Operating Principles

1. Mission and Principles Driven:
All policy decisions and their implementation will occur within the context of the mission of Neighborhood House, Inc. and the following operating principles.

Indicators:

1. The purpose and operating requirements of all grants and contracts are consistent with the agency's mission, purpose, and operating principles.
2. The agency's policies and procedures are consistent with the mission, purpose and principles and provide clear expectations for board, staff, and volunteers.
3. Board, management and staff know of and understand the mission and operating principles.

2. Client/Family Centered Services:
Programs and services at Neighborhood House will meet the client at her/his level, with services meeting the needs of the client, rather than clients being expected to fit into a prescribed program model. Neighborhood House is expected to be an "open system", without barriers between programs. Once an individual or family becomes a client of Neighborhood House they are expected to be able to gain easy access to all Neighborhood House services for which they are eligible.

Indicators:

1. Clients/families do not experience difficulties gaining access to services in multiple programs.
2. Staff do not experience difficulties in securing resources/services from other programs.
3. Clients participate in more than one program.

3. Team Work:
In order to accomplish the principle of client/family centered services all staff and volunteers will operate as an agency-wide team working together to accomplish our mission and meet the needs of clients. There will be no boundaries between programs or services that interfere with staff and volunteers maximizing the resources of the organization to carry out our mission.

Indicators:

1. Staff and volunteers regularly meet, both formally and informally, to work together to meet the needs of individual clients/families.
2. Staff quickly assume responsibility for problem-solving when cross-program difficulties arise.
3. Agency administrative and management staff facilitate cross-program problem-solving and do not interfere with staff assuming responsibility for problem-solving.
4. Volunteers and staff have easy access to accurate information so they can make effective and efficient use of all services and resources throughout the agency.
5. Horizontal and vertical channels of communication throughout the agency are always open and facilitate access to necessary information.
6. Open communication exists between the staff of different programs.

4. Community Engagement and Partnership:
Neighborhood House is more than an agency in the community, it is a community agency working with the community to meet community needs. The community plays an active role throughout the organization including policy making and resource development. Our clients are important and valued members of the community.

Indicators:

1. Membership on the Board of Directors and its committees is broadly representative of the community and includes clients and/or former clients.
2. Staff and volunteers are broadly representative of the community.
3. The input of service recipients is regularly sought, both formally and informally, throughout the agency to inform policy development and implementation, and program planning and evaluation efforts.
4. Agency Board, volunteers and staff are visible in the community and are associated with Neighborhood House, Inc.
5. Inquiries from the community with respect to information about Neighborhood House, Inc. are responded to with courtesy, promptness, and full-disclosure.
6. Program evaluation ensures that agency programs and services respond to community needs.

5. Continuous Improvement:
All board members, staff, and volunteers seek to improve their individual performance and all aspects of the organization: service delivery, administrative and support services, and resource development and acquisition. The achievement of organizational excellence occurs through the daily contributions of all members of the organization. An organizational culture will exist which elicits the very best from every member of the organization and provide the opportunity for all members to constructively contribute to its improvement.

Indicators:

1. Suggestions for improving the agency are regularly solicited from Board, staff, and volunteers and action is taken to implement selected strategies.
2. Improvements in the agency are regularly identified and reported to Board, staff, and volunteers.
3. All Board, staff, and volunteers take personal responsibility for contributing to the daily improvement of the organization.
4. Staff and volunteers participate in training and continuing education for self-improvement and professional development.

6. Innovation:
Neighborhood House seeks to be on the forefront of human service delivery programs and services, including the management of those activities.

Indicators:

1. New programs and services, and refinements of current programs and services are initiated utilizing the most recent information regarding program needs and effectiveness.
2. The expertise of our staff is sought by others.
3. Local colleges and universities seek to place their students with us.
4. Faculty of local colleges and universities seek to collaborate with us in the evaluation of our programs.
5. Staff attend seminars on new developments.

7. Results Oriented:
Neighborhood House exists to make a significant difference in the lives of the clients served. It is not enough to deliver services, they must be services which make a real difference. They also must be differences that matter to clients.

Indicators:

1. Program outcomes are identified for all programs.
2. The Individual Service/Education Plans for all clients/families/students clearly identify anticipated outcomes, jointly developed by staff and clients.
3. Client success stories.

8. Ongoing Planning and Evaluation:
It is important that we exercise foresight, and anticipate and be responsive to changing needs and opportunities in the community. It is equally important that we ask critical questions regarding our effectiveness and seek to answer those questions.

Indicators:

1. A strategic plan for the organization is developed, implemented, and regularly updated.
2. The Program Committee of the Board of Directors receives regular and timely information regarding the operation of the agency's programs, new and changing needs in the community, and the agency's success in achieving anticipated program outcomes.
3. All committees receive information necessary to make informed decisions.

9. Fiscal Responsibility:
We are the stewards of public resources and private donations. We accept the responsibility of making the most efficient and effective use of those resources, and ensuring the financial viability of Neighborhood House, Inc. for the future. We strive to strike an appropriate balance between improving our long-term financial position and the immediate use of financial resources to meet program needs.

Indicators:

1. We pay our bills on time.
2. We maintain an operating reserve.
3. We fund our depreciation.
4. Quality internal control systems are implemented in a cost-effective manner.
5. Resources are acquired in the most cost-effective manner possible.

10. Personal and Organizational Integrity:
We, as an organization and as individual members of the organization, tell the truth, honor commitments, and accept responsibility for mistakes and errors in judgment.

Indicators:

1. We annually receive a clean opinion from an independent auditor.
2. Outside reviews by government and private funding sources indicate that we are consistently carrying out the intent of grants and contracts.
3. The agency has credibility with community organizations and individuals.
4. The Board of Directors has confidence in the accuracy of information that it receives from staff.
   

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