EQUIPEPLUS INDICATOR WORKSHOP

Kari Seppälä

Paris 17.11.2006

PERFORMANCE INDICATOR DEFINITIONS

• An indication as to how progress towards a target is to be measured.

• Performance indicators provide a standard and manageable way of measuring performance.

• A representation, numeric or otherwise, of the state of, or outcomes from an organisation, or any of its parts or processes.

• Performance indicators measure the distance between the current situation and the desired situation.

• An indicator that provides information (either qualitative or quantitative) on the extent to which a policy, program or initiative is achieving its outcomes.

• An indicator of the success of a government or corporate program.

• A measure that shows the degree to which a strategy has been achieved.

• A criterion or measure for monitoring or evaluating the efficiency or effectiveness of a system or service, which may be used to demonstrate accountability and to identify areas for improvement.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS BROKEN DOWN

Following: performance, state, current and desired situation, progress, outcomes, degree of achievement, success

Focus: organisation, its part or process, policy, strategy, program or initiative, government or corporate program, system or service

Function: indication, representation, information, measure, criterion, demonstration, identification, standard

Features: • monitoring - evaluating• numeric - otherwise• quantitative - qualitative• efficiency - effectiveness• accountability -

improvement• manageable

TYPICAL USE AND CONTEXTS OF

INDICATORS

• Quality enhancement/assurance • Programme development • Evaluations and reviews• Accreditation• Accreditation of Prior Learning• Strategic processes• Structural development • Struggle for funds• Statistical necessities

AIMS & OUTCOMES OF EQUIPEPLUS

1. A discussion paper of the problems and benefits of using the indicators in the activities of lifelong learning in universities

2. A collection of examples of using or developing indicators in LLL at European universities

3. A (draft) bank of indicators for academic lifelong learning at the institutional level

4. A list of do’s and don’ts in the use of indicators

E+ INDICATOR WORK PLAN

1. The work plan approved by the management group in May 2006

2. A planning meeting of the chairs/facilitators in September (DC & KS)

3. An academic LLL indicator workshop in the 2. partner conference in November in Paris (DC & KS with all the partners)

4. Finding more examples, drafting the paper, developing the list of do’s and don’ts as well as construction of the bank (volunteers & DC & KS)

5. Management group session about indicators in the MG meeting (discussion about the content, commenting step 4) in Ljubljana in March (MG facilitated by DC & KS)

6. Continuing tasks in step 4 (volunteers & DC & KS)

7. The second academic LLL indicator workshop in the 3. partner conference in Hamburg (DC & KS, volunteers, all the partners)

8. Continuing tasks in steps 4 and 6 (volunteers & DC & KS)

9. A two-day-meeting to collect it all together in January-February (invited volunteers, chaired by DC & KS)

10. Embedding the products into the outcomes of EQUIPEPlus in the final MG meeting (MG)

THE SESSION TODAY

• Does your university have or do you know about experience of other universities using or planning LLL indicators? Be open in your thinking – indicators can come out in various forms and situations.

• What kinds of situations have you faced or might face, where clear and logical indicators could be useful?

• What kind of profits and threats do you see in the use of indicators?