In earlier blog postings I’ve talked about the use of large scale outcomes models for various purposes such as overall policy development, evidence-based practice and monitoring and evaluation. The next version of DoView outcomes and evaluation software [[Disclosure: I am involved in the development of DoView] is going to allow images to be included in DoView files and in the web page models which can be created within DoView and then put up on the web. A mock-up of what parts of a visual sector plan using the upcoming version of DoView could look like is available. This will be a no cost update to DoView which is planned for release in February 2009.
What interests me particularly, in addition to models looking better for stakeholders, is that I will now be able to put JPG’s etc of graphs of how indicators are tracking into a DoView web page model for a program or sector. In the next version it is planned for the user to be able to drill-down beneath an indicator to another page within a DoView model so this will mean that you can just click on an indicator and then look at a page which contains information on how it is tracking. Look at the example here of how an indicator graph has been put on a DoView page and then can be part of a DoView web page model. You can also put information on projects which you have mapped onto the outcomes model (see here).
I have also been playing around with including a link from a page within a DoView model out to a Google spreadsheet which would mean that you could keep live data on your indicator on the Google Spreadsheet (it is a free service from Google Docs) and so you just click on the indicator page within the DoView web page model (or from within your open DoView file) and you are immediately into the Google Spreadsheet where you can start amending the data. See the mocked-up example here (click on the hyperlink with ‘Spreadsheet with Last Drinks Survey Data’ at the bottom of the page). If you like you could create a graph from within Google Spreadsheet and then put it back as an image into the DoView file so that stakeholders can quickly see how you are tracking. Other models will be put up on the OutcomesModels.org site which is designed for people to be able to borrow, amend and use outcomes models.
The ultimate objective is to be able to build very affordable outcomes models and full performance management systems using DoView with links to things like Google Spreadsheets which people can use as their ongoing outcomes systems. By an outcomes system I mean a system you can use for performance management, evaluation planning, indicator monitoring, contracting etc. Or even if you just want to have a play around with designing how you want your ultimate outcomes system to look, without it costing you much at all, you will be able to mock it up in DoView as a first step. If you want to go on the DoView newsletter, subscribe here.
Paul Duignan, PhD
Outcomesblog.org 
I just wanted to compliment you on the quality of your work (DoView), the knowledge base and this blog. I am using your materials in a project funded by The Commonwealth Fund concerning Hospital Leadership and hospital quality improvement. We are using a regression discontinuity design but the ability to communicate outcome levels and the qualitative aspects which can result from your model are extremely helpful.
Great thanks Barry, it is excellent seeing the increasing number of people putting it all to work. In the future, from the conceptual point of view I’m interested in people further developing outcomes theory so it can become a common language to deal with some of the areas that currently aren’t well conceptualized and end up in protracted confused debates within evaluation and performance management and the whole growing outcome area.