A Three-Part Progression
During the Fellowship, leaders progressed through the three stages of learning — cognitive, associative and autonomous — and created changes likely to be resilient in the face of obstacles.
This report shares results from an evaluation of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Children and Family Fellowship®. An intensive 21-month executive leadership program, the Fellowship helps social sector executives transform the way their organizations work on behalf of children in low-income communities. Casey supports program participants — called Fellows — as they refine their skills and help their organizations and partners improve results for all while also addressing factors that contribute to inequities.
A global consulting and technology services company called ICF partnered with Casey to evaluate the Fellowship’s effectiveness.
ICF solicited input from Fellows who participated in the program between 2013 and 2017. Their evaluation explored the Foundation’s Results Count® framework and assessed how well Fellows applied results-focused skills and tools to their organization’s work. The researchers also looked how a leader's organization collaborated with key partners and whether the leaders and their organizations ultimately realized their desired changes for children and families.
The evaluation’s results are encouraging and show how capable leaders can make lasting impacts when a results focus becomes embedded in organizational practices and strategies.
While most programs focus on the individual leader, the Foundation’s Children and Family Fellowship addresses individual development as a means of changing organizations to achieve population-level results.