Paul M. Coates & Lyle D. Wray 
Results that Matter 
Improving Communities by Engaging Citizens, Measuring Performance, and Getting Things Done

Today’s communities–whether they are currently strong, or
struggling to survive–face difficult challenges if they want
to be tomorrow’s healthy, vibrant communities. The challenge for
leaders and citizens of modern communities is not just to solve
specific problems today. Their real challenge is to keep learning
from their experience so they can keep improving their communities
tomorrow.

Results That Matter will provide a new governance
framework for using valuable tools of community
improvement–especially performance measurement and citizen
engagement–to empower communities to achieve the outcomes
their citizens most desire. Government and nonprofit managers will
learn how to combine these tools in new ways, not only to achieve
one-time improvement of their organizations and communities, but to
foster continual community renewal and improvement. The benefits
and practicality of the framework and related practices will be
reinforced by case examples from 25 communities across the country.
The book will offer ‘how to’ guidance to public and nonprofit
managers, including promising practices for effective communities,
and new roles for citizens, community leaders, and managers.

Table of Content

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xxi

The Authors xxv

1 Engaging Citizens, Measuring Results, Getting Things Done
1

2 Citizens’ Many Roles in Community Problem Solving 17

3 Organizations Managing for Results 49

4 Citizens Reaching for Results I: Key Ideas, Strategic Issues,
and the First Three Case Examples 76

5 Citizens Reaching for Results II: To Improve the Quality of
Life in Their Region 102

6 Communities Governing for Results I: An Introduction to the
Practice and to Interpreting the Case Examples 123

7 Communities Governing for Results II: Local Governments Engage
Citizens in Results-Based Systems 139

8 Communities Governing for Results III: Citizens Engaged in
Results-Based Nonprofit Community Development 171

9 More Ideas for Making It Happen 191

Notes 224

Index 237

About the author

Paul D. Epstein is principal of Epstein and Fass Associates,
a New York-based consulting firm. In 2003 he received the
Harry Hatry Distinguished Performance Measurement Practice Award
from the American Society for Public Administration for his
lifetime achievements.

Paul M. Coates is director of the Office of State and
Local Government Programs and associate professor of public policy
and administration in the Department of Political Science at Iowa
State University.

Lyle D. Wray is executive director of the Capitol Region
Council of Governments based in Hartford, Connecticut. Wray served
as executive director of the Citizens League from 1992 to 2003 and
co-led, with Paul Epstein, the Sloan Foundation-funded
research on citizen engagement and public performance
measurement.

David Swain, a Florida-based consultant, managed the
Jacksonville Community Council Inc.’s pioneering community quality
of life indicators program from 1984 to 2002.