Population Accountability

This component of Results Accountability is very powerful because of its scope.  It focuses on the well-being of an entire group of people.  It can include alll of the work that is intended to support and improve the status of the whole group.

Accountability for the well-being of a group of people is shared by all of the individuals, programs and agencies that contribute to it.  The population accountability method brings people together and depends on group process.

This process starts with the group deciding on a big picture goal and what it would look like when it had been reached (for example, all Alaska workers are healthy).  Then, working backward, the group decides what it wants to do to reach the goal.

Data have an important role in the population accountability process; they are used both when making decisions about what to do next and for measuring progress toward the desired result.

What are the quality of life conditions that we want for our target population?

Select a desired result for your target population

What would these conditions look like if we could see them?
How can we measure these conditions

Agree on appropriate indicators of the desired result [tools]

How are we doing on the most important of these measures?

Establish Baselines for the indicators and identify the causes, context and history for each baseline. [tools]

Who are the partners that have a role to play in doing better?

Identify all partners that have a role to play in achieving the desired result [tools]

What works to do better?

Select intervention strategies for turning the curve based on what works [tools]

What do we propose to do?

Develop an action plan and budget for the selected strategy(ies)