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AmeriCorps

2022-01-18 AI Understanding National Performance Measures SDP

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>>: Good afternoon, everyone that they can for joining us. Before we begin, I will 

review some of the Zoom features that will be used for this event. The audio for this 

event is broadcasting both by phone and online. The event is lecture only so your 

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method. 

There are several Zoom features we will use today. At the top of the screen click 

the view options button and select exit full screen and this will display the chat panel on 

the right side. If you need Zoom technical assistance for the event, you can e-mail us at 

americorpswebinarsupport@lsi.com. I will put that in the chat.

The chat panel is disabled. It will be used to provide links and resources. You can 

ask any questions you have by using the Q&A panel.

You can select the closed caption icon for live captioning in English or if you wish 

to view captioning in Spanish, you can select the StreamText link, and I will post that in 

the chat in a moment.

We are recording this event so we will get started with that and I will turn it over to 

our presenters.

>>: Hello and thank you Mike and thank you to everyone for taking the time to 

join us today. I am calling and I am a Manager of Program Training at AmeriCorps 

Seniors. It is my pleasure to discuss our national performance measures with you.

AmeriCorps, formerly known as the Corporation for National Community Service is 

a federal agency responsible for civic engagement. This is through service and 

volunteer through efforts and national data service here in the United States. We help 

millions of Americans improve their lives, analyze their fellow citizens through service. 

We do this mostly by working hand-in-hand with local partners to have ingenuity and a 
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can-do spirit of the American people.

Our mission is to improve the lives, strengthen communities and sponsor civic 

engagement through service and volunteering. The National Service is an opportunity 

to volunteer your time and talents. Through AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps seniors, 

individuals serve our country and the community. As mentioned, during previous 

training, the programming allows us to extend our program reach.

Before we began, as a reminder, here is the schedule for our training sessions. All 

of the sessions have been recorded. The sessions are give you information specific to 

increase the knowledge of our program, best practices, and how to respond to requests 

for funding.

Here is our agenda for today. We have a test on national performance measures 

specifically. For those have attended the other webinars, you know we cannot get here 

before talking about performance measurement a little bit. We will start by going over 

performance measures at the highest level, what they are, what you do with them, and 

we will look at work plans and specific parts of the application and how senior 

volunteers are across the work plan.

Here is some basic information about the notice for funding opportunity. Base are 

due at the close of business on February 3rd and today we will be focusing our efforts 

on understanding our performance measures.

Our agency has a uniform set of measurements used across AmeriCorps seniors 

allowing grantees to measure or exhibit and communicate. Last AmeriCorps is to 

unified stories about the impact of our program. First, why performance measures? All 

in all, we are a federal program. If you receive a grant, you use taxpayers dollars as 

well and that comes with certain responsibilities including that to collect relevant data, 

measure the impact and use the information to improve and increase your impact.

Why do we measure performance? One reason is accountability. Performance 

measurement satisfy the needs of the funders and stakeholders including AmeriCorps 
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participants, core members, community numbers to see that the program of the project 

is getting results. Performance measurements helps with the feedback, so you know if 

the intervention is making a difference and helps you to decide how to make the most 

effective use of the resources. What are the benefits of using this? AmeriCorps 

focuses on national priorities or areas of the National Service, success, and experience. 

National performance measures prevent the data for any strong agencywide for the 

National Service story. AmeriCorps reflects high quality data and results in similar 

interventions to see about the National Service.

to ensure AmeriCorps it's the data and reports with confidence, guidance for the 

national performance measures include the intervention, target population, outcome and 

output and information collecting. I want to talk about how these are structured. There 

are some components, and we will talk about each component. With a visual, they start 

off very broad and get more specific as you move up.

Let's talk about what each means and we will start down there. There are several 

focus areas. You have the programs in primary focus areas or education and there are 

all of these different services. There are more specific objectives. This is where we get 

to the specific measures.

