Introduction

Chapter 3 discussed the use of measurement for investigation, improvement and planning and Chapter 4 examined its use for control as part of performance management. These two approaches to measurement are usually confined to a single agency or programme, with the aim of keeping it under control or of finding ways of doing things better. Our focus now shifts to the use of performance measurement to compare agencies and programmes with one another, or by an agency to track its own performance over time. There are three different variations on this same theme:

1. When an agency or programme wishes to measure its own performance over a period of time to see if it is improving and to take appropriate action for improvement.

2. When several organisations choose to measure their performance and to share that information with one another in a comparison exercise.

3. When a central unit decides that it wishes to know how well the different providers under its control are performing and wishes to identify good and poor performers.

Note that variations 2 and 3 can also be exercises conducted over extended periods of time to see what changes are occurring in relative performance.