What is a Process Flow?

A Process Flow maps out the specific steps in delivering a service, the journey of the participant through the service and what data gets collected at each step. This annotated example from the HAPPY Project (2018) shows good practice in producing a process flow.

Why do we need a Process Flow?

A good Process Flow helps your service run smoothly by clearly laying out who’s responsible for collecting what data.

It lets you show commissioners and stakeholders what you’re doing, helps you spot problems (like where you’re losing service users or what’s working better for different groups), and makes evaluation much easier since everyone knows what data to collect, when and where.

Before you begin

Ensure that you already have or are working on: 

• A theory of change and logic model (either adapted from elsewhere or created for your service specifically)
• Data requirements
• Service design
• Evaluation plan

Developing the Process Flow

This can be completed as part of an existing Service Design meeting. You should ensure someone from the service who is familiar with service delivery, and current data capture and systems attends along with the person responsible for evaluation Together:

• Review your Logic Model and draft Data Requirements to map out each key service activity and the data collected at each step. 
• Refer to your service design questionnaire consider the ways in which participants, staff, and volunteers move through or work within a service. Particular focus should be given to referral pathways, eligibility assessments/ triage processes, enrolment processes, and any measures collected from participants, From this you can identify who should be responsible for data collection and communication at each point. 
• Ask all those involved in the meeting to consider and identify any resources or changes needed to enable them to collect or share data. 

Assign one or two people to take notes and create a chart based on what you discuss

Producing the Process Flow:

Start with something flexible—paper and flip charts, PowerPoint, or Lucidchart work well. You can use the example mentioned above as a template.

Once the chart is drafted, send it to everyone from the first meeting for feedback. 

Before the Service Design process is completed, and following agreement of the final evaluation plan, and data requirements, the Process Flow should be reviewed again to ensure it includes any newly agreed data collection, measures or processes. Again this can be done as part of one of your Service Design meetings. Once everything has been incorporated, the document should be agreed and signed off.

Reviewing the Process Flow:

The Process Flow should be reviewed as part of your early service monitoring meetings (ideally within the first 3-6 months of delivery). This will help you to identify whether:

• the process flow accurately reflects delivery processes and the participant journey
• any important data is being missied or not being collected properly
• all the data being collecting is actually useful (if not, stop collecting it)

It may be necessary to make changes to the process flow at this point. Make sure to:

• Create a new dated version so that it is clear what has changed and when it was changed
• Archive the original version with dates showing when it was in use
• Set a date for another review

Note that frequent changes to the process flow are not desirable, but updates may be operationally necessary as circumstances within a service change. It is important that the process flow is accurate and up-to-date