Results-Based Accountability (RBA) is a powerful decision-making framework that helps organizations make necessary changes to achieve their short and long-term goals. At Clear Impact, we believe that the RBA framework can give people the tools they need for success at whatever they do. If you are unfamiliar with RBA and its specific steps, consider reading our free ebook which goes into more detail regarding what steps your organization can take to utilize this framework. If you are already familiar with using RBA to set and work towards your goals, it may be useful to consider how you can use RBA to specifically improve your organization and community in terms of racial equity. 

Using the lens of RBA to tackle racial equity can turn abstract ideas into tangible, material changes. In fact, it’s been done and proven before. A 2020 case study of ours demonstrates the Alameda County Public Health Department’s (ACPHD) commitment to equity in health services. As a diverse community, health officials noted that marginalized communities, namely Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders and Latinos, did not enjoy the same health standards as the white population in their county. ACPHD sought the help of Clear Impact’s RBA and Scorecard training to improve their work on health equity. By hosting community workshops and providing RBA training for multiple agencies and departments within their county, ACPHD was able to exceed their goals for multiple equity-focused initiatives.

The first thing that an organization needs to understand is the difference between equity and equality. Racial equity should be understood as being achieved when race is no longer a determinant of life outcomes. Equality, on the other hand, is generally understood as presenting equal opportunities to all people, a strategy that tends to ignore structural inequalities and put an unnecessary burden on individuals to fix extremely large social problems themselves. Assuming that your organization aims to be a part of the solution, choosing an equity-centered approach is recommended. 

The process of RBA requires that you begin with your end goal and work backwards to find the means of achieving this goal. Finding your methods should be a community activity in which all parties discuss their roles and responsibilities. Teaming up with partner organizations and community members who can help in a different scope than your specific organization will be vital in setting clear responsibilities and expectations for your team. 

Once you have established your plan of action, remember that data will be the key for assessing your success. For the best results, RBA consists of a 2-3-7 method: two kinds of accountability, three kinds of performance measures, and seven questions to continually ask yourself. Accountability, then, should be held via population results and community measurements to see the impact of your actions through public information such as census data, as well as performance measures. The three kinds of performance measures should address how much you have done, how successful you were in performing these measures, and whether or not anyone is actually better off because of them. Finally, keep these 7 questions in mind as you continually analyze your action plan:

1. Who are our customers?
2. How can we measure if our customers are better off? 
3. How can we measure if we are delivering services well? 
4. How are we doing on the most important of these measures? 
5. Who are our partners that have a role to play in doing better? 
6. What works to do better, including no-cost and low-cost ideas?
7. What do we propose to do? 

Following Results-Based Accountability means being constantly aware of the material differences your organization is making, and how those differences relate to your overall actions and goals. Employ Turn the Curve Thinking to identify problems and target them as a community and organization. Remember that it takes a whole community to turn the curve! Racial equity is a specific goal that may mean different things for different communities and sectors. Remember to constantly hold yourself accountable and focus on what matters most: making a difference in your community.