Information, Family Outcomes, Reporting, and Management (nform): A Tool for Data Management and Reporting

Information, Family Outcomes, Reporting, and Management (nFORM): A Tool for Data Management and Reporting A FaMLE Cross-Site Project Webinar Sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation May 27, 2015 Robin Dion • Sarah Avellar • Mark Brinkley Mathematica Policy Research

Overview of Today’s Webinar 

What is the Fatherhood and Marriage Local Evaluation (FaMLE) Cross-Site Project?

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What are the data collection and reporting requirements for the Office of Family Assistance’s (OFA’s) Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Marriage grantees?

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What is nFORM?

Purpose of Today’s Webinar 

To better understand: 

How the OFA grants and the FaMLE Cross-Site Project are linked

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Basic data reporting requirements for the next round of grantees

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nFORM 

What it is

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What it does

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How it can help grantees collect, record, and report data

Today’s Speakers

Robin Dion FaMLE Cross-Site Project Director

Sarah Avellar FaMLE Cross-Site Deputy Project Director

Mark Brinkley Mathematica Senior Systems Analyst

What Is the FaMLE Cross-Site Project?

Overview of the Project 

The FaMLE Cross-Site Project will focus on the 2015 round of Responsible Fatherhood (RF) and Healthy Marriage (HM) grantees funded by OFA, Administration for Children and Families (ACF)

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ACF engaged Mathematica Policy Research to conduct the FaMLE Cross-Site Project

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The project has three main activities: 

Develop performance measures and support grantees as they collect data on them

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Support grantees as they conduct their own “local” evaluations

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Conduct cross-site analyses of RF/HM grantees’ program design, implementation, and outcomes

Agencies and Their Connections

Data Collection and Reporting for the Next Round of OFA Grantees

Why Are Data Useful to the Program and to Funders? 

Help the government and grantees assess program performance 

Identify areas to strengthen and successes to replicate

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Determine in a systematic way whether the program is achieving its goals

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Contribute to the field to improve the next generation of programs and policies

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Inform future investments

Careful Selection of Measures 

OFA, OPRE, and the FaMLE Cross-Site team at Mathematica collaborated to identify important outcomes that programs are intended to produce 

Using the same set of measures across grantees will enable us to see the bigger picture across grantees

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Public asked in a Federal Register notice to comment on the measures

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Measures revised based on the results of the comments and pilot testing

Grantees Will Be Required to Collect Data 

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Completed by grantees 

Program operations

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Enrollment and participation (service delivery)

Client survey data 

Applicant characteristics

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Client outcomes 

Pre-test

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Post-test The webinar on May 26, 2015 provided more information on performance measures. It was recorded and will be available on the FaMLE Cross-Site Project website.

Data Reporting Requirements Report

Frequency

Quarterly progress report

Every other quarter (months 3 and 9)

Performance progress report

Every six months (months 6 and 12)

What Is nFORM?

nFORM in a Nutshell 

nFORM = Information, Family Outcomes, Reporting, and Management

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A management information system designed for OFA’s Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Marriage grantees 

Can collect and store all data required for reporting to OFA

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Produces reports for OFA with one click

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Exports data

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Web-based, no downloading or programming required

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Free to OFA grantees

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Required

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Secure

nFORM Makes It Easy to Complete Surveys 

Respondents will complete all surveys (applicant characteristics form, pre-test, and post-test) in nFORM

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nFORM includes skip patterns to direct respondents to the correct questions based on prior responses

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It is programmed with Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview (A-CASI) technology 

Respondents have the option of listening to the question and answer options

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Critical for respondents with literacy issues

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Protects privacy

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No data entry for staff

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Available in English and Spanish

nFORM Can Collect Other Required Data 

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Every quarter, grantees will be asked for information on program operations 

Outreach and recruitment activities

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Target enrollment

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Staff qualifications and training

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Staff supervision and observation

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Implementation challenges

On an ongoing basis, grantee staff will record data on participation 

Individual contacts with program clients (such as case management)

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Workshop attendance

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Referrals provided

nFORM Makes Reporting Easier 

Reports will help OFA monitor progress and should be used by grantees for continual quality improvement and local evaluations

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Grantees will provide quarterly and semi-annual progress reports

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Reports will draw from numerous data sources

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All data/calculations for the reports will be automatically generated by nFORM

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Grantees will respond to narrative questions

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Grantees will then send their reports to their Federal Program Specialist

nFORM Will Have Query Capabilities 

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nFORM will have a tool that will allow users to create tables and graphs based on data in the system. For example, 

a user may want to know how many clients have a high school diploma

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a user may want to compare participation between clients enrolled in the first quarter and second quarter

Details of the tool are being developed, but the idea is to provide flexibility for users to focus on data that are useful for him or her

nFORM Works on Multiple Platforms 

Can be used on computers, laptops, or tablets

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Will be optimized for Google Chrome (version 36 or higher)

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Free web browser

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Available at www.google.com/chrome

Will be tested on multiple devices* 

iPad (not Mini)

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Tablet (Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1)

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Desktop (tested with Chrome and Internet Explorer version 10)

*nFORM is likely to work with other configurations but will only be tested with the above devices as part of its development

Operational System Coming Soon 

nFORM will be available in early 2016

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A prototype is available on the FaMLE Cross-Site website 

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http://www.famlecross-site.info/

The prototype does not accept data but shows: 

The look and feel of select screens of nFORM

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Available fields

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How to navigate the system

Let’s Take a Look!

nFORM Website 

Home

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Entering a case

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Participation data 

Group workshops

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One-on-one

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Intake/applicant characteristics

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Pre/post data

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Reports

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Query function to come

Requirements in the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOAs)

FOA Requirements for Collecting Data through nFORM 

Grantees are required to collect, store, and report data on standardized performance measures in four areas Program applicant characteristics  Program operations  Enrollment and participation  Client outcomes 

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Grantees will need to obtain and maintain data in nFORM 

Grantees will be required to ask clients to complete surveys via A-CASI 

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Applicants must confirm their expected procedure for collecting surveys via A-CASI enabled online instruments in nFORM

The FaMLE Cross-Site team will provide training and technical assistance to grantees on using nFORM

FOA Requirements: Equipment and Internet Access 

Applicants must document they have budgeted for sufficient computers (laptop, desktop, tablet) that use Internet Explorer (version 10 or higher) or Chrome (version 36 or higher) 

Tablets: grantees may use iPad (not mini) or Samsung Galaxy Tablet 10.1  Other tablets may work but will not be tested with nFORM

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If applicants do not have access to the internet, the proposal must describe potential avenues for collecting performance measure data through the internet 

Must also indicate willingness to work with ACF to find way to implement internet data collection

Resources for Grantees

FaMLE Cross-Site Website  

www.famlecross-site.info

Designed specifically for OFA’s RF and HM grant applicants 

Program design

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Evaluation design

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Performance measures

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nFORM prototype

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Questions to consider

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Tips

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Links to other resources

Other Webinars in This Series 

Developing a Strong Program Model: Planning for Successful Services (recording being prepared for release)

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Performance Measures: Tracking Program Progress (recording being prepared for release)

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Local Evaluation: Answering Key Questions (May 28, 2015) All webinars will be recorded and available on the FaMLE Cross-Site Project website.

For More Information  FaMLE Cross-Site Project Website

www.famlecross-site.info

Here to Answer Questions 

Seth Chamberlain, Senior Social Science Research Analyst, OPRE

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Julie A. Leis, Social Science Research Analyst, OPRE