Performance Measurement in AmeriCorps: Surveys of Members, Former Members and Organizations

Sample = Organizations currently supervising VISTA and AmeriCorps members for at least 12 months, within the previous 24 months of the survey.

2008 Question #

Question

Respondents

Notes

screener1

This survey is intended for organizations that have supervised full or part-time AmeriCorps/ VISTA members during the past 112 months. This questionnaire should be completed by a person who is familiar with the work AmeriCorps/ VISTA members have performed for you organization over the past 12 months. Are you familiar with that work?

if = 2 then survey will be terminated and n will be directed to a thank you message at the end of this document.

1) Yes

2) No. Members served in this organization but I am not familiar with the work they did. [Go to Screener 2]

3) No. We assigned all of our members to other organizations; none performed work for this organization and we do not manage the members directly. [Go to Screener 3]

4) No. We did not host any members during the past 12 months. [Go to thank you message at the end].

Screener2

[If S1=2] Please enter the name, e-mail address or telephone number of someone in your organization who is familiar with the work members performed

Ask if S1=2

Screener 3

[If S1=3] Please enter the name, e-mail address or telephone number of someone in the THREE organizations to which you sent most of your members over the last 12 months. This should be a person in each organization you believe is likely to be familiar with the work members performed

Ask if S1=3

Thank you message

Thank you for all of your assistance.

Suspend Survey

PRIME

This section asks you questions about your [AmeriCorps/ VISTA] members. Please think about the members who have served with you for the past 12 months when responding to these questions.

Q1a

What percentage of your time is devoted to management of members [and/or community volunteers]?

1) 1-10 percent

2) 11-25 percent

3) 26-50 percent

4) 51-75 percent

5) More than 75 percent

Q2a

Overall, how would you rate the members, considering such factors as their work ethic, attendance, motivation, and professionalism? Would you rate members as excellent, good, fair or poor? Excellent Good Fair Poor

Ask all

Q2b

(For those who respond fair or poor) Why do you rate them as fair or poor?

Ask if 3a = 3 or 4

Q3a

To what extent did the assistance provided by members enable the organization (s) in which they are assigned (or serve), to increase the number of persons served over the last 12 months, such as by expanding existing programs or services or offering new programs or services. (If members are serving at many different organizations: please think about the organization where you sent the largest number of members/teams.)

Ask all

1) A large extent

2) A moderate extent

3) A small extent

4) Not at all

5) Don’t know

6) Refused

Q3b

How likely is the organization where members have been assigned (or serve) over the past 12 months to continue providing these new or expanded programs in the future after all members associated with them have completed their service?

Ask all

1) Very likely to continue

2) Somewhat likely to continue

3) Not too likely to continue

4) Not at all likely to continue

5) Not applicable (Volunteered)

6) Don’t know

7) Refused

Q4

To what extent, if at all, did the services of members help the organization (s) where they are assigned (have served) over the past 12 months (insert..)? Would you say the services of members helped to a large extent, a moderate extent, a small extent, or not at all, or was this not part of the members work?

Ask all

Rotate Items

A) bring in additional funds

B) bring in donations of goods or services (including “in kind” donations)

C) leverage additional volunteers

1) helped to a large extent

2) helped to a moderate extent

3) helped to a small extent

4) did not help at all

5) not part of the members/teams work

6) Don’t know

7) Refused

Q5

Overall, to what extent were the projects or programs on which members served on over the past 12 months successful in doing what the project or program was designed to do? Would you say that they were successful in doing what the project or program was designed to do to a large extent, a moderate extent, a small extent, or not at all?

Ask all

1) A large extent

2) A moderate extent

3) A small extent

4) Not at all

5) Don’t know

6) Refused

Q6a

And to what extent did member(s) contribute to achieving what the project or program was designed to do? Would you say they contributed to its success by a large extent, a moderate extent, a small extent, or not at all?

Ask all

1) helped to a large extent

2) helped to a moderate extent

3) helped to a small extent

4) did not help at all

6) Don’t know

7) Refused

Q6b

And how, specifically, did they help?

Ask if 8a=3+

PRIME

The previous section asks you questions about your [AmeriCorps/VISTA] members. The following questions are not about your members, but are about your volunteers. These questions are about the steps that some organizations take when managing their community volunteers. The following questions are not at all about your members, unless they supervise volunteers. We are looking at some of the practices organizations implement to manage volunteers.

Q8

Would you say that your organization (insert) a large extent, a moderate extent, a small extent, or not at all?

Ask All

A Regularly supervises and communicates with community volunteers.

If they answer that they do not have and do not plan to have any community volunteers, they are excluded from the other questions.

B Has written policies and position descriptions for community volunteers.

C Has a paid staff member that supervises community volunteers.

D Provides training to paid staff about how to work with community volunteers.

E Conducts recognition activities, such as award ceremonies for community volunteers.

F Provides training and professional development opportunities for community volunteers.

G Has screening procedures to identify suitable community volunteers.

H Has procedures to match the interests and skills of community volunteers with appropriate volunteer projects and tasks.

1) A large extent

2) A moderate extent

3) A small extent

4) Not at all

5) Don’t know

6) Refused

7) N/A- Do not have and do not plan to have community volunteers

PRIME

The following questions will help us better understand the organizations taking part in our survey

Q8

Which of the following best describes your organization?

Ask all

1) Non faith-based non-profit organization

2) Faith-based non-profit organization

3) Government agency

4) School or school district

5) Higher education institution

6) Other - Please specify:

Q9

Approximately how many AmeriCorps [VISTA] members did your organization host over the last 12 months? Please include both full time and part time members.

Ask all

Q10

Approximately what percentage of those members were full time?

Ask all

Q11

Finally, what suggestions do you have for improving the AmeriCorps [VISTA] program overall, including suggestions for improving your interactions with [IF AMERICORPS: AmeriCorps and State Commissions] [IF VISTA: State Offices or Corporation headquarters]?

Ask all

Thank you for your assistance!