This is the outputs and outcomes. You have the outputs and outcomes that we 

are able to measure, and we have the different outcomes and outputs. Output is the 

number of service provided. It answers the question how much service do we perform.

Outcomes have the changes or benefits that occur. Outcomes reflect changes in 

the individuals, organizations, communities or environment. For example, you have the 

organization, and this is how we can prevent issues or how the system will produce and 

enhance the capacity organization. However, what makes the change compelling is not 

just the type of change. With the performance measure, you can tell of a change 

occurs. We are going to look at how this can change.

Outcomes regarding attitude are changing and understanding our ability to see 
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improvement.

AmeriCorps goes across all of the training practices. The objective is within each 

focus area so if we take a look at the education purpose area, it can be translated into 

two slightly more specific objectives. We are getting a little more concrete activity that is 

going on. Now this is where we get to the specific measures going in the outputs and 

outcomes. For every national performance measure outfit, it pairs with a single part and 

for each performance measure, each must select one output and one of the associated 

outcomes.

Outcomes and outputs are working with the measure performance, and we know 

performance measurement is an ongoing systematic process and tracking your program 

and project outputs and outcomes. Outputs are the amount of service provided. They 

measure the completion of activities that individuals get from products or programs 

develop. To answer the question, how much service did we perform? You do not 

answer what change can result that the service provided?

Outcomes are the changes or benefits that occur. Outcomes reflect changes in 

the individuals, organizations, communities or the environment. It may include changes 

in attitude, knowledge, behavior. For example, you have the organization name, and 

this is for a community member. The outcomes answer the question, what difference in 

our service can make this year? How does the new system or product go with the 

organization and serve the community? 

In general, that compelling outcomes address changes in the condition, however, 

what makes a change compelling is not just the type of change, but that magnitude or 

amount of change. Of course, the change reflects the activities that can occur. In 

summary, performance measures show if a change occurs. You define if it occurred 

because of an intervention and what kind of approach is used.

Let's talk about the types of outcomes that we may see and the changes in 

attitudes and beliefs, knowledge, skills, behavior or condition. Outcomes regarding 
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attitude are changes in thoughts or fields. For example, a caregiver may feel that they 

have more social support after working. Outcomes measuring knowledge and skill in 

both a change in understanding or ability and what a person learns. For example, a 

student improves their reading ability after attending a session.

Outcomes addressing behavior involved changes in action, conduct or habits. For 

example, a student with class participation from their teachers after participating in a 

school mentoring program. Outcomes regarding situation and/or circumstance. For 

example, a family transitions into affordable housing after receiving referrals to 

counseling. maybe they receive a new afterschool program with a youth organization.

Let's review the performance measurement requirements for measuring the 

applicable services. We will talk about the output and outcomes with the national 

performance measures. We have to volunteers or the volunteer service years, VSY and 

the programs must be included in the work plan. You have the unduplicated volunteer 

or VSY, performance measures.

Everyone is familiar with the documents. You have the notice of funding 

opportunity. Use the performance measures with the instructions in the work plan 

development worksheet. The national performance measurements, you have the 

performance measurement requirements and the worksheet. Appendix B are 

instructions including all of the applicable performance measures. The national 

performance measures recommend measures that affect the grant and what you do. 

You will see they are organized in different areas and comes with instructions at the 

beginning where it goes more into depth.

Next, I want to highlight the work plan development worksheet to help you plan 

your performance measures. To help you organize how you use your performance 

measures. We recommend that you use the worksheet to map out the work plan and 

use the completed worksheet to transfer the information. 

Now all of this information and the performance measure instructions and I want to 
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walk them real with you. You can look at all of this for your work plan. The description 

workplan community is a description with the output and these explain how to track by 

the volunteers. As I mentioned, this goes with the services and this because of the 

services. This is a pulldown menu.

The service activity explains what the AmeriCorps seniors are doing and how they 

will receive the outputs and the outcomes. This is what the volunteers will be doing. 

The volunteers provide service, and the outputs are more than one service activity in 

the service activity is in the pulldown menu.

