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Appendix B: AmeriCorps Seniors SCP Performance 

Measure Instructions

References and Authorities Definitions, Suggestions regarding Data Collection, and 

Additional Notes

Last Updated: October 2020

This document explains specific performance measure instructions for the AmeriCorps Seniors SCP 

program. It contains the menu of available service activities and output and outcome measures, with

additional information on how to use each of them. This document should be used in tandem with 

the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). 

Contents:

AmeriCorps Seniors SCP Performance Measure Requirements ......................................................................................................2 

Complete List of AmeriCorps Seniors SCP National Performance Measures ...............................................................................3 

Healthy Futures Focus Area.................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Other Community Priorities.................................................................................................................................................................. 5

Change Log.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 6
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10/2020
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AmeriCorps Seniors SCP Performance Measure Requirements

Measured in Unduplicated Volunteers* 

1. Primary Focus Area: The AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program Primary Focus Area is

Healthy Futures, Aging in Place.

2. Work Plans: All unduplicated AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers* must be placed in work plans. Work

plans must meet the maximum cost per unduplicated volunteer in outcome assignments requirement

below. Work plans may include some combination of national performance measures and other

community priorities.

3. National Performance Measures. Every national performance measure output must be paired with a single

outcome. For each work plan, applicants must select one output and one of the associated outcomes. While

beneficiaries may receive benefits associated with more than one available outcome, select only one

outcome for each beneficiary served. “Other Community Priorities” work plans are not considered national

performance measures.

4. Other Community Priorities. A work plan consisting of “Other Community Priorities” may be created by

the grantee to address community activities not captured in national performance measures.

5. Maximum Cost per Unduplicated Volunteer in Outcome Assignments. For every$6,500 in annual base

federal funding, at least one unduplicated AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer* must be placed in work plans

that result in national performance measure outcomes in the Healthy Futures, Aging in Place focus area.

6. Rounding Unduplicated Volunteers in Outcome Assignments. Common arithmetic rules should

be used to determine how to round unduplicated volunteers in outcome-based work plans.

Grantees should round to nearest whole number. For example, an AmeriCorps Seniors SCP

grantee with $98,000 in federal funding would require 15.07 unduplicated volunteers in work

plans that result in national performance measure outcome. Since 15.07 is less than 15.5, this

would be rounded down to 15 unduplicated volunteers in work plans that result in national

performance measure outcomes. In contrast, a grantee with $175,000 in federal funding (26.92

volunteers in outcome-based work plans) would round up and require 27 unduplicated volunteers

in work plans that result in national performance measures outcomes.

* Unduplicated AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteers: Each volunteer can only be counted once even if they are assigned to

more than one service activity. The volunteer should be counted in the area where he/she will make the most

impact – in terms of the focus area, the type of service, or the scope of service (such as the greatest number of

hours served).
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Complete List of AmeriCorps Seniors SCP National Performance Measures

These selection rules specify allowable output/outcome pairings for National Performance Measures. Applicants must

follow these selection rules when using National Performance Measures. Applicants may not select any National

Performance Measures that may appear in eGrants if they are not present on this list. Please see the NOFO for

additional information about application requirements. 

Applicants who experience issues finding the appropriate measures in the Performance Measure Module of eGrants, 

should select the category title, “Outcome Work Plans”. For the Other Community Priorities measure, applicants should 

select the “Output Only Work Plans” category. More detailed instructions are included in Volume 2 of the AmeriCorps

Seniors Grant Application Instructions. 

Focus Area: Healthy Futures

Objective Selection Rules Service Activity

Outputs Outcomes

Aging in Place H4A: Number of 

individuals served

H9A: Number of individuals who 

report having increased social support 

or improved capacity for independent 

living

H14: Number of caregivers of older 

adults and individuals with

disabilities who reported having 

increased social support

Companionship 

Nutrition/Food Support 

Legal Services 

Transportation 

Medical Services

Opioid/Drug Intervention 

Elder Justice: Fraud and 

Scam Prevention

Respite Services

Access to Care H4A: Number of 

individuals served

H15A: Number of individuals with 

developmental disabilities receiving 

services that promote integration and 

inclusion (for legacy programming 

only)

Outreach 

Education/Training 

Referrals

Medical Services 

Counseling/Coaching 

Opioid/Drug Intervention 

Disability Inclusion

Other Community Priorities

Objective Selection Rules Service Activity

Outputs Outcomes

Other SC1: Grantee met their

target for community 

priority activity (Yes/No)

None N/A
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Healthy Futures Focus Area

Focus Area Notes:

• These performance measures are intended to measure the impact of activities that meet health needs within

communities including access to care, aging in place, and addressing childhood obesity.

• These activities must be carried out by National Service Participants or by volunteers directly recruited

and/or supported by National Service Participants.

• All individuals counted under these measures must be program beneficiaries, not National Service

Participants.

