The following resources explore trends, best practices, tools, and successful approaches in contracting with agencies to provide child welfare services, including performance-based contracts and State and local examples.
Contract Administrative Tools
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Presents resources related to the contract management process for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and links to Federal business opportunities, information on government contracting, clearinghouses, statistics, and more.
Incentivizing Results: Contracting for Outcomes in Social Service Delivery (PDF - 370 KB)
Hawkins, Bieretz, & Brown (2019)
Urban Institute
Discusses how outcome-based contracts (OBCs) are used in social services contracting and how they differ from other forms of performance-based contracts. The resource describes benefits and drawbacks of OBCs and considerations for effective implementation.
Perspectives of Public and Nonprofit Managers on Communications in Human Services Contracting (PDF - 2,072 KB)
Carnochan, McBeath, Chuang, & Austin (2018)
Public Performance & Management Review
Examines the managerial skills needed to engage in the interpersonal and technical processes involved in effective human services contract management. The study presents findings from a survey of county and nonprofit human service managers regarding their approaches to managing contractual relationships and the important role communication plays in these relationships.
Private Provider Performance Management Through Performance-Based Contracting (PDF - 290 KB)
Center for the Support of Families (2017)
Explores performance-based contracting (PBC) and how it can lead to improved service delivery and outcomes for children and families. The resource outlines common characteristics of PBC models in child welfare and child welfare agency best practices that promote better outcomes.
Turbocharging Government’s Human Services Contracting: Five Ways to Improve the Impact of Local Government Contracting With Community-Based Organizations
Gilbert & Klein (2018)
Results for America
Explores ways to improve the impact of government contracting with nonprofit service providers and provides recommendations around collaboration, funding, requests for proposals, outcome prioritization, and feedback loops.
Using Performance-Based Contracting to Strengthen Performance (PDF - 210 KB)
Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau (2020)
Offers an overview of performance-based contracting and highlights examples from the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program. The resource also describes the benefits of performance-based contracting and possible challenges associated with this approach.
State and local examples
2020 State Standard of Excellence: Contracting for Outcomes
Results for America (2020)
Presents examples of States using performance-based contracts for better results. Examples profiled include Rhode Island's Department of Children, Youth and Families; the Arizona Department of Child Safety; the Florida Department of Children and Families; the Tennessee Department of Children's Services; the Washington Department of Children, Youth, and Families; and others.
Guide to Performance-Based Contracting for Human Service Contracts (PDF - 323 KB)
New York City Nonprofit Resiliency Committee (2019)
Offers a guide to performance-based contracting in human services that covers collaborative contracting, principles of performance-based contracting, considerations when deciding to use a performance-based contract, and more.
How to Develop Outcomes
New York State Office of Children and Family Services
Provides information on outcome-based practices being used by New York to achieve better results. The website explains the benefits of outcome-based programs and provides links to resources on enhancing program performance, using logic models, and more.
Performance-Based Contracting: ECEAP Case Study
Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (2020)
Details Washington's shift to Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP), which is an outcomes-oriented, performance-based contracting model. The website explains what is measured, how it is measured, and how the results of the analysis will be displayed.
Performance-Based Contracting in Tennessee's Foster Care System (PDF - 711 KB)
Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, Center for State Child Welfare Data (2018)
Describes how a performance-based contracting system is used by Tennessee's Department of Children's Services, including how the system was developed and implemented, and how provider performance is monitored. It also covers results and ongoing work.
Results-Oriented Accountability
Florida's Center for Child Welfare
Discusses how Florida's Department of Children and Families uses a cycle of accountability framework that focuses on continuous quality improvement (CQI). The website outlines the five activities included in the cycle: outcomes monitoring, data analysis, research review, evaluation, and CQI.