Russ Linden & Associates

'Logic Models and the Quest for Results'

They can help governments achieve the outcomes they want. But they have their downsides.

For the past 20 years or so, we've seen a growing demand for accountability in the public and nonprofit sectors. It's not enough to document your program's outputs—say, the number of students who took a class, or the percentage of children who received an inoculation; the emphasis is increasingly on outcomes—what did the students learn, or are fewer children getting a certain disease?

I happen to be a big believer in focusing on outcomes. That said, I'm also quite aware of the difficulties in determining outcomes. Outcomes can be difficult to measure, some of them take years (or even decades) to become visible, some cannot be quantified, and many outcomes are beyond the control of managers and their programs.

In recent years, some agencies have begun using what are called "logic models" to analyze and demonstrate the cause-effect chains that can lead to the results they are seeking. A logic model usually spells out a series of steps or activities that, when done well and in a timely manner, lead to a desirable outcome.

For the full column, click here, and for a complete list of columns, click the GOVERNING cover to the upper right.

Russ' Management Columns are now posted on his new blog.

To visit Russ' blog click here, where you can also sign up to recieve his columns as a quarterly email. See directions for signing up on the blog-site, to the right under Russ' photo.

For A Good Read Try:

"The Trusted Leader"

Most government agencies are filled with "technocrats"- employees with strong technical skills who are most comfortable working on the operational aspects of thier jobs. It sometimes takes years before they learn what Bob Stripling, a long-time city manager, discovered. As Bob puts it, "The longer I work in this business, the more I realize that it's fundamentally about managing relationships."

That's one of the key themes running through "The Trusted Leader". It shows how managers and leaders in government are finding ways to build trust, work across boundaries, and connect with a variety of stakeholders to add value and improve performance. Russ is pleased as both a contributer to this book, and a teacher in this field, to recommend this title as an insightful aid to those looking to broaden thier understanding in this area. For more on this new title, as well as ordering information, click on the cover below.

Are you a "Collaborative Leader"?

Collaborative leaders understand how to lead as a peer (not only as a superior). They know that many of their most important projects require cooperation from people over whom they have no formal authority. Thus, they use the art of influence to gain cooperation. Read Russ's article on collaborative leadership, which appeared in the summer, 2003 issue of the Leader to Leader journal. Click here to see the article in its entirety.

"The Quest to Become 'One'"- A Report by Russ Linden*

Have you ever wondered,"How do I get all of the employees to start pulling in the same direction?" "Why do some managers still make it thier career strategy to hoard information instead of sharing it?" "Why is it difficult for the workforce to see the big picture?"

In recent years, several large federal organizations have tried to answer these questions through initiatives aimed at getting all of thier untis to work as "one". This report describes three such efforts in detail, at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Transportation, and NASA. Each used different approaches, but they undertook their initiatives for the same reasons: their customers demanded it, ans they couldn't succeed as fragmented entities.

This paper examines what it means for large public agencies to work in an integrated way, across the hurdles faced in doing so, the strategies that seem to work well, and some lessons learned.


				What's New?
		Russ Linden & Associates is a management education and consulting firm, providing services that support organizational performance and change. We offer open enrollment workshops as well as customized programs in such areas as collaboration, creating a customer-focused organization, the human side of change, and organizational learning. Russ Linden's Management Columns: Russ is one of a group of authors who write columns for the "Management Insights" series. These weekly columns are published online by Governing Magazine, and by Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. To see all of Russ's past columns, click on the Governing cover to the right. Here's his latest column: 'Logic Models and the Quest for Results' They can help governments achieve the outcomes they want. But they have their downsides. For the past 20 years or so, we've seen a growing demand for accountability in the public and nonprofit sectors. It's not enough to document your program's outputs—say, the number of students who took a class, or the percentage of children who received an inoculation; the emphasis is increasingly on outcomes—what did the students learn, or are fewer children getting a certain disease? I happen to be a big believer in focusing on outcomes. That said, I'm also quite aware of the difficulties in determining outcomes. Outcomes can be difficult to measure, some of them take years (or even decades) to become visible, some cannot be quantified, and many outcomes are beyond the control of managers and their programs. In recent years, some agencies have begun using what are called "logic models" to analyze and demonstrate the cause-effect chains that can lead to the results they are seeking. A logic model usually spells out a series of steps or activities that, when done well and in a timely manner, lead to a desirable outcome. For the full column, click here, and for a complete list of columns, click the *GOVERNING* cover to the upper right. Russ' Management Columns are now posted on his new blog. To visit Russ' blog click here, where you can also sign up to recieve his columns as a quarterly email. See directions for signing up on the blog-site, to the right under Russ' photo. For A Good Read Try: "The Trusted Leader" Most government agencies are filled with "technocrats"- employees with strong technical skills who are most comfortable working on the operational aspects of thier jobs. It sometimes takes years before they learn what Bob Stripling, a long-time city manager, discovered. As Bob puts it, "The longer I work in this business, the more I realize that it's fundamentally about managing relationships." That's one of the key themes running through "The Trusted Leader". It shows how managers and leaders in government are finding ways to build trust, work across boundaries, and connect with a variety of stakeholders to add value and improve performance. Russ is pleased as both a contributer to this book, and a teacher in this field, to recommend this title as an insightful aid to those looking to broaden thier understanding in this area. For more on this new title, as well as ordering information, click on the cover below. The Trusted Leader		Watch for Russ' new book, which is now available at the following locations: ....copies are also available at Amazon.com, and Barnes and Noble. What People Are Saying About Leading Across Boundaries Read Russ's Most Recent Columns on Management in Governing Magazine. Russ's Most Recent columns on management innovations posted on the Public Manager website. New PowerPoints: Organizational Culture Collaboration Workshop. Future Programs Previous Book: Working Across Boundaries What People Are Saying About Working Across Boundaries


		Are you a "Collaborative Leader"? Collaborative leaders understand how to lead as a peer (not only as a superior). They know that many of their most important projects require cooperation from people over whom they have no formal authority. Thus, they use the art of influence to gain cooperation. Read Russ's article on collaborative leadership, which appeared in the summer, 2003 issue of the Leader to Leader journal. Click *here* to see the article in its entirety. "The Quest to Become 'One'"- A Report by Russ Linden* Have you ever wondered,"How do I get all of the employees to start pulling in the same direction?" "Why do some managers still make it thier career strategy to hoard information instead of sharing it?" "Why is it difficult for the workforce to see the big picture?" In recent years, several large federal organizations have tried to answer these questions through initiatives aimed at getting all of thier untis to work as "one". This report describes three such efforts in detail, at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Transportation, and NASA. Each used different approaches, but they undertook their initiatives for the same reasons: their customers demanded it, ans they couldn't succeed as fragmented entities. This paper examines what it means for large public agencies to work in an integrated way, across the hurdles faced in doing so, the strategies that seem to work well, and some lessons learned. read more > > * This report was published by the IBM Center for Business of Government. You can learn more about ths Center at: www.businessofgovernment.org.
		Located at: Contact Us: 609 East Market Street Phone: (434) 979-6421 Suite 206 fax: (434) 977-1187 Charlottesville, Virginia 22902 e-mail:russlinden@earthlink.net

		Website updated: March 15th, 2012. PowerPoints updated: March 18th, 2009.