Applicants that select output H4A may select outcome H9A, H14, or H15A.

H4A (output) Number of individuals served

Definition of 

Key Terms

Individuals: recipients of AmeriCorps-supported services related to improving healthrelated outcomes

Served: substantive engagement of individuals with a specific health-related goal in mind. 

Cannot consist solely of mass dissemination of information such as email blasts, social

media posts, or distributing pamphlets.

How to Measure/ 

Collect Data

Tracking mechanism that ensures an unduplicated count of individuals who have received 

services

H9A (outcome) Number of individuals who report having increase social support or improved capacity for 

independent living

Definition of 

Key Terms

Individuals: those reported in H4A or V1, V7A, V8

How to Measure/ 

Collect Data

Survey, interview, caseworker assessment, or other instrument capable of measuring 

changes in social support or perceived social support and/or independent living capacity at 

the individual beneficiary level. When possible, pre-post assessments should be utilized.

AmeriCorps is providing a mandatory survey instrument for the AmeriCorps Seniors 

Senior Companion Program and recommends its use for AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP: 

Senior Corps Independent Living Survey.

H14 (outcome) H14: Number of caregivers of older adults and individuals with disabilities who reported 

having increased social support

Definition of 

Key Terms

Individuals: those reported in H4A or V1, V7A, V8

Older Adults: Individual age 65 or older

Respite Services: Services that provide temporary relief from the stresses of caregiving by 

providing short term assistance to and adult who is the primary caregiver for another person.

Social ties/perceived social support: Relationships with other people and or the belief that 

these people will offer (or have offered) effective help during times of needs.

How to Measure/ 

Collect Data

Programs should collect data for this measure from surveys, interview, caseworker

assessment, or other instrument capable of measuring changes in food security at the

individual beneficiary level. When possible, pre-post assessments should be utilized. 

AmeriCorps is providing a mandatory survey instrument for both the AmeriCorps Seniors 

Senior Companion Program and recommends its use for AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP: 

AmeriCorps Seniors Respite Care Performance Measure Survey.
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H15A (outcome) H15A Number of individuals with developmental disabilities receiving services that 

promote integration and inclusion

NOTE AmeriCorps Seniors applicants may only select this measure if they have historically 

supported programming in this area.

Definition of 

Key Terms

Individuals: those reported in H4A

How to Measure/ 

Collect Data

Survey, interview, caseworker assessment, or other instrument capable of measuring

changes in social support or perceived social support and/or independent living capacity at 

the individual beneficiary level. When possible, pre-post assessments should be utilized.

Other Community Priorities

Notes:

• Community Priority Service Activities ensure that AmeriCorpsSeniors programscan continue to engage in

appropriate service activities that may not necessarily lead to national performance measures

outcomes but do support the intent of the authorizing legislation.

• This work plan is designed to ensure that an activity supported by appropriated funds is represented in the

grant application while minimizing data collection burden.

• These activities must be carried out by National Service Participants or by volunteers directly recruited

and/or supported by National Service Participants.

• All individuals counted under these measures must be program beneficiaries, not National Service

Participants.

SC1 (output) Yes/ No met all Applicant-Determined Community Priority Service Activity Targets

Definition of 

Key Terms

Community Priority Service Activity:

1. Service activity conducted by AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers that may not

necessarily lead to national performance measures but:

a. Provides opportunities for senior service to meet unmet local and

state needs;

b. Empowers people 55 years of age or older to contribute to their

communities through service, enhance the lives of those who serve and

those whom they serve, and provide communities with valuableservices;

and

c. Provides opportunities for people 55 years of age or older to share their

knowledge, experiences, abilities, and skills for the betterment of their

communities and themselves.

2. Community priority service activities shall not include any prohibited activities.

Applicant- Determined Community Priority Service Activity Targets: Target goals for 

Community Priority Service Activity that are identified by the program. Unlike national 

performance measure outputs, these targets are not reported to AmeriCorps. Instead, 

grantees will report yes/no that they have achieved the target goals for all their Community 

Priority Service Activities.
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Change Log

This table lists all changes made to this document since September 2018.

Date Change(s)

October 2018 • The Appendix now provides clarification on how grantees should properly round

unduplicated volunteers in National Performance Measure Work Plans.

• Minor edits were made to the Other Community Priority notes.

September 2019 • A few cosmetic updates were made to the document

• Instructions on what to select, should performance measure options be missing

in eGrants were added (pg. 3 )

• A link to the Senior Corps Independent Living and Respite CarePerformance

Measure Surveys were added to measures H9A and H14 (pg. 4)

March 2020 • Update to the cost per VSY threshold from $6,000 to $6,500. Updated threshold

is effective as of April 1, 2020.

October 2020 • Updated branding of CNCS to AmeriCorps, Senior Corps to AmeriCorps

Seniors and SCP volunteers to AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteers.