Metrics

Metrics are used in business models, CMMI, ISM3, Balanced scorecard and knowledge management. These measurements or metrics can be used to track trends, productivity, resources etc. Typically, the metrics tracked are key performance indicators, also known as KPIs. For example, metrics are used to better understand how an organization is performing compared to other similar organizations.

Most methodologies define hierarchies to guide organizations in achieving their strategic or tactical goals. An example can be:

• Objectives
• Goals
• Critical success factor (CSFs)
• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs or Metrics).

The intention is to identify future-state objectives, relate them to specific goals that can be achieved through critical success factors or performance drivers which are then monitored and measured by key performance indicators. Through this hierarchy, organizations can define and communicate relationships between metrics and how they contribute to the achievement of organizational goals and objectives.

Metrics are important in IT Service Management including ITIL; the intention is to measure the effectiveness of the various processes at delivering services to customers. Some suggest that data from different organizations can be gathered together, against an agreed set of metrics, to form a benchmark, which would allow organizations to evaluate their performance against others to establish, objectively, how well they are performing.

Church goals and objectives that cannot be measured, are not effective.

An example of a church metric is the show-up-rate of volunteers. This number can give insight into the leadership and vision-buy-in at a church.

It is important to know how many serving spots are necessary for a church. One measurement is the percentage of people who show up. (This number is rarely 100% because of sickness, conflicts, etc.)

If the show-up-rate is 90% at one church and 68% at another, this probably indicates a problem at the second location.

• You may not be placing the right people in the right roles.
• You may not be adequately training volunteers.
• You may not be appreciating volunteers.
• You may not be communicating well.
• You might consider tracking the show up rate over time to see if you are improving or slipping in helping your volunteers make a difference by serving.