Back to ROMA Guide Table of Contents
Times are changing and Federal, state, and local agencies are being asked to do more with less. To compete successfully for declining resources, agencies must be able to demonstrate that they can deliver the greatest impact for the least cost. This Results Oriented Management and Accountability Guide attempts to pull together the concepts, framework, and examples of tools developed thus far, to assist agencies in meeting the challenges of becoming more results oriented.
As government becomes increasingly customer oriented, Americans are more interested in the benefits they receive for their investment of tax dollars, and in some cases, the benefit to those receiving services. With regards to providing services and programs directed at low-income people, the question is not how much we spend on programs, but how we help them become more self-sufficient. Low-income people want to be part of thriving communities of which they may be proud.
This cannot be accomplished by a single agency, state, or Federal program working in a vacuum. Partnerships are needed that share commitments and contribute to benefit the customer. For community action, this means working with a Community Services Network of caring people and agencies that is dedicated to helping low-income people. To be successful, members of such a Network must plan together, share commitments, accomplish common goals, and provide one another with the greatest amount of capacity and flexibility to do their job well.
The Community Services Network is in the process of addressing these issues. This initiative is called ROMA-Results Oriented Management and Accountability - and this Guide will help your agency implement a results-oriented approach. Since ROMA is a continuous process of improvement, it is anticipated that sections will be added and updated. The ROMA Guide provides examples of some basic tools and direction for Community Action Agencies (CAAs) and other members of the Network to use as they journey toward full implementation of ROMA.