Shared Measures Framework
A Tool for Identifying Priorities and Improving Outcomes
Oregon families with young children navigate siloed systems to obtain health care, education, housing, nutrition, behavioral health, childcare, and beyond.
To reduce the burden on a family who is already working hard to survive, we must engage in systems alignment and strategic investment to create a cohesive ecosystem of support.
Improving system coordination and equity: focus on access, relationship-based service, and proactive care and support
Child and family outcomes: health, stability, and connection in the first 1,000 days population
Downstream impacts: long-term improvements in human development, intergenerational well-being, and prevention investments
Funding cuts at every level have created a challenging environment for agencies and community- based organizations alike. But when resources become scarce, one of the most effective actions we can take is to pool resources and coordinate our efforts.
The Upstream shared measures framework is a community-designed and data-informed tool that can be applied to make strategic decisions and investments that support families during the first 1,000 days of life.
Aligning Around Shared Priorities
The Upstream shared measures framework offers a common structure for communities, agencies, and state partners to learn, align, and collaborate together.
Communities will take a step-by-step approach to identify shared measures that reflect their priorities and guide decision-making and system improvement.
Steps to apply the shared measures framework:
Begin with Community Priorities
Choose Measures that Matter
Fit Measures to the Community Context
Align and Take Action
Reflect and Reassess
Connect with The Collaborative to coordinate policy and budgetary recommendations
About the Upstream Initiative
The shared measures framework is a product of the Upstream Initiative, a statewide partnership that aims to transform early childhood and perinatal support systems by focusing on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, from pregnancy to age 2.
The Collaborative’s flagship program, the Upstream Initiative brings together health, education, and social service partners to focus on primary prevention through upstream collaboration and investment in early childhood. We seek to prevent the downstream outcomes caused by the duress of chronic poverty, substance use disorder, and housing instability.
By supporting a network of local practitioners, caregivers, and policymakers, the Upstream Initiative is helping build a future where every pregnant person in Oregon knows exactly where to find support for themselves and their young children.
Starting upstream means breaking cycles of trauma, creating coordinated support networks, and building the foundation for lifelong health, learning, and opportunity.