Thinking of the term “Performance Measurement”

Thinking of the term “Performance Measurement”

This is an interesting book addressing Performance Information. Usually, you

run across the term “Performance Measurement,” but this replaces

“measurement” with “information” and, I think the difference is significant. OK,

the book uses the term “Performance Management” in the title but attempting to

measure performance is at the heart of what you are reading.

How information is collected, who collects it, subsequently influences policy

decisions regarding what needs to be addressed, or what we might call “reform.”

How exactly is information used once it is collected? So, there is a relationship

between what takes place on one side (all the information collected) and the

other (using all that information in some reasonable and effective ways).

Instead of thinking of the term “Performance Measurement” which sounds

detached, objective, analytical, the term “Performance Information” raises a

whole host of questions associated with a world that is more imperfect, where

the subjective matters. As the author points out, there is information that is

gathered and used to make changes or reforms but, at the same time, there is a

selective process to what is accomplished. As a result, some aspects of

performance measurement are not achieved or even tried.