What Are Outcomes and Indicators?

Outcomes

Outcomes are the (hopefully positive) impacts on those people whom the organization wanted to benefit with its programs. Outcomes are usually specified in terms of:

a) learning, including enhancements to knowledge, understanding/perceptions/attitudes, and behaviors

b) skills (behaviors to accomplish results, or capabilities)

c) conditions (increased security, stability, pride, etc.)

It's often to specify outcomes in terms of short-term, intermediate and long-term.

Indicators

• Identify at least one indicator per outcome (note that sometimes indicators are called performance standards)
• When selecting indicators, ask:
  -- What would I see, hear, read about clients that means progress toward the outcome?
  -- Include numbers and percent regarding the client's behavior , eg, "2,000 of the participants (50%) of our participants will quick smoking by the end of the program" and "3,000 of the participants (75%) of our participants will quick smoking one month after the program"

A program of Associated Ministries

1224 S. I Street, Tacoma, WA  98405 Contact Heidi at (253) 383-3056, ext. 139, or e-mail: heidic@associatedministries.org