The Fresno County Department of Public Health’s Babies First program, funded by the Healthy Start Initiative since 1997, works towards reducing infant morbidity and mortality and other adverse pregnancy outcomes through case management, nurse home visits, and perinatal education and support. In 2021, the program sought an external evaluator to work with the Babies First program to design, implement, and monitor an annual evaluation plan.
In the fall of 2021, Facente Consulting began work with the Babies First program to shift their evaluation model to the Results-Based AccountabilityTM (RBA) framework. RBA is a method that uses data-driven, action-oriented discussions with staff, partners, and stakeholders to guide program improvement and assess whether programs are effectively achieving their intended impacts. To develop the new evaluation model, Facente Consulting facilitated several discussions with Babies First staff to discuss desired results and identify key measures. Facente Consulting then presented the evaluation plan, compiled retrospective data on a shared dashboard, and discussed the historical data with program staff. In subsequent meetings, evaluation measures were tracked prospectively, and staff continued to discuss data trends to guide program decisions and quality improvement.