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Fiscal Policy Studies Institute
RBA/OBA Accountability 
101 Training
Workshop Set-up and Logistics

1. Equipment needed:

• Powerpoint: LCD projector (and plan for a backup if possible). It is not necessary to provide a computer. The presenter will bring a laptop. No need to provide a separate projector if the room has a built-in projector.
• A large screen (not necessary if there is a large clean wall surface for projection). If the room has multiple projection screens it is strongly preferred that there be one main screen in the center at the front of the room.
• 2 flip charts, markers and masking tape or Bluetac. Flipchart pads with self stick adhesive is preferred.
• CLIP-ON (lavaliere) MICROPHONE if group is larger than 25 (or if the room acoustics are problematic). Please RENT this equipment if it is not otherwise available. A quality system is, of course preferred, But if cost is a problem, this equipment can usually be rented for less than $100. And here's why this is IMPORTANT: It is very easy to lose one's voice speaking in front of a group for 5 or 6 hours without a good microphone. Try it sometime if you don't believe me. A lost voice means all workshops for the next 3 days must be cancelled. Why is a clip-on microphone necessary and not just an ordinary hand held? It is very difficult to work with pointers, remote slide changers and flip charts with a hand held microphone and cord. (It's actually funny to watch though.) If you have any questions at all about this, please call.
• Hand held microphone for use by the participants for groups of 50 or larger. Two hand held microphones for groups of 100 or larger.

2. Room set-up:

• Tables can be set up classroom style (straight or angled), or in round tables (NOT U shaped if possible).
• For workshops with an afternoon session, participants will work around tables in groups of 6.
• LCD projector should be set on a rectangular table, NOT an AV cart, at the front of the room.
• Please place a copy of the workshop materials package given to participants on this table.
• Pitcher of water and glass on front table, please. 
• Extra credit will be given for arranging a pitcher of hot water, a small bowl of sliced lemon and an artificial low calorie sweetener (preferably Splenda). This helps keep me from losing my voice.... many thanks.
• It is very helpful to have chocolate on the tables in the afternoon.
• It is also helpful (maybe even fun) to have modeling clay or stress toys on the tables in the afternoon.

3. Materials:

The following materials should be copied for distribution at the time of the workshop. Back to back printing is always preferred as a way to save paper.

• Results Accountability 101 workshop materials can be printed from Adobe Acrobat format. Click here. The full version of the workshop workbook should be used unless use of a shorter version is discussed in advance. Click here for UK Materials
• RBA Brochure either color or black and white printing. Click here.
• One copy of the Summary Evaluation form for each participant. These will be retained by the sponsoring organization.
• Workshop organizers are strongly encouraged to provide a copy of the book "Trying Hard Is Not Good Enough" for each participant. The Results Leadership Group provides significant discounts for anyone organizing an RBA 101 workshop. Contact Adam Luecking at adam@resultsleadership.org .
• For workshops with an afternoon Turn the Curve Exercise (using population level indicators), sponsors may need to prepare actual baseline data for use by participants. See below under "Preparation." Contact FPSI if you have any questions about what is needed.
• Name tags with FIRST NAMES in large type. These can be pre-prepared or filled out at the time of the workshop.
• Participant list, with identifying information, including email addresses.
• Optional: Sponsors may wish to provide a certificate of completion for each participant. Click here for a Powerpoint file that can be printed onto certificate paper: RBA 101 Certificate of Completion. These can be signed by the trainer at the time of the training.
• Optional: Next Steps Form See note below.

4. Workshop description and bio: May be printed from the Workshops Page. 

5. Press Release:

• Consider issuing a press release about the RBA 101 event. Click here for a fill-in-the-blanks draft. Press coverage can help build the image of your organization and can help spread the word about RBA.
• Mark Friedman portrait photo for use in publicity material as necessary.

6. Typical agenda:

8:30 - 9:00       Registration
9:00 - 12:00     Results Accountability 101 with a break around 10:30
12:00 - 1:00     Lunch
1:00 - 3:00      Turn the curve exercise (either population results or program performance)
3:00 - 3:30      Next steps discussion (see note below)

Note regarding introducing Mark at the beginning of the workshop: Please do not read the bio. Generally, the simpler the introduction, the better. Here is one possible introduction. 

Note regarding "Next Steps" discussion at the end of the day:

This closing session should be lead by someone in a leadership position in the sponsoring organization. It is generally not about announcing next steps (although that is fine if there are next steps to announce), but rather about what people have learned and more importantly what they intend to do with that learning. One way to handle this is to ask people to work in pairs for 5 minutes to discuss two things:

    1. What's one thing I could personally do with what I learned here today?

    2. What's one thing I would like to ask someone else or some organization to do to support this work?
    (Optional: Print the Next Steps Form Ask people to write their answers to the two questions and turn the form in with their
     evaluation.)

 

Then ask who wants to share....and draw out as many ideas as there is time..... It's a good idea to ask someone to take notes (quietly on a note pad not on a flipchart), so that there is a record of the ideas offered.

 

Then close with any announcements you want to make, thank you's etc....

7. Participant Preparation:

• No advance preparation by participants is required. However, it is strongly recommended that participants spend 10 minutes playing with the website: www.raguide.org. Click on the Index of Questions and find something that looks interesting.
• Participants may also read from the website resultsaccountability.com. Recommended reading: 
     1. UCLA Results Accountability for Young Children and Their Families: A Planning Guide for
         California's Proposition 10 Commissions,  
     2. What Works Policy Brief - Reforming Finance, Financing Reform and 
     3. A Guide to Developing and Using Performance Measures
• Results Accountability book: Trying Hard Is Not Good Enough is available from www.resultsleadership.org (best price and shipping times from this site) and  www.amazon.com  and  www.trafford.com. The sponsoring organization should advise participants about the availability of this book, and indicate if a copy will be provided to each participant as recommended above.

8. Data Preparation:

• For the Community-wide Population (e.g. all children, all elders) Turn the Curve exercise: The group will need 4 or more indicator baselines with room on the x and y axis for forecasting. An existing Children's Report card can be used if it provides multi-year data for 4 or more indicators.
• For the Agency and Program Turn the Curve exercise: If possible (but not required), staff should bring a current list of performance measures and real data for at least one measure.

9. Special Requests:

• Work days should not start earlier than 8:00 AM or end later than 5:00 PM, unless agreed in advance.
• If meetings are planned in restaurants or outside of normal work hours, please find a QUIET PLACE where normal conversational levels are possible, This may require advance reservation of private space.
• Whenever possible, luncheon menus should be arranged to provide for low fat food options.

10. Cancellations: 

Fortunately this doesn't happen very often, but articulation of a policy seems to be necessary for those rare occasions. Cancellation by the sponsor less that one month before the event is subject to a $1,000 per day fee plus the amount of travel costs that can not be avoided. Cancellation less that two weeks is subject to the full fee plus travel costs that  can not be avoided. Waivers or reductions are at the discretion of FPSI. If FPSI cancels less than one month before the event and can not offer a suitable replacement, FPSI will reimburse 50% of actual event related costs that can not be avoided (excluding personnel costs) upon submission of an invoice with receipts. These provisions should be included in any proposed contract. Please call if there are problems or questions about this.

11. Questions: Call 505-466-3284 or email xfpsi@aol.com