A number of unduplicated volunteers or VSY, the stipend program is the one that 

is performed for each service outcome. Each VSY, then on stipend program is the 

number of unduplicated volunteers. The number of volunteers is where you enter the 

total number of volunteers for each activity. According to each activity. Volunteers can 

be counted more than once. The same volunteer has two different act types of 

activities, and they can both be counted.

The targeted number goes with the last performance. For example, if they are 

tutoring (inaudible) the outcomes are the longer-term program or improvements in the 

community with a volunteers and their service. The outcomes are in the pulldown 

menu. Finally, you use this for tracking the outcomes echo this is the reported tool for 

data collection. This is in the pulldown menu.

I went to go back to the volunteer service years and the work plan. There is a 

workplan with performance measures and a certain number of volunteers or VSY. The 

opportunities demonstrate a cost-effective strategy in achieving performance goals that 

are described in the work plan. This meets the following minimum requirements. For 

volunteers with the stipend program, they have $500 and federal funding, and one 

volunteer service year must result in a national performance measure outcome for that 

area.

The volunteer is for non-volunteers for every 1000 and federal funding and must 
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be with the national performance measure outcome or performance area. If we can go 

back one side and I want to take a moment talking about the volunteer service. Your 

service year equals 1044 hours. For example, volunteer service may serve 2080 hours 

per year. In this equation for the VSY, volunteers serving or averaging 15 hours per 

week is a simple way to calculate the unduplicated volunteers. You are going to run to 

the nearest whole number. The VSY is only applicable for a second program.

To recap a couple of key points. AmeriCorps national performance measures are 

part of a comprehensive performance measure strategy and relies on performance and 

evaluation data in their work that is applicable to achieve their goals. You have the 

identified performance measures, and I will refer you to Appendix B of the performance 

measure instruction sheet.

The funding opportunity requires you to demonstrate achieving performance goals 

through the services described in the portfolio. Applications must meet the following 

minimum requirements. The volunteers are going with the stipend volunteer with $500 

and federal funding at least one volunteer service year and must result in a national 

performance measure outcome. For volunteer funding with non-stipend volunteers, 

every $1000 in federal funding, one must be having a workplan resulting in the national 

performance measure outcome.

A brief poll is popping up right now. When thinking about your outcome and output 

targets, you should base it on what you think they big enough number for AmeriCorps. 

B everyone in a committed and program has attended effects on 100% of recipients. C, 

realistic estimate I will give everyone a brief moment to select their choice.

This should be informed by research partners. The dartboard, I would recommend 

not. Now I will turn it over to questions. Again, please use the Q&A function found at 

the bottom of the screen. 

Let me open up the Q&A, and I will start with the first question. Because this is a 

demonstration program grant, are we able to propose projects outside of the program 
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area, especially if we see a growing need in the communities of that area? That is a 

great question. I would refer you to our funding priorities as seen in the notice of 

funding opportunity on the website.

The funding opportunity tells the applicants the focus areas that we would like 

them to focus on.

Taylor, your first question, explain the difference between a need in the narrative 

section and the community need in the work plan section. The description of the 

community need of the work plan should be for each output. It should explain the need 

that is explained by your volunteers. There is a lot in the summary, however, the 

information in the application provides more opportunity for you to further explain the 

community need that your program needs to address.

There is more information about the specific definitions including what we're 

looking for within the application and I would for those to the notice of funding 

opportunity and the funding opportunity application.

I would then look to the second question, can you restate the targets such as 

tutoring? You are exactly right. The output is the service provided including measure 

and that should be individuals receiving the service. If you are tutoring or planning to 

tutor 50 children, 50 would be the target. It could be a little bit different than how the 

outcome reflects the changes or benefits that may occur. How many of those 50 will 

have the knowledge, attitude or behavior?

With an unduplicated volunteers with the service areas, there is specific service 

and a workplan is for 2024. Somebody asked how do we know if we have a stipend or 

non-stipend volunteer? You can look at the difference between the stipend and 

non-stipend volunteers in the notice of funding opportunity on the webpage because 

they can provide a little bit more insight and guidance then what I can provide right now 

on the call.

