Performance Indicators Review Workshop

Each department in the University of Pretoria (UP) is required to review its KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) on an annual basis. The Department of Library Services’ KPI’s were developed about 10 years ago and have been in use ever since. This is a long time, considering that our environment is constantly changing as do our services. The Library’s Quality Office did some research to find out what aspects of their services other libraries measure. We first consulted the University’s Department of Institutional Planning and then the ACRL Standards for Libraries in Higher Education which outlined the difference between the evidence based model and the outcome based model.  The ACRL Standards document then served as a guide in choosing the KPIs for the DLS.

The Library Strategic Forum in collaboration with the Library Quality Office revamped the KPI’s of the Department of Library Services (DLS). A prominent strategist and owner of MCC Consulting, Daniel Munslow, was invited to give some guidance in choosing the KPIs that are aligned with the Department’s strategic plan. He recommended the outcomes based framework, which does not only measure what the department offers to its users (outputs), but goes on to measure the impact that the DLS makes (outcomes) which consequently shows the return on investment (ROI).

Prior to the final document being drafted, the quality team was given the opportunity to attend a conference (International Conference on Performance Measurement in Libraries) in the UK to gain more insights. This gave the Library Quality Office team members a broad perspective of what libraries overseas measure and of the methods they use. It also provided an opportunity to benchmark and align ourselves with international standards. Using the outcomes based model to measure impact has become worldwide practice.