Best Practices in Performance Measure Design:

Public Health AmeriCorps

October 2021
Session Outline

Performance measurement definition and purpose

Public Health AmeriCorps performance measure requirements

Public Health AmeriCorps Performance Measure Instructions

Best practices

Designing an example measure

Resources
Performance Measurement

Ongoing, systematic process of tracking your project outputs and outcomes

Outputs: Amount of service provided 

(number of people/organizations/other entities served)

Outcomes: Changes or benefits that occur

• Can be changes in individuals, organizations, communities, or the environment

• Typically include changes in knowledge, attitude, behavior, or condition

• Must have a logical connection to the service activities and be aligned with outputs
Purpose of Performance Measurement

Recognition of progress

• Collect reliable information about the intervention’s implementation and progress 

toward outcomes

Accountability to funders and stakeholders

• Communicate achievements in a meaningful and objective way

Program improvement

• Spot and correct problems 

• Strengthen the intervention

• Determine where to allocate limited resources
How AmeriCorps Uses Performance Measures

National Performance Measures

• Tell the story of the collective accomplishments of national service programs

• Provide shared language for outputs and outcomes that multiple programs have in 

common

• Cover all AmeriCorps focus areas

o Public Health AmeriCorps: Healthy Futures and/or Capacity Building
Public Health AmeriCorps

Performance Measure Requirements

At least one aligned performance measure (output paired with outcome) connected to 

primary intervention 

Must select from designated National Performance Measures in the Healthy Futures or 

Capacity Building focus areas

Should be paired with system-defined intervention categories where possible

o If the intervention categories in the Performance Measure Instructions aren’t the right 

fit, you can select others or create your own
Public Health AmeriCorps

Performance Measure Requirements (continued)

Performance measures (and primary intervention) must focus on community impact: the 

people/organizations/other beneficiaries served by AmeriCorps members

o Member-focused outputs and outcomes (e.g., public health workforce 

development) are reported separately as Performance Data Elements in annual 

progress reports:

 Number of AmeriCorps members recruited from the geographic or 

demographic communities the program operates

 Number of AmeriCorps members with increased knowledge about public 

health

 Number of AmeriCorps members who remain in the public health field postservice

Performance measures must reflect significant activities in applicant’s Theory of Change

o No need to capture all program activity in performance measures
Public Health AmeriCorps 

Performance Measure Instructions

Summarize performance measure requirements 

for Public Health AmeriCorps grants, including list 

of allowable measures

Show selection rules and instructions for each 

National Performance Measure

Include helpful appendices:

• MSYs and member allocations tutorial 

(Appendix A)

• Performance Measure Checklist (Appendix B)

• FAQs (Appendix C)

Linked from main NOFO webpage

https://www.americorps.gov/fundingopportunity/fy-2022-americorps-statenational-public-health-americorps
Best Practices: Performance Measure Design

• Select performance measures that fit your program design and theory of change, not 

vice versa

• Read the instructions

• Less = more: limit performance measures to significant program activities

• Use only National Performance Measures specified in the Public Health AmeriCorps 

Performance Measure Instructions

• Use system-defined intervention categories when possible (but other interventions are 

allowable)
Best Practices: Performance Measure Design

• Clearly define terms and ensure they are meaningful

• Choose outcome measures that are ambitious but realistic

• For outcomes that require participant follow-up, set targets that take into 

account response rate attrition

• Use pre-post assessments when possible

• Use numerical targets, not percentages
Best Practices: Performance Measure Design 

• Select data collection instruments that are valid (measure what they are supposed 

to measure) and yield consistent and accurate results

• Choose data collection instruments that are accessible and yield timely data

• Allocate sufficient resources toward data collection efforts: money, time, 

personnel, training, storage
Designing a Measure: Public Health 

The HealthyCorps Program is requesting six halftime AmeriCorps members to lead small-group 

health education programs for elementary 

students at area community centers. The primary 

short-term goal of the program is to improve 

children’s understanding of healthy eating habits, 

with the longer-term goal of improved health 

during their teen years. 

Each AmeriCorps member will meet with different 

groups of 5-8 children after school each day for 

about 30 minutes each over a period of 8 months, 

using a nutrition education curriculum developed 

by a consortium of state and local public health 

agencies. Members will also recruit volunteers to 

help community centers expand health-focused 

physical activities in their afterschool programs.
Step 1: Identify Service Activity/ies

The HealthyCorps Program is requesting six halftime AmeriCorps members to lead small-group 

health education programs for elementary 

students at area community centers. The primary 

short-term goal of the program is to improve 

children’s understanding of healthy eating habits, 

with the longer-term goal of improved health 

during their teen years. 

Each AmeriCorps member will meet with different 

groups of 5-8 children after school each day for 

about 30 minutes each over a period of 8 months, 

using a nutrition education curriculum developed 

by a consortium of state and local public health 

agencies. Members will also recruit volunteers to 

help community centers expand health-focused 

physical activities in their afterschool programs.

