Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition: Performance Measurement Initiative

Purpose and Approach:

The Fels Institute worked to facilitate the implementation of a performance measurement system in the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition (GPUAC) and to recommend performance management practices for the future. GPUAC provides fiscal sponsorship to over ninety diverse nonprofits in the greater Philadelphia area. The mission of the Coalition is to unite “government, business, neighborhoods, and individual initiative to improve the quality of life in the region, build wealth in urban communities, and solve emerging issues.”  

GPUAC sought to incorporate the regular use of data into the management of all of its partners. To this end, GPUAC purchased a software package that enables nonprofit organizations to easily capture data on the activities and outcomes of their work. The Fels Institute helped GPUAC ensure that this new tool was used to its maximum potential. In addition, Fels provided training the organizations’ staff about performance measurement, facilitated the design of performance metrics, and provided best practices on performance management in nonprofit organizations.

The project facilitated performance measurements at two levels of the GPUAC organization. First, Fels worked with eight member organizations to develop individual performance measurements for their missions and activities. These organizations offered services in workforce development, economic development, education, health, and neighborhood areas.  Second, Fels worked with the Senior Management Team of GPUAC to develop universal performance measurement, which express the performance of the organization as one unified entity.

Results and Publications:

Fels achieved the project’s goals of facilitating the implementation of a performance measurement system in the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition and recommending performance management practices for the future. During the project timeframe, Fels:

• Trained eight member organizations on performance measurement

• Drafted logic models for each organization.  Logic models are concise diagrams of how an organization’s daily activities lead to the execution of its mission.  Logic models identify specific ways to measure each activity and outcome.

• Provided a foundation for universal performance measurements and management practices through work with the Senior Management Team.

• Made recommendations for the moving ahead with the initiative in the future and highlighted key challenges for the organization.

For more information, contact Catherine Lamb, Project Manager, at catlamb@sas.upenn.edu.