Performance Management in a Housing First Context: A Guide for Community Entities

In its renewal of the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS), the Government of Canada has prioritized Housing First as a key strategy to reduce homelessness. A Housing First approach focuses on moving people who are experiencing chronic or episodic homelessness as rapidly as possible from the street or emergency shelters into permanent housing with supports to maintain housing stability.

This Guide to performance management was developed specifically for Community Entity (CE) organizations to help manage HPS funding, as performance management is essential to understand the effectiveness of interventions funded under HPS, as well as a community’s overall progress towards reducing homelessness. It is important that communities develop effective performance management processes to link their efforts to national-level goals and benchmarks.

Performance management:

• Articulates what the homeless-serving system, as a whole, is trying to achieve;
• Illustrates whether progress is being made towards preventing and reducing homelessness in a particular community;
• Keeps programs accountable to funders;
• Quantifies achievements towards the goals of the Community Plan and HPS targets;
• Uses information gathered for continuous improvement;
• Aligns program-level results to client outcomes at the individual and system-levels; and
• Informs the next round of strategy review and investment planning.

Additional Resources

System Planning Resources

Housing First

• Housing First
  In this online Homeless Hub document, Steve Gaetz discussed key tenets of Housing First.
• More details on the HPS Housing First approach can be found here:
  http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/communities/homelessness/housing_first/supports.shtml
  http://www.esdc.gc.ca/eng/communities/homelessness/housing_first/service_delivery/index.shtml
• Canadian Housing First Toolkit
  This web-based toolkit provides step-by-step guidance on the development and implementation of Housing First programs, aimed for service providers.

System Planning

• System Planning Framework (CHF)
  This document produced by the Calgary Homeless Foundation outlines the system of care in place in Calgary. It offers a practical application of system planning from the CE perspective.

Program Matching

• Advisory to Funded Agencies: Referrals into CHF Funded Programs (CHF)
  This Calgary Homeless Foundation advisory outlines expectations from the CE on referrals and eligibility in funded programs using a system planning approach.

Acuity Assessment

• Calgary Acuity Scale (CHF)
  This link provides information to the Calgary Acuity Scale tailored for youth, families, and singles- used across homeless programs to determine level of need.
• Denver Acuity Scale
  This link provides an outline of the Denver Acuity Scale (see Appendix A of the document).
• Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT)
  This link outlines the tenets of the Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT), another acuity assessment tool.
• Visual Acuity Tool (VAT)

Coordinated Intake

• Coordinated Intake (CHF)
  This link provides information on the CHF Coordinated Access
  initiative.

Integrated Information Systems

• Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS)
  This link provides information on the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS).
• Homeless Management Information System (CHF)
  This link provides information on the Calgary’s Homeless Management Information System.
• HMIS Privacy Impact Assessment (CHF)
  This document presents the CHF privacy impact assessment, accepted by the Alberta Privacy Commissioner to operate HMIS.
• HMIS Policies and Procedures (CHF)
  This document outlines the CHF HMIS operating procedures in specific detail, along with key data collection and consent forms, data sharing protocols, privacy audit functions.

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Performance Management Resources

Reporting

• Rapid Rehousing Monthly Report (MHCHS)
  Rapid Rehousing Data Spreadsheet (MHCHS)
  These documents provide reporting examples from Medicine Hat Community Housing Society. Information submitted is corroborated with data, direct observation, or review of case files from the CE. For example, the Rapid Rehousing Data Spreadsheet is cross-referenced with data in the integrated information management system. If there are inconsistencies, it is caught immediately by staff, and then assistance provided to the teams to correct the information.
  The programs also need to submit written monthly report. The MHCHS Rapid Rehousing Monthly Report contains information that is cross-referenced with financial statements. For example, if there are high rehousing costs in the financials, and no client was rehoused that month based on the written report and spreadsheets, an explanation is requested or their detailed General Ledger.

Dashboards

• Program Dashboard (CHF)
  This example of a program dashboard shows how the Calgary Homeless Foundation uses HMIS to assess performance on a quarterly basis.