Primary

Secondary
Step 2: Choose the Right Measure(s) 

and Intervention(s)

Primary service activity: 

nutrition education

Secondary service 

activity: volunteer 

recruitment to expand 

health-focused 

afterschool 

programming
Step 2: Choose the Right Measure(s) 

and Intervention(s) (continued)
Step 3: Study the Instructions for Each Measure

Read the Performance Measure Instructions for each measure to make sure the 

program can meet the requirements
Step 3: Study the Instructions for Each Measure 

(continued)

Applicants that cannot meet the requirements for a measure should not use it
Step 4: Define All Terms Clearly

HealthyCorps definition of “substantive engagement”: attending at least 4 health 

education sessions (equivalent to 1 month of participation)
Step 4: Define All Terms Clearly (continued)

HealthyCorps definition of “increased health knowledge”: At 10% or greater 

increase in a child’s ability to identify healthy food choices.
Step 5: Calculate MSY and Member Allocations

Determine how many members, and what portion of members’ time (MSYs), will be 

devoted to:

A) Each focus area and objective

B) The specific activities captured by the performance measure*

Members can be counted toward more than one focus area/objective/activity; 

MSYs cannot

*Not all member activities need to be captured under performance measures
Step 5: Calculate MSY and Member Allocations 

(continued)

HealthyCorps MSY and member allocations: 6 half-time members, 3.0 MSYs

A) Each focus area and objective

B) The specific activities captured by the performance measure

Members MSYs

Healthy Futures focus area, Access to Care 

objective (nutrition education)

6 2

Capacity Building focus area, Capacity Building 

and Leverage objective (volunteer recruitment)

6 1

Members MSYs

Nutrition Education 6 2
Step 6: Set Output and Outcome Targets

Ambitious but realistic estimate of what can be accomplished in 1 program year

Outcome targets should relate logically to output targets

HealthyCorps targets:

• Output H4A: 150 students

• Outcome H17: 90 students
Step 7: Select Appropriate Instruments

Must meet criteria specified in the Performance Measure Instructions

• Output

• Outcome

Must meet fundamental data quality standards

• Valid

• Accurate

• Consistent

• Complete

• Verifiable
Step 7: Select Appropriate Instruments (continued)

HealthyCorps output instrument:

• Sign-in sheets for each nutrition education session that capture each participant’s 

first and last name. Data from sign-in sheets will be transferred to Excel 

spreadsheets to track each individual child and the number of times they 

attended sessions.

HealthyCorps outcome instrument:

• Pre-post test with 20 multiple-choice questions asking children to select the 

healthiest food choices. This assessment was developed by the public health 

agency consortium to align with their nutrition education curriculum, and has 

been previously tested in other states. Children will take the pre-test during the first 

session, and the post-test will be given after 8 months or when the child leaves the 

program, whichever is sooner.
Step 8: Put it All Together

• Use eGrants

Performance Measure 

Module

• Application Instructions 

explain how to enter 

information
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Click the “Begin” button to add a new performance measure
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Locate the 

focus area 

and objective 

connected to 

your primary 

service 

activity
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Check the 

box next to 

the 

intervention 

that matches 

your primary 

service 

activity
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Locate and 

select any 

secondary 

intervention(s)
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Assign your primary and secondary focus areas and interventions, then click “Next”
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Enter the total 

MSYs for the 

project, then 

the number of 

MSYs and 

members 

connected to 

each focus 

area and 

objective
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Select the objective 

connected to your primary 

service activity
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Enter a logical 

title for the 

performance 

measure
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Summarize 

the 

community 

problem/ 

need 

connected to 

the 

performance 

measure
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Select the 

primary 

intervention 

and any other 

intervention(s) 

connected to 

the 

performance 

measure, 

then select 

the relevant 

National 

Performance 

Measure 

output
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Select the 

relevant 

National 

Performance 

Measure 

outcome(s)
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Enter the 

number of 

MSYs and 

members 

connected to 

the 

performance 

measure
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Summarize the service activity/ies connected to this performance measure
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Enter the 

Method, 

Instrument 

Description, 

and Target 

Number for 

the output
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Enter the 

Method, 

Instrument 

Description, 

and Target 

Number for 

the 

outcome
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Mark the 

performance 

measure as 

Complete
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Check for your 

completed 

performance 

measure, then 

click Next
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Validate your 

performance 

measures
Step 8: Put it All Together (continued)

Return to your 

grant application
Resources

Public Health AmeriCorps Guidance Documents

• Notice of Funding Opportunity

• Performance Measure Instructions

Evaluation Core Curriculum: Implementing an Evaluation (Evaluation Resources | 

AmeriCorps)

• Basic Steps of an Evaluation

• Data Collection

• Managing an Evaluation

Email AmericorpsGrants@cns.gov with any questions about performance measure 

requirements for Public Health AmeriCorps