model is a visual model that shows the 

relationship between your work and your desired results. A logic model can serve as a basic 

road map for the project, explaining where you are and where you hope to end up. The Web 

sites listed on the next page provide information on how to develop a logic model and how to 

use a logic model as a tool to develop your project measures. On the last page of this 

document we include an example of how a logic model can be used to develop measures. 

In its simplest form, a logic model looks like: 

www.epa.gov/care

if then if then

To learn more... 

Read an introductory guide on measurement: 

Measuring what Matters: The Challenge of Quantifying Social Change

This 16-page document outlines one organization’s thinking on how social purpose 

organizations can approach the challenge of measurement. Check out the “Seven Practical 

Tips for Measuring What Matters” beginning on page 12. 

http://www.metgroup.com/assets/654_measuringwhatmatters0819.pdf

Read an introductory guide to evaluating your own program: 

Taking Stock: A Practical Guide to Evaluating Your Own Program

This resource is a practical guide to program evaluation written for community-based 

organizations. It provides information that you can use to help improve your programs. For 

those just getting started it includes sections on defining goals and objectives, using quantitative 

and qualitative data, and strategies for data collection. 

http://www.horizon-research.com/reports/1997/stock.pdf

Read step-by-step “how to” information on developing measures and collecting data: 

Measuring Progress: An Evaluation Guide for Ecosystem and Community-Based Projects

Pages 49-96 cover the topics “How will you know you are making progress?” and “How 

will you get the information you need?” and are most relevant for partnerships that are 

developing or refining their performance measures. This guide was written for an audience 

working on community based conservation or ecosystem management, but may be used more 

broadly. http://www.snre.umich.edu/ecomgt/evaluation/documents/Measuring%20Progress.pdf

INPUTS OUTPUTS OUTCOMES 

What is invested What is done What results
TIP 3: To estimate environmental outcomes, look for available “calculators.” The CARE 

Program has compiled a number of available online calculators and existing calculation 

methodologies in a single document available to you in electronic copy by request (contact 

mandolia.michelle@epa.gov). Work with your partners and Project Officer to see what else 

might be available. If you are using a methodology or calculator that is not yet in the CARE 

compilation, we would like to know about it so that we may share it with other communities. 

Establishing the calculation methodology you will be using (including any existing calculator you 

plan to use) at the beginning of your project ensures that you will have the data to run your 

calculations when the time comes. Examples of just a few of the calculators include: a diesel 

emissions quantifier, an anti-idling calculator, and the National Recycling Coalition 

Environmental Benefits Calculator.

TIP 4: Look to your partner organizations or new partners for expertise. Have you 

engaged your partnership in a conversation about work planning, measurement, and 

evaluation? Perhaps there is an untapped resource in your midst. If not, is there a new partner 

you could approach? Some of our CARE grantees have had success partnering with local 

university students on measurement and evaluation. Could there be someone with the 

expertise to advise or guide your organization through the process? 

www.epa.gov/care

To learn more about logic models... 

Take an online course: 

A University of Wisconsin Extension Service online course on enhancing performance using 

logic models http://www.uwex.edu/ces/lmcourse/

Read or download a manual: The Kellogg Foundation guide to developing logic models 

http://www.wkkf.org/knowledge-center/Resources-Page.aspx (search on “logic model” to pull 

up the guide)

Watch and listen to an online Web seminar: 

An online Logic Model Webinar Sponsored by EPA and CDC 

Available as an archived presentation and audio recording on the Communities in Action for 

Asthma Friendly Environments Network site 

Developing a Logic Model and Focusing Your Evaluation (December 17, 2008) 

http://www.asthmacommunitynetwork.org/webinars/program_evaluation_basics.aspx

Look at some examples: 

EPA Region 10 Web page with sample logic models gives definitions and shows sample 

logic models for grant programs

http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/ECOCOMM.NSF/webpage/measuring+environmental+results
www.epa.gov/care

TIP 5: Look to your partner organizations or new partners for data. 

Is someone else already gathering the data that could help you understand whether your 

actions are having their intended affect? If not, does it make sense for someone else to gather 

the data? 

Example of partnering for successful measurement... 

The Superior Watershed Partnership in Marquette, MI sought to reduce mercury 

discharges from dental offices to the local wastewater treatment facility as a part of 

their Level II CARE grant. The Partnership proposed a low cost solution to members 

of the regional dental association, who voted unanimously to participate and 100% of 

whom then voluntarily installed mercury amalgam separators in their offices. 

How a partner helped with data... 

The Marquette wastewater treatment facility provided the Superior Watershed 

Partnership with data regarding mercury concentrations in the water. First, this data 

helped the Partnership pinpoint dental offices as one major source of mercury, 

leading to the particular reduction strategy they pursued. This data then, over time, 

also told the Partnership that their efforts were working. The Superior Watershed 

Partnership in cooperation with the Marquette Wastewater Treatment Plant 

documented mercury reductions as much as 19% in the effluent entering Lake 

Superior. 

Additional note on measurement: The Partnership also tracked which dental 

offices had installed the amalgam separators, enabling them to follow up with those 

who had not. 

The Superior Watershed Partnership is a non-profit and all of these results were 

achieved without the need for additional regulation or policies.

TIP 6: Talk to your EPA Project Officer about whether the TASC contract might be right 

for you. Through the Technical Assistance Services for Communities (TASC) contract, EPA 

offers assistance to help a community better understand the environmental issues confronting it 

and to be well informed while participating in the decision-making process. Some funds are 

available to CARE communities through TASC for certain educational and technical assistance 

not budgeted for in their original workplans. These activities could include work that would 

serve your measurement and evaluation needs as you seek to manage your project and 

partnership effectively. 

If you would like to provide comments on, examples for, or suggestions for revisions to 

this document, please send them to Michelle Mandolia at: mandolia.michelle@epa.gov
www.epa.gov/care EP

INPUTS OUTPUTS OU

Measurement Question: What do you want to know about your program performanc

To what extent is the program building the local community health worker capacity? Will we have resources to maintain or grow our work?

To what extent are families getting medical case management? Are families pleased with the services we have to offer?

To what extent are lebeing eliminated? To what extent are fahome techniques we 

How will you measure it? 

• % of staff hired from community (75% 

target) 

• Staff retention goal of at least 2 years 

each (80% target) 

• # of new sources of funding by the end of 

the grant period (Target of 2)

• # of families receiving medical case 

management/# of families referred 

• % participation of families receiving in 

home visits in at least one other event (25% target) 

• # of homes where 

were replaced/# oidentified 

• % of families with 

children that cleafloors with the desolution each wee

What data do you need to collect? 

• Where staff live • Staff start dates • Counts of new funding sources

Counts of: • families referred for care • families receiving care Names of: • families receiving home visits • participants in other events 

Counts of: • homes where item• homes where item• Count of families 

practice each wee

How will you collect the data? 

• Applicant resumes or applications • Staff hiring paperwork • Letters of award or commitment

• Home visit logs • Health clinic numbers • Log of all families receiving home visits • Sign in sheets/logs from other events

• Home visit logs 

June 2010

INPUTS

Funds Trained staff Partnerships with organizations Legal authority

OUTPUTS 

Outreach Screening Identification Case management Family training Medical treatment

OUTCOMES 

Lead sources identifLead sources eliminFamilies adopt in-hotechniques Elevated blood lead reduced

EXAMPLE: A (very simplified) Childhood Lead Prevention Program