Results that Matter

Today's communities whether they are currently strong, or struggling to survive face difficult challenges if they want to be tomorrow's healthy, vibrant communities. The challenge for leaders and citizens of modern communities is not just to solve specific problems today. Their real challenge is to keep learning from their experience so they can keep improving their communities tomorrow. Results That Matter will provide a new governance framework for using valuable tools of community improvement especially performance measurement and citizen engagement to empower communities to achieve the outcomes their citizens most desire. Government and nonprofit managers will learn how to combine these tools in new ways, not only to achieve one-time improvement of their organizations and communities, but to foster continual community renewal and improvement. The benefits and practicality of the framework and related practices will be reinforced by case examples from 25 communities across the country. The book will offer "e;how to"e; guidance to public and nonprofit managers, including promising practices for effective communities, and new roles for citizens, community leaders, and managers.

Today's communities--whether they are currently strong, orstruggling to survive--face difficult challenges if they wantto be tomorrow's healthy, vibrant communities. The challenge forleaders and citizens of modern communities is not just to solvespecific problems today. Their real challenge is to keep learningfrom their experience so they can keep improving their communitiestomorrow.Results That Matter will provide a new governanceframework for using valuable tools of communityimprovement--especially performance measurement and citizenengagement--to empower communities to achieve the outcomestheir citizens most desire. Government and nonprofit managers willlearn how to combine these tools in new ways, not only to achieveone-time improvement of their organizations and communities, but tofoster continual community renewal and improvement. The benefitsand practicality of the framework and related practices will bereinforced by case examples from 25 communities across the country.The book will offer "how to" guidance to public and nonprofitmanagers, including promising practices for effective communitiesand new roles for citizens, community leaders, and managers.

Preface ixAcknowledgments xxiThe Authors xxv1 Engaging Citizens, Measuring Results, Getting Things Done12 Citizens' Many Roles in Community Problem Solving 173 Organizations Managing for Results 494 Citizens Reaching for Results I: Key Ideas, Strategic Issuesand the First Three Case Examples 765 Citizens Reaching for Results II: To Improve the Quality ofLife in Their Region 1026 Communities Governing for Results I: An Introduction to thePractice and to Interpreting the Case Examples 1237 Communities Governing for Results II: Local Governments EngageCitizens in Results-Based Systems 1398 Communities Governing for Results III: Citizens Engaged inResults-Based Nonprofit Community Development 1719 More Ideas for Making It Happen 191Notes 224Index 237