Through the process, and after developing our theory of change, we did a lot of soul-searching about the nature of the work. It was a journey. It helped us clarify what we are really about, what we are trying to do. It helped our team come together. Helping us align our work with the city’s goals and objectives was huge. To have this articulated, to have this conversation, was fabulous.
— Andrea Youngdahl, Director, Oakland Department of Human Services
Read our clients’ stories:
STRATEGY
Public Health Trust “What’s next?”
Common Vision: How do we change the conversation for long-term impact?
CompassPoint: How do we articulate our “value add”?
First 5 San Francisco: How can we become more effective at an organizational level?
EVALUATION
RYSE Youth Center: Starting Off Right
Fundraising Academy for Communities of Color: Are we doing the right things?
First 5 Marin Children and Families Commission: Can we do more with others than we can alone? How?
IHPTP: Making Evaluation Meaningful
Horizons Foundation: More than a Perfunctory Exercise
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Oakland Kids First: How do we demonstrate our impact?
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Oakland Department of Human Services: How can we have greater impact?
Center for Civic Partnerships: How can the sector have a greater impact?
Background: As a public agency serving a large and diverse urban population, the Oakland Department of Human Services’ (ODHS’) mission is to promote a healthy and caring environment for all community members. When ODHS engaged jdcPartnerships in 2005, it was responsible for 16 independent programs serving a broad spectrum of the city’s residents.
Situation: Andrea Youngdahl, ODHS’s Director, told us: “Right now, we are stable and strong, but I think we could be more effective. If our programs were more aligned, we could have a greater impact and be more visible to decision-makers.” She asked: “How can we do this?”
Assessment: At a transition point in its organizational development, ODHS fell between stage 4 (specialize & standardize) and stage 5 (systemize & institutionalize). While a strong organization, it knew it could do more. In fact, it had to evolve in order to address the needs of its growing client population.
Outcomes: ODHS developed a common language and framework for how its programs think and talk about themselves. The process also aligned ODHS at a system level by tying its theory of change to the City of Oakland’s overarching goals. It can now speak to how it contributes in a measurable way to achieving Oakland’s goals, allowing it to capture the awareness of policy-makers.
ODHS’s Annual Report (PDF)
