This discussion will require drawing from your text chapters and module lectures. If you have experience in management, you can draw on that experience but apply it to the management case you are using through the course. If you have not been in a management role, imagine you have been managing your assigned agency for the past year or more.
At this point, you have decided to evaluate some aspects of the agency or specific program that you created. You also want to gain insight into your own effectiveness and efficiency as a manager. To do so, you need to answer some key questions – this list is not exhaustive; it is a starting point. Address the following questions in your initial post:
How might you evaluate your own ability as a manager towards supporting the agency/program to meet its goals? For example, how would you evaluate your own effectiveness as a manager of this agency?
What sources of information would be helpful to evaluate your management ability and style?
What are two or three specific agency outcomes you might wish to evaluate?
What kinds of information will you need to evaluate the 2 or 3 outcomes?
Who will be receiving the results of the evaluations of your agency or program? Who would receive the results of your managerial effectiveness?
How will those evaluation results be communicated?
What will tell you if your agency or program is efficient (i.e. cost-effective)?
What will tell you if the agency or program is effective in providing services?
What barriers and challenges might you anticipate you will encounter in evaluating your agency or program?
Be sure to cite specific sources from the course readings to support your plan.
Category: human service management
Create a detailed list that answers the following areas related to crafting a basic budget prompts. Be sure to cite specific reasons and examples from the course readings and materials.
You may need to research what are normal costs for salaries of certain jobs in your region, benefits, rent, allowable or usual indirect cost percentages,
Generate a list of possible funding sources, fundraising, and grant writing activities that you may need to get your programs into action.
What funding sources might have a vested interest and want to have some say in the agency activities?
Develop a basic expense budget including:
personnel costs
salaries of all key people- assume at least 15 to 20 staff, this can include manager, supervisor, case managers, counselors, nurses, administrative support staff, medical. psychological consultants, etc.
benefits (includes employers share of social security/medicare, unemployment insurance, employee health insurance, retirement contribution, this will usually amount to 40% of the total salaries)
indirect costs – also called “overhead” are administrative costs of 10-35% of overall personnel and benefit costs, but typically excludes utilities, rent, contractual, and capital costs. This is money set aside to cover upper administration, human resources, payroll, and physical space of the agency administration. This cost is above and beyond direct services costs. Many grants limit indirect costs to 15%
contractual costs, such as cleaning/housekeeping, information technology, consultants, etc.
non-personnel costs – rent, utilities, telephones, office supplies, program supplies, staff mileage, staff training/development, etc.
capital costs -these are one-time major costs for equipment, buildings, vehicle costs (and can include replacing computers for the agency).
Include an income budget showing all sources including in-kind contributions such as – goods and/or services provided in lieu of funds.