Outcomes-based accountability (OBA), also known as Results-based Accountability or Turning the Curve, is an approach to improving local outcomes developed in the US by Mark Friedman. It enables public or not-for-profit agencies and multi-agency partnerships to prioritize outcomes and determine what services are needed. It also considers what is required from Government and partner agencies.
In the past, most public services and voluntary agencies have been assessed on the basis of output activity, such as ‘how much service’ or ‘how many users’ rather than establishing whether any service users are better off as a consequence. This approach helps to redress the balance.