You have the application ID number and there is a question about having a hard 
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copy of the application for the FTP. Those are a little bit beyond the scope of today's 

conversation, but each of them can be answered on our website through the frequently 

asked questions document that we have up there.

You have the senior demonstration progress stipend and there is not much 

difference. Again, I would refer you to our notice of funding opportunity that has a little 

bit more information on the demonstration program.

You asked if volunteers can go with the program director and is that position 

included and with the unduplicated volunteers. Let me see if I can take a stab at this. If 

you are writing out the proposal and you have funds for the program, say if you have 

$400,000, with the stipend or non-stipend volunteers are divided by the $400,000 with 

the federal funding by either $1000 or $7500. That would tell you what the minimum 

requirement of unduplicated volunteers or volunteers should be in the workplan.

Someone asked about the VSY if it is more than 1044 hours per year or for a 

two-year grant and the VSY is 1044 hours per year. That is per year.

Can you explain how the six-month training time fits into all of this? I think this 

may be a little bit beyond the scope of today's presentation. I will say that if you are 

thinking about the targets, you should be thinking how many people you want further 

performance period. 

Another question is the stipend volunteers for every $1000 of federal requires a 

volunteer and does it require per hour? The 1044 only references the stipend of 

volunteers. For the non-stipend volunteers, the requirement of the volunteers can be 

found in the notice of funding opportunity as well as the frequently asked questions.

Another question about the 50% stipend and the 50% non-stipend volunteers. 

Again, this question is answered in the notice of funding opportunity in the frequently 

asked questions. There is clarification and you have the number of children who really 

benefit or the outcome target and that is the number of children served. 

List, the grants, this is going to do with the features of the area. Those with mental 
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health issues and the outcome of the individuals receive during that inclusion? Yes. 

One of our priority programs is there for the healthy futures focus area and we are 

asking for applications with the education opportunity, and this is for the underserved as 

well. You would be able to do that as well.

What if I cannot find enough qualified hunters? I cannot answer that question. 

This is a hypothetical. Way provide a lot of resources to the grantees and the new 

grantees. There is a dedicated portfolio manager and does not go with individualized 

training and technical assistance with the resources. We can look to implement a plan 

to help find volunteers.

For the last question, you have to volunteers and you can only serve 522 hours 

and they equate to one of VSY? Yes. A volunteer service year is a term equaling 1044 

per year. 

You would like the dollar amount with a grant location per year. It is going to go 

for both years. All of the information -- I would like to refer you back to the notice of 

funding opportunity, which really includes all of the information about the project, and it 

can be answered and a much more in-depth way. The project and budget time is for

two years or 24 months. Applicants will receive funding for two years. This is an 

application that would not go with the notice of funding.

What happens if you don't get enough volunteers? I don't want you to think about 

it from a penalty perspective. You can get feedback from various partners where you 

get the volunteer terms where you feel are reasonable and feasible and you have the 

support and resources.

I see no open questions. I will pause for a brief moment and get a drink of water 

to see if there are any additional questions. If I missed anything, please let me know.

>>: It looks like we have answered the ones that have come through. One just 

came in. I just posted the frequently asked questions into the chat box as well.

>>: Thank you so much. I see Taylor's question about the non-stipend volunteer 
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time. Taylor, if you are looking for the notice of funding opportunity and the FAQs and 

you are receiving questions, I do have a contact person to send questions to all of the 

questions can be in the inbox to see the responses. I will see if I can put it into the chat. 

Thank you.

I does the additional questions, but before I leave, I went to say from the bottom of 

my heart to AmeriCorps seniors, how thankful we are and how appreciative we are of

not just your interest in the notice of funding opportunity, but how you and your 

organization have done over the last several years. It is difficult and trying time and we 

do appreciate it. We look forward to the opportunity to work with you in the future.