Executive Summary

This Toolkit provides a framework for understanding the practices necessary to move state and local government agencies and human services providers from compliance-focused to outcomes-focused contracting. The Toolkit provides five detailed recommendations to accomplish this shift, including links to specific tools and templates for interested governments as well as examples of leading practices in states, cities, and counties that have successfully implemented these recommendations.

Taken together, the recommendations, tools, and leading practices identified in this Toolkit can help bring about significant change in human services contracting. When state and local governments and human services providers work together to implement accessible, collaborative, and outcomes-focused contracting, they can enhance positive results and better serve the young people, families, and communities who depend on them to provide the services they need to reach their fullest potential.