#CILDC : Management Metrics that Work

[This session was on April 9 and I just realized on April 13 that I didn't published my notes from it.]

Karen White, Kris Vajs and Karen Krugman

There slides are quite packed with information!

Karen White - 

Why report to your management?

- Communicate value

- Demonstrate transparency

- Demonstrate support for the org's mission

- To generate support

There are many metrics that you may want to measure.  What data do you want to collect?

USAID is moving toward a virtual library and has needed to account for that in their metrics.  Therefore, having foot traffic go down is a good thing and expected.

Where do you store your metrics?

- Excel / spreadsheet

- relational databases 

- virtual reference software 

Collecting your metrics

- decide what to collect

- collect it proactively

- collect quantitative and qualitative

- identify metrics from similar organizations

- use vendor supplied data

- limit the number of metrics.  Focus on what you need.

Ways to collect metrics

- tally sheets

- surveys, customer feedback, observations

- focus groups, interviews

- benchmarking 

Presenting your metrics

- report on a regular basis

- Tailor your reporting

- share reports to your staff

- understand how your metrics relate to each other

Ways?

- written reports

- Verbal presentations

- Infographs

- dashboard

She shared examples from other libraries and from her own (USAID).

Karen Krugman -

She presented examples from the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. 

She strives to demonstrate how the library impacts the organization.  For example, showing how specific library resources support areas/focuses of the organization.

Kris Vajs - 

Review your metrics regularly to be sure that you are collecting what you want and what matters.  

Collect metrics before you're asked for them.