Performance Measurement Guide

3 Kinds of Performance Measures

Programs

RBA utilizes three simple performance measure questions:

  1. How much did we do?
  2. How well did we do it?
  3. Is anyone better off?

Dimensions (Fig. A):

  • Quantity vs. Quality
    • How much we did versus how well we did it.
  • Effort vs. Effect
    • How hard we tried versus whether we had an impact.
Fig. A Quantity Quality
Effort How much did we do? How well did we do it?
Effect Is anyone better off?
# %

Importance (Fig. B):

The four quadrants are not equally important. The upper left quadrant (Fig. B) is the least important, and more time should be spent thinking and talking about measures in the right and bottom right quadrants.

Fig. B Quantity Quality
Effect LEAST Important  
Effort   MOST
Important

Control (Fig. C):

As we go from least important measures to the most important measures, we go from having the most control to having the least control.

Nobody controls all the factors that effect program performance, but we are still accountable for our clients being better off.

Fig. C Quantity Quality
Effort MORE
Control		  
Effect   LESS
Control