Partnerships for Success (PfS) is an initiative of the Ohio Family and Children First Cabinet Council and is administered by the Ohio Department of Youth Services.

PfS has five intended outcomes: 1.) To mobilize county Family and Children First Councils (FCFC) to reduce youth problem behaviors and improve family and child-well being outcomes most important to their county; 2.) To reduce duplication of effort between and among state and local agencies; 3.) To make better local decisions that lead to better investments of public dollars; 4.) To evaluate the impact of county investments with an eye toward accountability, and; 5.) To provide for long-term sustainability of effective programs and services.  In SFY-2008-2009, PfS will work with 49 counties. PfS implementation at the county level is defined as the process of turning a strategic plan into a series of action steps that are subsequently executed, compared and measured to each county’s specific goals or “intended impacts.” County councils will be expected to effectively mobilize and expand their collaboratives past current legislatively mandated expectations, develop and implement strategic plans, programs, and services that are informed by community data and the current research on best practice. 

Current PfS benchmark successes include:

·        A recent MH research study on overall FCFC community collaboration levels, indicate that PfS counties reported higher overall collaboration levels than non-PfS counties. (Gavazzi 2005 PFS and FAST) 

·        This past year, 23 counties having already completed the two-year PfS process raised $35.5M to sustain their local PfS initiatives.  

·        Over 50 evidenced-based and promising child and youth programs are now being implemented in 33 counties. Many of these programs are being replicated in multiple counties.  All of these programs have achieved positive first year impacts to improve child well being outcomes and / or reduce youth problem behaviors. 

·        PfS research has led to the development of a prescribed set of physical, cognitive and social-emotional child well-being indicators that will be used to measure Ohio’s progress toward achieving Ohio’s Commitments to Child Well –being and will drive the work of 88 FCFC councils through H.B. 289 that requires them to structure and implement a strategic planning process by July 2007. 

While measurements of success vary depending on a county’s intended outcome, all counties will engage in a series of prescribed implementation and evaluation activities designed to build local capacities and improve program/service effectiveness.  The following steps summarize the measurement, monitoring and evaluation activities that occur during PfS implementation: 1.) Logic Model development to assess the rationale of all implementation strategies; 2.) Define measurable outcomes and specific measurement plans –measured at both the program and community level; 3.) Confirm PfS strategy recommendations with the local FCF council; 4.) Recruit implementation workgroups; 5.) Develop implementation procedures that measure program and community impact; 6.) Identify and secure the resources necessary to operationalize implementation; 7.) Provide a community report of the implementation procedures, implement, monitor and evaluate as determined by the plan.  

The 2004-2005 Partnerships for Success Progress Report highlights both state and individual county successes of the participating FCF Councils. The report showcases a specific outcome(s) sought, a program or service being implemented, and a summary of the progress that has been made toward achieving the desired outcome for each council.  Success stories are included to show the positive impact that these programs and services have produced for real children and real families.  Examples of county achievements are provided under question # 9 of this form. The report can be found on the PfS Academy website @ www.pfsacademy.org.

For more information about PfS, please contact Tony Panzino, PfS Manager, at (614) 387-2556 or tony.panzino@dys.ohio.gov.