GlossaryStaffing, accountability, and public reporting
Performance measure
A performance measure is a defined indicator used to track work, service quality, progress, or results against a purpose or goal.
A performance measure is a defined indicator used to track work, service quality, progress, or results against a purpose or goal. It needs a clear meaning and consistent measurement method. A number becomes useful for performance assessment through its connection to the question being asked, rather than simply because it appears on a dashboard.
What the measure needs
The Government Accountability Office's definitions distinguish ongoing performance measurement from evaluation. A measure can track progress, while an evaluation examines questions about a program's operation or effects more deeply.
For a public-safety metric, specify the counting unit, population, time period, data source, and any calculation or exclusions. A target or benchmark adds a comparison point but does not remove the need to explain the measure itself.
Example
Hypothetical example: An agency tracks the share of eligible records published within a stated interval. Its method defines eligible records, the starting timestamp, and the publication endpoint.
The percentage describes that publication process. It does not measure emergency response speed or show that every record is complete. Those would require different measures and definitions. A change in eligibility rules could also change the result without a change in processing speed.
Common confusion
An output measures delivered activity. An outcome measures a result or change of interest. Both can be performance measures, but they answer different questions.
A target is the desired value; the measure is what is observed. Meeting one target does not establish success across all responsibilities.
Interpretation limits
Read the baseline, goal, method, data limitations, and relevant tradeoffs. A measure can improve while another important result worsens. Avoid ranking agencies on one indicator without aligned definitions and a reason that the comparison addresses the intended public question.