Data Collection Forms

• Client Intake Interview (CHF)
  Client Follow Up Interview (CHF)
  Client Exit (CHF)
  6-month Post-Exit
  These documents are examples of the data collection tools used at the program level across Calgary Homeless Foundation’s funded programs at various intervals (intake, follow-up, etc.). The data is collected to measure progress at
  the client and system levels. More at: http://calgaryhomeless.com/hmis/forms/
• Hamilton Data Tool (CH)
  This is the City of Hamilton’s tool used to collect demographic, qualitative and outcome data from funded agencies. It is submitted on a monthly basis. Staff aggregate the information on the back end to assist the CE with community planning initiatives and completing HPS results reporting.

HPS Indicators

• HPS Measurement Indicators (HPS)
  These are the national-level indicators provided by HPS to designated communities across Canada.

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Quality Assurance Resources

Service Standards & Program Policies

• Articles of Agreement for Housing First (EHT)
  Edmonton Homeward Trust’s document presents the service quality requirements for funded programs, as contractually required.
• Case Management Accreditation Manual (CHF)
  The Canadian Accreditation Council and CHF’s Case management accreditation manual outlines the standards of practice across Housing First programs that provide case management.
• Improvements to Practice (EHT)
  This is a schedule for contracts with Edmonton Homeward Trust that outlines required service expectations.
• Housing First Service Manual (EHT)
  Homeward Trust has developed a slate of comprehensive policies for funded programs, as outlined in this manual.
• Program Policy 1, Policy 2, Policy 3, Policy 4, Policy 5, Policy 6 (CH)
  These are the set of Policies and Procedures which govern the Transitions to Homes (T2H) program, Hamilton’s HPS-funded Housing First program for single chronically homeless males.

Monitoring

• Monitoring Process Flow (CHF)
  Program Monitor (MHCHS)
  Monitoring Tool (CHF)
  Program Review Instrument (CHF)
  Monitoring Form for Sub-Projects (UWYR)
  Program Monitoring Prep Sheet (CHF)
  Program Review Client File Checklist (CHF)
  Program Review Financial File Checklist (CHF)
  Remediation Process (CHF)
  Program Audit Prep Table (CO)
  Agency Review & Monitoring Visits (CO)
  Agency Review Format (CO)
  Sample Report Template – Agency Review (CO)
  Staff Interviews – Agency Review (CO)
  These documents outline various organization’s tools for site visits and ongoing monitoring. They include preparatory materials for CE staff conducting site visits, as well as actual monitoring checklists and questionnaires.

Client Engagement

• Hamilton Transition to Home Consumer Advisory Group Terms of Reference (CH)
  The City of Hamilton’s Transition to Home, run by Wesley Urban Ministries, has a Consumer Advisory Group in place. This document presents their Terms of Reference. The Group comprises mainly persons with lived experience as an internal advisory and planning committee. The language within the TOR is intentionally kept straight forward and direct. The committee has been in place since the program began and attached are their Terms of Reference.
• Client Survey (CHF)
  The CHF Client Survey is provided across funded programs by the CE and results are analysed centrally to assess client perception of service quality and impact.
• Client Interviews – Agency Review (CO)
  This example of client interviews from the City of Ottawa is incorporated in regular monitoring processes.

Risk Management

• Risk Assessment (CO)

Safety

• Safety Planning in Funded Programs (CHF)
  Critical Incident Review Process (CHF)
  Serious Incident Reporting Form (CHF)
  Serious Occurrence Reporting Form (CO)
  Serious Occurrence Internal Procedure (CO)

Grievances

• Responding to Complaints (UWYR)

Privacy

• Policy 6 – Confidentiality (CH)
  Privacy Information Advisory to Funded Agencies (CHF)
  FOIP Notification (EHT)
  Consent to Client File Transfer (EHT)
  Consent to Disclosure (EHT)
  FOIP Requirements (EHT)
  These policies, procedures, and advisories provide examples from various CEs with respect to risk management. They include critical incidents, grievances, safety and privacy related documents.

CE Practice Changes

• HPS Administrative Review (CH)
  In 2013, a review was completed of the City of Hamilton’s internal administrative practices. This document summarizes the main recommendations for changes the
  Division will be making to its HPS administrative processes. The main changes are centered around four (4) main themes: Alignment of Administrative Practices,
  Coordination of Monitoring Practices, Evolution of Payments processes and the Modernization of Program Records. These changes are being implemented in phases, with the aim to be fully implemented by April 2016.
• HPS Administrative Implementation (CH)
  This is an early version of the work planning document that outlines the steps being taken to implement the first series of administrative recommendations (listed above) planned to be implemented early in 2014.

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Funding Allocation Resources