21140 Monitoring Organisational Performance

Subject level: Undergraduate

Handbook description

This subject assists students in developing competence in monitoring organisational performance on a number of levels. It incorporates a critical analysis of current theories of organisational performance, examining the difficulties of measuring the performance of organisations providing human services, the tools and technologies for evaluating and improving the performance of nonprofit organisations, and the use of evaluation data for performance improvement.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. understand and be able to use the planning-evaluation cycle as a key management tool
2. identify goals and processes
3. understand the difficulties of measuring the performance of organisations providing human services
4. identify and critically analyse the tools and technologies for evaluating and improving the performance of non profit organisations
5. recognise the importance of information to managers and be able to design systems and processes for organisational monitoring and evaluation
6. make use of evaluation data for performance improvement.

Contribution to graduate profile

This subject deals with methods of measuring performance in non profit organisations. Measuring the performance of non profit organisations is one of the most difficult issues for non profit managers. Various profit-based measures used by for profit firms cannot apply to non profits.

Performance has at least three dimensions. For each of these dimensions several technologies are available. On one dimension, performance can refer to the success of an organisation in achieving its objectives—its efficiency and its effectiveness. For this dimension, the technologies of evaluation are available. The second dimension is the quality of its services and here technologies associated with Total Quality Management (TQM) are available. In some cases, these have been adapted for the community sector. On the third dimension, performance can refer to measuring a series of dimensions of organisational activity or output by reference to benchmarks such as best practice or some other criteria.

This subject examines the way in which these technologies interweave in a focus on efforts for judging the effectiveness of non profit organisations in a society and the wider economy. The subject also seeks to identify the factors associated with the effective management of non profit organisations. These various dimensions overlap. More importantly, what they have in common is information — about the environment the organisation finds itself in; about its clientele and their satisfaction; and about the various inputs and processes (referred to above) involved in the provision of services.

Teaching and learning strategies

Students will learn through a combination of set readings, lectures, workshop exercises, case studies and written assignments requiring them to apply concepts to their own work environment. Where appropriate, students will also be expected to conduct their own research in order to complete set assessment tasks.

Students will be encouraged to be active rather than passive learners. Each subject will feature three block sessions through the semester, which may include a selection of the following teaching and learning strategies:

• full lectures or mini lectures (possibly including guest speakers)
• large group discussion
• practical group exercises
• small group discussion
• student presentations (individual or group projects)
• workshops on specific practical skills
• role play

Students are also required to maintain a regular reading schedule which may include a textbook, a prescribed set of readings and/or some selected key references. In some subjects there will also be an expectation that students will pursue their own research in areas relevant to their assessment tasks.

Central to the teaching and learning philosophy of this subject, is the integration of work based learning through assessment tasks that require students to apply theory to practice and reflect on this process in the context of their own communities and community organisations.

Content

The following is an outline of topics covered in this subject:

• Performance monitoring — benefits for managers
• The planning-evaluation cycle
• Goals and processes/ends and means
• Terminology and performance measurements
• Possible problems of performance monitoring

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Assignment 1

Assessment item 2: Assignment 2

Assessment item 3: Preparation for and participation in classes

Required text(s)

There is no prescribed textbook for this subject. However, a reader will be provided to students as part of the materials for this subject. Articles in the reader cover the main topics of the subject and will be referred to during classes. It is important to read these articles, as they are essential source of learning, which compliment the classes.

Indicative references

Philbin, M and Festen, M (2006) Level Best: How Small and Grassroots Nonprofits Can Tackle Evaluation and Talk Results: Jossey-Bass

Poister, TH (2003) Measuring Performance in Public and Nonprofit Organizations: Jossey-Bass

Reider, R (2001) Improving the Economy, Efficiency, and Effectiveness of Not-for-Profits: Conducting Operational Reviews: Wiley

Wholey, JS, Hatry, HP, Newcomer KE (eds.) (2004) Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation, 2nd edn, Jossey-Bass

The Planning Kit and The Evaluation Kit: Combined Community Legal Centres Group

Do it Yourself Social Research and Everyday Evaluation on the Run: Yolande Wadsworth. Published by Action Research Issues Association, Melbourne.