Results that Matter: Improving Communities by Engaging Citizens, Measuring Performance, and Getting Things Done - Hardcover

Paul Epstein; Paul M. Coates; Lyle D. Wray; David Swain

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0787960586 ISBN 13: 9780787960582

Publisher: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub, 2005

Synopsis

Today's communities—whether they are currently strong, or struggling to survive—face difficult challenges if they want to be tomorrow's healthy, vibrant communities. The challenge for leaders and citizens of modern communities is not just to solve specific problems today. Their real challenge is to keep learning from their experience so they can keep improving their communities tomorrow.

Results That Matter will provide a new governance framework for using valuable tools of community improvement—especially performance measurement and citizen engagement—to empower communities to achieve the outcomes their citizens most desire. Government and nonprofit managers will learn how to combine these tools in new ways, not only to achieve one-time improvement of their organizations and communities, but to foster continual community renewal and improvement. The benefits and practicality of the framework and related practices will be reinforced by case examples from 25 communities across the country. The book will offer "how to" guidance to public and nonprofit managers, including promising practices for effective communities, and new roles for citizens, community leaders, and managers.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Praise for Results That Matter

"Results That Matter adds real substance to the discussion of how government can deliver the results citizens want at a price they are willing to pay.? For citizen activists, public sector leaders, and managers alike, it provides valuable lessons and examples they can use as they continue to push the envelope of results-based governance."
–David Osborne, coauthor, The Price of Government and Reinventing Government and senior partner at the Public Strategies Group

"Results That Matter provides concrete teaching tools for nonprofit developers, local governments, residents, or anyone else working to build strong and healthy communities. The authors demonstrate that results-based governance and citizen engagement not only enrich community improvement efforts, they are necessary ingredients for success."
–Michael Rubinger, president and CEO, Local Initiatives Support Corporation

"Too many politicians think that being a leader means being a power broker. Results That Matter clearly demonstrates that leadership means letting the people lead."
–Mayor William Johnson, Rochester, New York

"Citizen involvement and performance measurement are both critical ingredients to developing an effective, efficient, and equitable local government. Results That Matter helps us understand that these two aspects of local governance go hand in hand, and when combined can become a powerful force for community change. This book will be a useful tool for elected officials, professional managers, and any community leader who is interested in finding ways to move their city to the cutting edge of change."
–Christopher T. Gates, president, National Civic League

"Results That Matter is a must-read for any community leader, especially those outside of government, who want to create a community culture of high expectation for success. The book provides an engaging depth of information while staying in the comfort zone of those who aren't experts in performance measurement."
–Michael Meotti, president and CEO, United Way of Connecticut

From the Inside Flap:

Is your community strong and vibrant or merely struggling to survive? If you want your community to be healthy and energetic tomorrow, you need to do more than simply solve specific problems today.?To be successful, leaders and managers must learn from their experience so they can continually improve their communities for the future.?

In a time of increased scrutiny and heightened demands for accountability, community and public leaders must demonstrate more than good intentions: they must produce results. Results That Matter presents the new Effective Community Governance Model that brings together valuable tools of community improvement—especially performance measurement and citizen engagement—to empower communities to achieve the outcomes their citizens most desire. Using the information and tools in this book, government and nonprofit managers, civic reformers, and community leaders and activists will learn not only how to achieve one-time improvement of their organizations and communities but how to foster a continual cycle of community renewal and improvement.?

Results That Matter is filled with real-life examples from twenty-five communities across the country that demonstrate the benefits and practicality of the model and related practices. The authors provide down-to-earth guidance, including self-improvement practices of effective communities and new roles for citizens, community leaders, and managers.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0787960586
• ISBN 13: 9780787960582
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 242