VISTA Reporting Webinar

1. VISTA Reporting Webinar

2. Housekeeping • All calls will be on mute until the end of the presentation when we will have questions • If you have questions during the presentation please use the chat feature • This presentation and an FAQ will be sent out after the Webinar

3. Updates • Prohibited Activities • Retention and Program Impact • Monitoring and Accessibility Certification

4. Timesheets • Closely monitor and track leave • Timely submission important • Compensatory time only under very limited circumstances • Only supervisors on record may sign

5. Role of Reports and Performance Measurement Regular measurement of your intended outcomes: • Improves performance • Enhances decision making • Demonstrates accountability • Justifies continued funding • Improves quality of services • Promotes continuous improvement Performance measurement is the process of collecting, analyzing and reporting information about your intended outcomes.

6. Quarterly Reporting to WSC Quarter 4 Report Due 8/25/14 for period 06/01/14 to 08/31/14 The link to the electronic Quarterly Report for your focus area will be sent to your site by email about 2 weeks before the due date. The link to the electronic Quarterly Progress Report will be sent to your site by e-mail about 2 weeks before the due date. Quarter 3 Report Due 6/9/14 for period 3/1/14 to 5/31/14 Quarter 2 Report Due 3/10/14 for period 12/1/13 to 02/28/14 Quarter 1 Report Due 12/9/13 for period 9/1/13 to 11/30/13

7. Elements of Progress Reports

8. Reporting Period and Project Identification The questions in this section are: • Reporting Period • Name of your organization/project • Have the duties of your VISTA member(s) changed from those in the VAD

9. Demographics

10. Supervisor Training • VISTA tracks training received by both VISTAs and Supervisors • Record only trainings taken in that quarter

11. Member Training • To report member trainings complete the VISTA Member Training Plan • E-mail into Jennifer Burns • Trainings received as part of OSOT cannot count as a requirement

12. Member Training • Each training can only count toward one requirement, however a conference can contain multiple trainings • Members must receive 2 Site Specific Trainings • Other trainings are NOT required but are tracked by VISTA

13. Performance Measures • Numbers for performance measures were identified in the Request for Application (RFA) and finalized during negotiations between the site and the WSC • These are included in the WSC’s report to the VISTA State Office • You will need to maintain documentation of reported data which will be requested during monitoring

14. Performance Measures • If a measure does not apply, enter 0 or NA • Numbers must be unduplicated from other reports and other measures • Fill in the number for each performance measure • Each narrative should concisely but clearly describe the number above it

15. National Service Knowledge Network

16. Performance Measures • Number of community assessments completed by the VISTA identifying goals and recommendations this quarter (G3-3.1) • Number of unduplicated systems and business processes or enhancements to existing systems and business processes put in place as a result of capacity building services provided by the VISTA in this quarter (G3-3.11) • Dollar value of cash resources leveraged by VISTA members this quarter (G3-3.16) • Dollar value of in-kind resources leveraged by VISTA members this quarter (G3-3.17)

17. Volunteer Generation and Management Measures • Data should be unduplicated from other quarters and other measures • List the number of volunteers or hours served in the first boxes • Describe more about each volunteer related performance measure

18. Volunteer Generation and Management Measures • Number of unduplicated community volunteers recruited (new) by VISTA members (G3-3.1) • Hours of service contributed by community volunteers who were recruited (new) by VISTA members (G3-3.7) • Number of unduplicated community volunteers managed (existing) by VISTA members (G3-3.2) • Hours of service contributed by community volunteers who were managed (existing) by VISTA members (G3-3.8) • Number of the total volunteers recruited and managed who were baby boomers • Number of the total volunteers recruited and managed were veterans or military family members • List three effective volunteer management practices implemented by VISTA members (G3-3.3)

19. Narratives • The report completed for CNCS includes quantitative and qualitative sections • Be concise with your responses but provide enough detail to give clarity • E-mail any relevant documentation highlighting your members’ service (news articles, grant award letters, etc) to Jennifer Burns

20. Project Promotion / Education • The WSC encourages sites to invite legislators, elected officials, and other stakeholders to your events • This must be for educational purposes only • If you will be having an event let the WSC know before

21. Key Tips for Success • Keep narrative responses concise • Use the Word template first to be able to spell check responses and work on responses over time • Report data for current reporting period only. Do not report cumulative data or data reported previously • If a section doesn’t apply to the service your VISTA does, mark as NA or 0 • E-mail any pictures, links to media coverage, awards, and any other documentation of the VISTA members’ success or impact to Jennifer Burns

22. Continuous Quality Improvement

23. Celebrate Success • Your members are part of a bigger network and it is reporting that allows for capturing impact!

24. Records Retention • Retain performance measurement documentation for 7 years from the close of the program year • This retention schedule is a state and federal requirement • Documents to be retained include but are not limited to: attendance rosters, surveys, other tracking documents

25. Other Reports

26. Stories of Service Overview • Why? • Story Structure • Stories of Service Form • VISTA Core Principles

27. Why? Why? • Personal accomplishment and reflection. • Project updates and report successes to the VISTA State Office. • Marketing to recruit new VISTA members and host organizations. • Sustainability for future WCS and AmeriCorps *VISTA programming.

28. Story Structure Situation: Why is your service needed? Response: How did you respond? Results: Who benefited? What resulted? Evidence: What is the evidence?

29. Situation • The introduction should make the case for why you are needed to serve in this community and/or site organization. • What problem, issue or concern needed addressing? • What is your role as a VISTA?

30. Response • Your response to the current situation . Describe your role in building capacity for your site. • Describe partnerships and external resources leveraged. • What did you do to address the problem, issue or concern?

31. Results Use numbers and anecdotes to describe important outcomes (changes and benefits) achieved as a result of your VISTA service. Who benefited and how? Describe outcomes in terms of value or meaning.

32. Evidence Include photos, the data collection method (pre- or post-test surveys) interviews and testimonials. Remember, your Story of Service depends on credible information and photos.

33. Human Touch • “The greatest story commandmentis: • Make me care.” • -Andrew Stanton Filmmaker: Toy Story and WALL-E

34. Fill Format • Targeted Questions • VISTA Specific • Focus on Core Principles • Found on the WSC Website

35. VISTA Core Principles • Anti-Poverty Focus • Community Empowerment • Capacity Building • Sustainable Solutions

36. Anti-Poverty Focus What accomplishments have you made at your site that address the VISTA focus of alleviating poverty? Describe how your service is moving people out of poverty.

37. Community Empowerment • Are other AmeriCorps*VISTA and non-AmeriCorps*VISTA programs collaborating with your project? • How have you incorporated the voice of the community into your project? • List the programs, participants or organizations and briefly describe the collaborative activities.

38. Capacity Building In what ways has your service expanded your site’s capacity to serve community members and fight poverty?

39. Sustainable Solutions What steps have you taken to make your project sustainable for the future?

40. Stories of Service • Don’t wait for Progress Reports to share Stores of Service! • The more you share about VISTAs impact on the community, the more we can see how strong your project is and can pass that along to show program wide impact

41. Questions? • Please mute your phones to prevent feedback during the questions. FAQs will be sent out with this PowerPoint later today. VISTAs: Thank you for your service Supervisors: Thank you for all that you do for your members!!