Building a Performance Measurement System is a new how-to guide published by Root Cause, a nonprofit organization that promotes social innovation.  This practical guide provides an easy-to-follow, five-step process for developing a performance measurement system.

You can download the book for free or purchase it through Amazon.

The book and web site include templates to help select appropriate performance indicators and design dashboards.

For a good introduction, read Root Cause Executive Director Andrew Wolk\'s discussion on performance measurement.   As he notes,

"The organizations that benefit the most from performance measurement typically have the following commitments in place before they get started. A commitment to…

• Employ knowledge drawn from your data to drive decision-making
• Devote staff time to build the performance measurement system and oversee performance measurement once the planning process has ended
• Agree on the organization’s mission and vision of success

Once you can make these commitments, performance measurement will become a key to your success, perhaps even your survival. And it doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming."