How are outcomes tracked in the ROSS program?
Tracking outcomes enables Service Coordinators and HUD to examine program performance by capturing the progress participants are making towards their goals. Depending on the population served, HUD requires grantees to track participant outcomes in health, housing, employment, education, and financial security.
In our example of a ROSS program that works with families with children to improve children’s educational achievement, outcomes could include:
- Enrollment in Early Head Start and Head Start programs among young children in families participating in the ROSS program.
Participation in early childhood education programs like Head Start can improve children’s school readiness.
Outputs described earlier—the share of parents with children under age 5 who are enrolled in the ROSS program and the number of PCC members who provide early childhood education services—contribute to this outcome by setting the stage for a successful referral to a Head Start program.
Program efficiency metrics—number of Service Coordinators who have experience coordinating services for low-income families with children and number of hours that Service Coordinators receive each year related to early childhood education—position Service Coordinators to help ROSS program participants access the most relevant and effective services and programs.
Current tracking requirements
Be sure to visit HUD’s Funding Opportunities website and check the current ROSS NOFA for guidance on mandatory metrics to be tracked during the grant period and/or tools that Service Coordinators are required to use to measure progress as these may change over time.
What types of outcomes should be tracked?
All ROSS Service Coordinators should track outcomes in the following areas:
- Health – outcomes may include newly obtained health plan coverage; reductions in emergency room visits; improvements in self-rated health status.
- Housing – outcomes may include reductions in unplanned or involuntary moves; increases in the rate of on-time rent payment; increased rental payments.
ROSS Service Coordinators working with families and other non-elderly, non-disabled households should also track outcomes in the following areas:
Springfield Housing Authority
(Springfield, IL)
- Employment – outcomes may include increases in the share of participants who are employed full-time or part-time; increased earnings; increases in the number of participants enrolled in an apprenticeship program.
- Education – outcomes may include increased rates of participation in Head Start or Pre-K programs; increased numbers of participants who receive a GED or complete an adult education program; attainment of a vocational or occupational license or certificate.
- Financial – outcomes may include increases in average earnings; increased savings; improvements in self-rated financial well-being.
ROSS Service Coordinators working with elderly residents and people with disabilities may also track participants able to continue living independently and/or age in place and the number of residents who receive home modifications to address accessibility challenges.
Program reporting with Standards for Success
In 2017, HUD adopted a new performance reporting system. Standards for Success modernizes the data collection process and enhances HUD’s ability to analyze performance data across its portfolio.
HUD will issue guidance on Standards for Success with each NOFA. For more information, visit the Standards for Success page on HUD Exchange.