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Program Evaluation

Performance Measures

Key Components

  • Provide a comprehensive list of program measures
  • Tie measures to program goals.

Performance measures have a unit of measurement (a metric), a target for future performance, and a baseline against which to measure. A good plan will allow performance to be measured at several levels throughout the plan (Goals, Outputs, and Milestones). In the ideal, a target would include ranges that can be associated with complete, partial, or unsatisfactory levels of accomplishment. Further, the measures should be trendable with reporting at intervals that make sense vis-à-vis what is being measured and how often (quarterly, semi-annual, annual). These performance measures can be technical targets (by date certain) or other trendable measures.

Communication of performance measures is aided by presenting them in tabular form showing actual data and projected targets for each metric. The period of time may vary for each metric but could include targets through 2012. Each measure should be linked to the appropriate program element. Where outcome measures are included, they should be separated from the output measures.

[Note: Progress is indicated by cost-per-system technology estimated for a production level of 50,000 systems per year. Actual and projected progress for this factor is shown graphically below.]
Chart showing cost-per-system technology on the vertical axis, and year on the horizontal axis. Beginning in 2002, there is a blue dotted line representing the target, which slopes downward to 2010. A solid pink line, representing actual progress as of 2005, covers exactly the dotted line between 2002 and 2005, showing that actual progress tracked the targeted progress.