Questions to Consider When Developing Forms and Software Processes to Support Programs & Service Delivery
Overview
Whether you're creating a full set of forms for program or just a single survey, context is key. How well your creation will meet the needs of the program staff and service recipients depends on what you know about the program.
Learn as much as you can about:
who it serves, how it works, what a typical participant timeline looks like, what services are provided, what successful completion means, what the reporting needs/funder requirements are, what is working well, and what are the challenges
The goal is to have gather enough context to make sure the right information is captured at the appropriate time to meet the needs for service delivery, performance measurement, and funder reporting.
Program Application Process: How do Potential Participants become Service Recipients?
How - Entry: How do individuals or families enter the program?
- Referrals: Are others key to connecting people to the program?
- From a single partner or group of community partners?
- From other programs in your organization
- From health or education providers?
- From family and friends?
- Self-Selected: Do people apply to the program directly?
- How do they find the program?
- Automatic: Are some service recipients automatically enrolled in the program?
- by the Justice Department (adjudicated/deferred adjudication)
- as a requirement to participate in another program, such as a residential/housing program
- in order to qualify for benefits
- ____________?
- Outreach: Is the program actively seeking out new participants?
- Are there enrollment events?
- Social media? Other media?
- Community partners?
- Walk-ins? Intake phone line?
- ___________?
How - Mechanics of Receiving Application/Take
- Paper forms?
- Google forms?
- Other online forms (survey monkey, qualtrics, etc?
- Kiosk/onsite electronic application
- Scanned and emailed?
- Are instructions offered in different languages?
- Are there ADA accommodations in place for applicants?
Who: What are the Eligibility Requirements?
- Are there limits based on :
- Age (children, youth, adults, seniors)?
- Race, Ethnicity, Tribal Affiliation (may include regionally specific groups)
- Language (primary language, literacy level)
- Citizenship status (immigrant, refugee, undocumented immigrant, green card holder), naturalized citizen, country of origin)
- Location (zip code, county, city, state, country)
- Employment & Income (% of poverty, unemployed, underemployed, reentering workforce, value of savings/assets, credit score)
- Education level (current grade level, high school graduate/GED, no college degree, technical certificate, degree from other country, etc)
- Other benefits received (Medicare, Medicaid, WIC, SNAP, TANF, SSI/SSA, federal school lunch program, etc)
- Medical conditions (disability, pregnancy, diabetes, blind/low vision, deaf, blood pressure, weight, cancer, HIV+/AIDS, substance abuse disorder, mental health, terminal illness, etc)
- Other Characteristics (gender identity, sexual orientation, housing status, criminal record, religious affiliation/belief system)
- Military service (active duty, veteran, spouse of veteran, reserves, discharge type)
Starting the Program: How Do Participants Begin Services?
Intake Process
- Do staff work with participants (Intake Interview model)?
- Is there a screening process or are all accepted?
- Are there documents that participants must provide (proof of income/residence, education, immunizations, etc)? Can they be uploaded or are paper copies mandated (government funded programs may have this requirement)
- What is needed to determine what services/program offerings are appropriate for the participant?
- What information is gathered at this point?
- Are some of the same questions asked again later at key program points or as the client reaches program milestones? Why is it not gathered earlier or later?
- Do participants complete an intake form on their own?
- How assigned to: staff/case managers, groups/locations, cohorts, etc?
Service Delivery Model: Participating in the Program
How do Service Recipients Engage in the Program
- Why: Results & Benefits
- What does success look like for a participant?
- How do you measure that? How often?
- How do you know if someone is better off after participating?
- What does success look like for your community if most participants are successful?
- How will you know? How will you measure that? How often?
- What are the program milestones or achievements that indicate a participant is on the path to succeed?
- How: Engagement & Activities
- Client Interactions: In person? Virtual calls? Phone calls? Texts? Email? Hybrid?
- Type of Interactions: Individual sessions, group sessions, events, workshops, self-directed learning, classes over time, referrals with follow up, referrals without follow up, funds/gifts-in kind
- Types of Services: Does the program provide: advocacy, case management, referrals, legal services, shelter/housing, counseling, training, resources, evaluation/diagnosis, caregiving, community engagement, workforce development, health and wellness, etc?
- Types of Activities: sports, art, learning opportunities, cultural events, etc
- Where: Service Delivery
- Location(s): Virtual, one site, many sites, community partner hosted sites
- Is transportation considered? provided?
- Are specification locations better suited to specific client populations (accessibility, Spanish or ASL translator on staff, located near other community partners, childcare provided, indoor restrooms, etc)
Program Analysis: What is the Program Capacity and Duration?
- Size: How many individuals? families? schools? organizations? is the program designed to serve? How many concurrently?
- Program Longevity: Is the program brand new, started in the last 3 years, or longer running? Older programs usually have more defined processes and guidelines, but they may have gotten stuck in process ruts that no longer make sense with the current program delivery practices.
- Timing: When does the program run? (calendar year, fiscal year, school year, seasonal - like summer camp or winter giving trees).
- Do participants start and end the program at specific times of year, or is it a rolling program?
- Is the program tied to other time-specific programs or events?
- Program Departures & Returns
- What are the circumstances in which participants would leave the program prior to completion?
- rules/eligibility changes?
- moving away, no longer showing up, not participating, not contributing to a supportive community
- other reasons:
- Can participants return to the program or is it a one-time only opportunity? What are the circumstances for returning?
- What are the circumstances in which participants would leave the program prior to completion?
Program Management: Resources, Funding, Process Management)
Who provides the Program Services/Supports the Work?
- Staff (full-time? part-time)
- Volunteers
- Clients (peer-to-peer programs)
- Community Partners
How is the Program Funded?
- Who funds the program and for how long?
- Are there funder-specific eligibility requirements?
- Are there funder-specific reporting requirements?
- Funder Reporting: What, when, and how often? Calendar year? Fiscal year? School year?
- Is funding tied to benefits/results/outcomes that align with the program's internal performance measurement?
- Are there additional grants the program is trying to secure that have additional requirements?
- If there is a grant writer, they may have additional data that is needed for multiple grants. This may necessitate adding more questions and building more
Program Challenges and Bright Spots
- Bright Spots
- What is working well for the program?
- What is working well for participants?
- What is working well for staff?
- What is working well for the organization as a whole?
- Challenges
- What is challenging for staff?
- What is challenging for participants?
- What is organizationally challenging?
- What challenges are facing the program as a whole?