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If you want good KPIs, your KPI approach has to be good. Use this KPI approach self-assessment to find out if yours is a good one.

A good KPI approach is not a list of measures to choose from. It’s not boxes to align them to. It’s not the opinion of self-proclaimed experts. And it’s not the demands of stakeholders who themselves have no proven mastery in good KPI development.

A good KPI approach has the 8 essential criteria that any good methodology will have:

1. It’s parts are necessary
2. The theory is well founded
3. The theory is proven to work
4. As a whole, the methodology is comprehensive
5. The methodology is non-prescriptive
6. In practice, the methodology is useful
7. The methodology is practical to implement
8. Each part of the methodology is transparent

How to do a self-assessment of your KPI approach:

Firstly, download this self-assessment template.

Next, watch this video where I explain each of the 8 criteria of a good KPI methodology:

And finally, follow along with this video, where PuMP Partner Louise Watson and I assess several common KPI approaches against these 8 criteria, as you apply the criteria to your KPI approach (it references another download, an overview of the PuMP Blueprint):

1. Tommaso says:

   February 13, 2018 at 5:03 pm

   I liked this article very much. I would like to reproduce it in my blog, but I need it in Spanish. If you don’t have a Spanish version, do I have your permission to translate it? I will send you a copy for your own use if you think I have done a good translating job.

   Reply
   • Stacey Barr says:

     February 21, 2018 at 10:42 am

     Tommaso, thanks for your interest in the article!

     Yes you have my permission to translate it into Spanish and use it on your blog. As long as you retain a link back to this original page and also follow our guidelines here: https://www.staceybarr.com/measure-up/reprinting-articles/

     Reply
2. Andy Smith says:

   April 11, 2018 at 3:32 pm

   I am in the process of completing my Masters in Quality Management as one of the questions asked was ” Critically appraise the method in which your Process Measurement system is developed”. In your opinion what would you use to evaluating this. Would you carry out a survey with the performance team or something else.

   Reply
   • Stacey Barr says:

     April 12, 2018 at 4:15 pm

     Andy, if I understand this, it’s asking for evidence of how deliberate your methodology for performance measurement is. If I’ve understood correctly, I don’t recommend a survey – as it risks getting just subjective opinions about the method, and that has no theoretical soundness or rigour. So here is what I recommend:

     https://www.staceybarr.com/measure-up/do-we-need-a-kpi-methodology/
     https://www.staceybarr.com/measure-up/the-8-essential-parts-of-a-proper-kpi-methodology/
     https://www.staceybarr.com/measure-up/kpi-methodology-best-organisation/

     Reply