Evaluation of Performance Measures / Pennsylvania DOT
After using performance measures for years, the Pennsylvania DOT recognized that the number of measures being used had increased to a level that was difficult to manage. In 2011, the Pennsylvania DOT conducted an assessment of their performance measures using the following series of questions to guide their decisions as to which measures to keep, which to change, or which to delete:
- Who is using the measure?
- What exactly is being measured?
- Why is this particular measure needed?
- Whose performance is being measured?
- Is the performance goal defined?
- Does a similar measure already exist?
- Is the existing measure meeting the needs and intent or should it be modified?
If a measure was needed where no measure exists, the following additional questions were used:
- Does the measure affect continuous improvement?
- Is the data for the measure updated as frequently as needed? Should it be updated monthly, quarterly, or yearly?
- Is the measure easy to quantify?
- Is the measure easy to understand?
- Is it clear who owns the measure?
- Does the measure provide a means of comparison?
- Have unintended consequences been investigated?
- Can the unintended consequences be successfully mitigated?
The process has helped to ensure that the agency is focused on the right measures to drive desired results and behaviors. The analysis found several issues that could be addressed, including eliminating duplicate or overly complicated measures, modifying measures that were driving unintended consequences, and resolving data quality issues.
Read more in the chapter: 6.1.2 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Performance Measures