Prepare for upcoming scrutiny of federally funded programs
As I write this, the dog days of summer have descended on Washington, D.C. Congressional staff and others have departed the city for a few sweet weeks of rest and relaxation at nearby beaches and distant vacation locales. But, not everyone has left.
Federal agencies are working hard to pull together numbers for next year’s presidential budget submission. Because federal budget deficits will continue to be a reality for the foreseeable future, there is every reason to think that many programs will be on the chopping block next year. Just as important, though less well-known, is the fact that the President Barack Obama administration appears determined to cut any program that lacks enough evidence to demonstrate that it is working.
On a White House blog last year, former budget director Peter Orszag indicated that if studies show a program doesn’t work, “we’ll redirect their funds to other more promising efforts.”
Tying Performance to Budgets
Tying performance to federal budgets is not new. It is has been tried repeatedly over the years, going as far back as the 1960s. It didn’t work well when it began during the President Lyndon B. Johnson administration, and it hasn’t worked very well since then.
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The primary reason for this failure is the highly political process that goes into creating the federal budget. Performance data certainly can infuse some nonpartisan decisions into the process, but the role of politics will never be completely removed.
So what’s different this time? First, the country has a president who is committed to the concept.
Second, in tight budgetary times, cuts are inevitable. It’s easier to make the argument for cutting based on low performance during a bleak budget environment than when budgets are increasing.
Implications for Alliance, UNCA Members
What does this mean for child welfare, behavioral health, and other programs that are critical to Alliance for Children and Families and United Neighborhood Centers of America (UNCA) members?
I asked one high-level administration official what he meant when he said the nonprofit human service sector needed to “get our data and evidence ducks in a row.” Was he saying programs were going to get cut? Being a public official who is well-trained in not saying too much, he did not answer. He only smiled.
Politics play an important role in both the structure and funding of programs the nonprofit human service sector cares about, and these programs are especially subject to the views of a select group of subject matter experts. (Read the Capitol Connection column from Issue 1 – 2010 for more information.) This makes nonprofit human service organizations even more vulnerable to being evaluated based on perceived evidence, or the lack thereof.
If the nonprofit human service sector is going to survive the coming budget cuts, it must get those data and evidence ducks in a row, as well as ensure evidence-based programs are being used and achieving results. Those that do will survive and thrive. Those that don’t may not.
Ducks in a Row
Fortunately for Alliance and UNCA members, a powerful partner is on their side. Through networking opportunities at conferences, in-depth articles in this and other publications, and the Severson Center, members have access to best practices for creating, measuring, and reporting on their programs.
In Washington, members also have a supporter. The joint Alliance and UNCA public policy office understands the budget-related issues that are on the horizon, and is prepared to advocate on behalf of members.
Certainly there is work for organizations to do at home to ensure their ducks are in a row, but the Alliance and UNCA are partners in those efforts.
Patrick Lester is senior vice president for public policy for the Alliance and UNCA. He has a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University. His past experience includes director of public policy for United Way of America, aide for President Bill Clinton’s Domestic Policy Council, senior policy analyst for the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, and legislative director for the Coalition of Human Needs. He can be reached at 202-429-0400, ext. 15, or by e-mail. |  |
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