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Success Stories – GEMS
and First 5
The GEMS project in Santa Barbara is our
greatest success story so far in the field of First 5. The
system is now entering its fourth year in service with the
Commission and we have recently installed a series of enhancements
and upgrades.
The initial system went online in 2000. Speaking
just after the launch, SBCCFC’s Edna Phinney said: "The
reporting software is very dynamic, we're very excited to
have it with us and the possibilities it has are tremendous".
A software system can only truly be considered
a success if it works on the ground. Marian Community Clinics
was one of the first agencies to use GEMS. The agency’s
Dee Gonzalez said "The customer service has been excellent
and the support has been excellent - they're just a phone
call away", she said.
The First 5 Commission of Santa Barbara County
planned from the beginning to implement a comprehensive software
system that would allow for program data collection and contract
management. Early on, they identified the following priorities
and desires:
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To support and enhance programs’
abilities to provide high-quality, effective services
for children and families |
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To promote program-specific outcomes-based evaluation
of Commission activities |
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To monitor and support programs in the execution
of their service contracts. |
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To host the system within their county IT department
to give them ownership of all Commission and program
data |
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To host the system within their county IT department
to give them ownership of all Commission and program
data. |
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To host the system within their county IT department
to give them ownership of all Commission and program
data. |
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• |
To host the system within their county IT department
to give them ownership of all Commission and program
data. |
Mosaic Network installed a system based on
the GEMS-Client, GEMS-Agent, and GEMS-Server modules. GEMS-Client
is used across 42 funded programs. Programs can enter client
demographic, service, and performance measure data on individual
and aggregate levels.
They complete progress reports every four
months through the GEMS-Periodic Report Module, which has
been customized to automatically generate the quantitative
client and service tabulations fixed by the Commission. This
allows pre-formatted narrative input, and transmits final
reports to the server with a button click. Programs can also
enter data into client outcome forms that are individually
tailored to each program.
GEMS-Agent has been customized to include
the following sub modules: GEMS-Project Management, GEMS-Client
Customizer, GEMS-Outcome and Performance Measures (OPM), and
GEMS-Fiscal.
Through Client Customizer, Commission staff
enter information about each program’s contract parameters,
like projected numbers of clients and units of service. These
are then automatically transferred to their corresponding
agencies into GEMS-Client.
Project Management allows staff to track
important contract information such as up-to-date contacts,
award information, status of insurance, site visits, etc.
Fiscal is used to track invoices and budgets
to ensure financial compliance. And finally, OPM is used to
develop templates of outcome profiles (e.g., surveys, collection
of indicators), which are also transferred to GEMS-Client
on a program by program basis.
Thanks to the success of GEMS in Santa Barbara,
Ventura County has recently signed a deal with Mosaic Network
to provide a GEMS system for its own First 5 programs.
Related links
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