The Case for Change
Making a change and adopting a more advanced performance and data management system is an important decision for any organization,especially one in a national spotlight. Making sure that the system is designed with the organization’s unique needs in mind is crucial.
The team at Goodwill Industries of Chesapeake (Goodwill) purchased the powerful CaseWorthy software and brought in Exact Change Strategies (ECS) to extend their staff capacity and customize the system. A few months later, Goodwill was selected to participate in a national pilot program to measure the impact of their programs and services. ECS has expertise in performance, change, and data management with or without a software system and worked in close collaboration with the team at Goodwill. As a result, Goodwill is now
positioned to collect real-time information on the use and impacts of its services that it can showcase locally and nationwide.
Goodwill serves Baltimore, Maryland and the surrounding counties and eastern shore region. They provide employment support, training, and self-sufficiency services for adults with physical, intellectual, and developmental disabilities, mental health conditions, and other social barriers. This includes Spanish speakers, individuals transitioning out of correctional facilities, and others. Goodwill offers
services in two career centers as well as in a number of community based programs such as food banks and soup kitchens. They have supported employment opportunities, outpatient mental health programs, an Early Head Start program with a multi-generational model, and more.
They:
• Employ over 750 people
• Operate 29 retail stores and a variety of commercial services
• Serve over 58,000 people annually
• Place approximately 2,500 people into jobs annually
• Fund the majority of their programs through their retail stores
Support on a National Stage
The Goodwill team decided to take their data and performance management to the next level by purchasing CaseWorthy software. They chose the system because it was powerful, dynamic, user-friendly, and highly functional. However, they quickly realized that they didn’t have the internal capacity to set it up in the way that they wanted to. While Goodwill is a largeprogram with a full IT department, it was difficult for IT staff and program staff to understand each other’s needs and fully coordinate their efforts.
The leaders at Goodwill took a proactive approach to the challenge. They received a recommendation for ECS, and hired them early on in the process to provide design support and build a custom system. ECS staff came in on the first day that the Goodwill staff was being introduced to the new system and took over implementation from that point on. Concurrently, Goodwill was asked to join the Mission Impact Taskforce, which put the organization on a national stage along with 10 other competitively chosen Goodwill programs across the county. They were asked to track long-term client outcomes around: work and skills progression; financial wellness; health and well-being; work and life supports. Given Goodwill’s long-time focus on evaluation and foresight to bring in ECS to build a custom CaseWorthy system, they were putting a new foundation in place to stay competitive and proactive in performance and data management – and ultimately in their impacts on their community.
A Collaborative Approach
As always, ECS utilized a highly collaborative approach to their projects with Goodwill. Instead of coming in with a narrow focus on data management, they took the time to learn about and understand Goodwill’s programs and processes, the ways in which clients accessed them, and how staff wanted to collect and use data to further their mission. They took the time to really listen and build a working relationship with the team – and then built a system responsive to Goodwill’s services and approach. First, ECS guided Goodwill through the initial set up of their CaseWorthy system using a custom checklist and plan. This new system included one very important feature: the ability to track a single individual across programs and throughout the lifespan of their interactions with Goodwill. Previously, each program collected its own data, and sharing was not possible. ECS was able to set up the new system differently. Just a few months later, within their planned timeframe, Goodwill was able to fully “go live” with their new system. ECS offered support to their large staff team to ensure a smooth transition for over 70 staff members.
Goodwill was so satisfied with ECS’ work that it decided to bring them back for a second project. This time, the goal was to fine tune the system. After having the chance to use it on a day-to-day basis and on the front lines of their programs, Goodwill leaders and staff identified even more potential for data collection, reporting, and overall performance management. ECS worked with the Goodwill team to create a web based user guide for their system, a living document that tracks workflows and is a valuable resource for onboarding new staff. Together, ECS and Goodwill put Goodwill in a position to gather longer-term data and demonstrate an even greater impact.
Visible Impacts
As a result of their work with ECS, Goodwill now has a solid foundation for its performance and data management, staff are able to use the system and run the reports they need to assess progress, and they are leveraging the potential of the CaseWorthy system to achieve their own goals. They are able to run custom reports, including to send in data and information for the Mission Impact national pilot assessing service impacts and outcomes. The Goodwill team now views performance management and data as central components of their work – and they know how to tell exactly what is and is not working in their programs and services. They also have found a trusted partner in ECS, a team they can turn to again in the future as they enhance their system further, showcase their work, or solve everyday challenges.
The biggest thing to say about ECS is that they’re effective.
When given a task, they get it done. It’s great to know we have an established relationship with a dependable resource when we need support for performance or data management. They understand our organization and the staff using the system. And they have great personalities, are fun to work with, and they’re productive.