Performance Evaluation: Proven Approaches for Improving Program and Organizational Performance

BASIC DEFINITIONS

Some basic definitions will help convey the concepts in this book:

• Performance: The accomplishments of behavior rather than the behavior itself
• Performance improvement: A systemic and systematic process for assessing and analyzing performance gaps; planning improvements in performance; designing and developing efficient, effective, and ethically justifiable interventions to close performance gaps; implementing the interventions; and evaluating all levels of results
• Ends: Results sought at various organizational levels
• Means: The behaviors, activities, processes, procedures, projects, and programs used to achieve results
• Levels of results: Society, organization, program, department or team, individual (adapted from Kaufman, ...