Outcomes

As with any business, a clear picture of how effective efforts are can be one of the most important tools in determining the next course of action. As a social enterprise, CVE has made outcomes tracking a high priority, and in conjunction with several of our partners, has developed innovative tools to measure its success.

HIRE
HIRE (Helpful Information Resource for Everyone) is the central database for CVE and houses data for all client charts and case related information. Developed and implemented in 2000, HIRE tracks clients starting with their initial phone call and (in conjunction with the long term impact study) following their progress for several years after they leave CVE. Utilizing the latest web-based technologies, the system is used to gauge progress in clients’ vocational skills, financial independence, and emotional well-being. This enables both management and staff to identify and address challenge areas before they become serious problems. HIRE was also designed with CVE’s external stakeholders in mind and contains specialized parameters for each of the agency’s major funding partners to fulfill reporting requirements. HIRE is a critical information resource for clients, line staff, management, and outside stakeholders.

The CVE Long Term Social Impact Study
Since 1998, CVE has partnered with an outside consulting firm, BTW, to actively measure the impact of social enterprise employment on its target population. This study, looking at client’s progress over two year periods, tracks information across several outcome areas including employment, hourly wage, monthly income, criminal conviction rates and, quite importantly, the change in the percentage of client’s income received from public assistance. Some of the key findings of the report are:

• 71% of former clients were still employed over two years later.
• Prior to hire, clients’ earned income accounted for only 23% of their total income with public assistance accounting for the remaining 77%. Two years later, those figures reversed: 77% of total income was earned income and only 23% came from public benefits.
• Client wages increased from an average of $6.27 at time of hire to $10.34, two years after hire.
• While nearly one out of three CVE enterprise employees (30%) has been convicted of a crime prior to hire, none of those with a criminal history is convicted of a crime during the two-year follow-up period

For more details, see the CVE Long Term Impact Outcomes Report here.

For the 2006 CVE Annual Report, click here.