Online training opportunity: Outcomes-based funding
Social Finance Leadership Development Academy — Module 1: Foundational Concepts.
Social Finance is hosting a series of training sessions on outcomes-based funding. These offerings, collectively called The Social Finance Leadership Development Academy: The Theory, Practice, and Future of Outcomes-Based Financing, are designed for public-sector leaders looking to link contractor payment to performance and pay for results rather than service delivery.
This training is part of a larger research and education effort focused on the value of prevention and how it can drive better health and social outcomes. And it’s unfolding over eight weekly online modules lasting 30–60 minutes.
Module 1: Foundational Concepts
Jake Segal, our vice president of advisory services, hosts the first session, which introduces core ideas about outcomes-based funding. It’s a simple notion: Instead of purchasing services from vendors and hoping that they’ll work, governments should pay for positive program results. But while this idea is straightforward conceptually, putting it into practice isn’t always so simple.
In part one of this training series, Jake explores why critical social problems persist, along with some of the systematic challenges that make it difficult for governments to create solutions to address such issues. He then talks through the foundational concepts that underlie outcomes-based contracting, a tool for funding prevention and taking on society’s biggest ails.
Finally, Jake offers insight into how governments might effectively adopt this approach by examining four key best practices for creating and maintaining outcomes-based vendor partnerships, including emphasizing clearly-defined outcomes, linking payment to performance, using data to make informed decisions, and relying on strong governance and measurement frameworks.
You can watch a recording of Module 1: Foundational Concepts below or sign into our public Webex portal using the password SocialFinance2020.
Are you interested in viewing and participating in the remaining sessions in real time? Sign up here. Have any questions or comments about The Social Finance Leadership Development Academy? Connect with Jake Segal or John Pion today.
Upcoming modules and provisional schedule
Module 2: (Re)introduction to problems in measurement. How do we know what works? Adventures in navigating uncertainty, and how to protect yourself along the way. (Jan. 22, 3–4:45 p.m., Eastern time)
Module 3: What we mean when we talk about cost savings. Working toward a definition of cost savings (hint: it’s not that simple) while avoiding The Savings Trap. (Jan. 30, 4–5 p.m, Eastern time)
Module 4: How performance-based contracts go bad. How to link payment to performance in the social sector, without breaking everything. (Feb. 4, 4–5 p.m., Eastern time)
Module 5: How to do Pay for Success right. Unpacking Pay for Success; and, doing Pay for Success well. (Feb. 12, 2–3 p.m., Eastern time)
Module 6: Enabling legislation for outcomes-based contracting. How legislation at the state and federal levels can accelerate outcomes-based contracting. (Feb. 20, 3–3:45 p.m., Eastern time)
Module 7: The secret sauce: performance management. The secret sauce of outcomes-based contracts: using data and good governance to get better results. (Feb. 25, 3–3:45 p.m., Eastern time)
Module 8: Looking to the future: Contracting around uncertainty. Using new contracting tools in concert to build a thriving market for social innovation. (March 4, 2:30–3:30 p.m., Eastern time)
Related posts
Module 1: Foundational Concepts
Module 2: (Re)Introduction to Problems in Measurement
Module 3: What We Mean When We Talk About Cost Savings
Module 4: Performance-Based Contracting: A Brief History
Module 5: How to Do Pay for Success Right
Module 6: Legislation to Enable Innovative Outcomes-Based Contracting
Module 7: The Secret Sauce: Active Performance Management
Module 8: Looking to the Future: Contracting Around Uncertainty
