The Transparent Accountability Paradigm: An Outcome-Based Management Approach for Government and Nonprofit Organizations - Softcover

Reginald K. Carter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0615454631 ISBN 13: 9780615454634

Publisher: Transparent and Accountable Manager Press, 2011

Synopsis

The Transparent Accountability Paradigm is a ground-breaking primer on a revolutionary way to bring transparency and accountability to government and nonprofit organizations. Perhaps more than at any other time before, these organizations should be conducting their operations in a way to maximize the return on investment of taxpayers and donor dollars. Yet, as the author points out, only a handful of such organizations (and those who fund them) consider whether their programs are actually accomplishing the objectives for which they were intended because few take the trouble to collect data to measure the actual outcomes of clients that receive their services. Instead, they focus on collecting and analyzing simple input and output data that fail to provide any guidance on whether there is real value to these programs. As a result, billions of dollars in precious resources are wasted annually. Taxpayers and donors become more cynical each year, as they see little progress in responding to some of the most pressing social problems such as reducing poverty, improving educational achievement, and reducing health costs. In the Transparent Accountability Paradigm, Reginald Carter explains why government and nonprofit organizations should use outcomes as the driving management metric and he provides a clear, concise strategy for both transparency and accountability. The book defines a new social contract between the public and their government. It has ten components:(1) Taxpayers want a government that works. They want a positive relationship between taxes and tangible program success. (2) Programs should demonstrate a positive impact on citizens and communities thay serve. (3) Programs should share results with all stakeholders, including the public. (4) Results should be measureable, simple, realistic and easily understood. (5) Results should be the primary basis for important resource decisions. (6) Program managers should maximize results. (7) Program managers should create results measures and obtain the necessary consensus/acceptance from various stakeholders. (8) Government should only fund programs that improve results and remove those that cannot. (9) Voters should elect leaders who demonstrate this level of accountability. (10) Voters should become better educated on the performance of government and communicate directly with their leaders about their ask of government.

About this title

About the Author

Reginald Carter, PhD, is the author of The Accountability Agency (Sage, 1983) and contriutor to Developing Client Outcome Monitoring Sytems (Urban Institute, 1981). He is a fomer sociology professor, manager of planning and evaluation for a large social service agency, and President/CEO of the Health Care Association of Michigan, a nonprofit trade organization representing nursing homes and assisted living communities. He has also written numerous articles on program evaluation, outcome-based management, and transparency as an organizational strategy. He is a graduate of Michigan State University and is currently teaching Organizational Dynamics and Human Behavior for graduate students in the Science of Administration at Central Michigan University.

Edition details

• Publisher: Transparent and Accountable Manager Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0615454631
• ISBN 13: 9780615454634
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256