Paper Outline
Agency Context:
1.Identity:
What is the name of your agency?
Is this a single-program agency (If so, proceed to the section on Program Assessment)?
Is this a multi-program agency (If so, answer all of the questions in the Agency Context and Program Assessment sections)
2.Type:
a. What type(s) of organization is this? Some organizational categories are:
i. Child protection agency
ii. Health & wellness
Early intervention agency
Educational
Mental health agency
Substance use disorder agency
other
3. Size: a. What is the overall size of the agency? Consider the following measurements:
i. Number of clients served?
ii. Number of employees?
iii. Number of programs?
iv. Number of locations?
4.History & Mission: a. Provide a brief history of this organization?
i. How and why did they come into being?
ii. Has the agency acquired or been acquired by another organization(s)? If so, provide a timeline regarding these acquisitions.
iii. What is the current mission of this organization?
iv. Have connection(s) between the historical mission of the organization and its current mission been maintained or has the mission changed and developed over time? How so?
v. Is the organization specific about how they implement the mission? How so?
5.Budget & Resources: a. Every agency needs resources to operate. Consider the following:
i. What is the annual budget for this organization?
ii. What are the primary funding sources of the organization at large?
1. Grants from federal, state or local government?
2. Health insurance (private or public)?
3. Private fund raising?
4. Out-of-pocket payments?
5. Other?
6.Organizational Structure:
a. Is this organization public (established by legislation such as DCF or the VA) or private (independent of direct government control)?
b. Is the organization “for-profit” or “not-for profit”?
7.Policy: a. What federal, state and local legislation or regulations are particularly relevant to this organization? Provide a summary of key legislation or associated regulation and then link to the legislation.
8.Organizational structure? a. Summarize the organizational structure of this organization including levels of organization pertaining to:
i. Authority
ii. Responsibility
iii. Mechanisms for carrying out agencies functions
b. Attach an organizational chart as an appendix to your paper.
9.Location: a. Where is this agency located? There may be several locations, if so is there a “main” location? Do the separate locations work together? How so?
b. Does the organization have a large presence in a specific community? How do you understand the reputation of the organization within the community?
10.Target Population: a. Does the organization coalesce around a specific population group (women, teens, LGBTQ) or are services provided more broadly to a wide range of client groups?