Perform™ and Performance Measurement

Performance measurement is a question of relating data to objectives. The challenge in achieving this is twofold:

• expressing the objectives in terms of measurable outcomes (which can lead to management action)
• obtaining the necessary data to be able to make the measurements

Perform™ can deliver a dual benefit:

• a quick and economical performance assessment, making optimal use of readily available data
• an informed strategy for integrating performance measurement more effectively in the future

Establishing an integrated framework for performance measurement relies on a clear understanding of the structure of the performance measurement problem, including what is to be measured, why, by whom and how.

Perform™ comes into its own when such a framework is not in place. It exploits whatever knowledge and data is available and systematically explores how it relates to the objectives. In this way it makes optimal use of the available information to come up with a well-defined and consistent set of Performance Indicators, without relying on a sophisticated infrastructure for data collection.

In addition, however, the exploration will also have exposed the gaps between what needs to be measured and what the data can provide, as well as the issues in closing those gaps. In this way, it can inform a strategy for developing an integrated performance measurement framework.