Active performance monitoring provides timely information on how well the programs are doing.  CEO monitoring efforts are conducted both by an in-house team and City agencies.

CEO

CEO staff plays a strong role in the development, implementation, and evaluation of CEO initiatives. As programs get underway, the staff role has grown from planning and implementation to include monitoring and evaluation.  CEO staff regularly meets with City agencies, conducts site visits, collects monthly and quarterly reports and data, and supports the external evaluations. 

City Agencies

Agencies employ monitoring practices that involve site visits, program reporting, and provider meetings.  Some agencies also offer additional expertise or resources to support the evaluation efforts.  For example, the City University of New York (CUNY) used its internal research unit to conduct a comprehensive survey of CUNY ASAP students after their first semester.  The Department of Small Business Services (SBS) also uses a survey firm to document participant wage gains.  In addition, the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) developed an online reporting system that tracks individual and program level data.   

Results

CEO and City agencies use performance data to effectively oversee the initiatives, focusing on measurable outputs and outcomes.  Monitoring has helped CEO staff to identify providers in need of technical assistance and potential improvements to program models.  Poor performance has resulted in the termination of contracts and the reallocation of resources.  Vigorous internal monitoring and data collection allow CEO to target its evaluation resources to answering research questions that require more focused data collection.

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