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Performance Metrics in Modern Journals

Benjamin LynchCo-Editor-in-Chief, Virginia Policy Review

Agenda

Performance Metrics

Types of Indicators

Five Steps to Successful Performance Metrics

Work Time

Questions

What are Performance Metrics?

Performance metric – a measurement that determines behavior or performance

Performance Metrics Track Progress

Why are performance metrics important? Track successes and failures Guide strategic planning Identify opportunities for short-term intervention Provide benchmark information to measure effect of

organizational changes

Many types of Indicators

Types of Key Performance Indicators: Speed Accuracy Volume Investment

Can be internal and external

Can be quantitative and qualitative

Speed Indicators

Response With authors and with staff

Turn around

Editorial process

Project completion

Meeting scheduled time

Accuracy Indicators

For readership: Focus groups Reader surveys Website comments Opinions of editorial staff and policy school

colleagues

Independent third-party analysis E.g., Hiring a professional copy editor to review

publication

Volume Indicators

Number of submissions

Number of acceptance pieces

Number of subscriptions sold

Website: Total page views Length of page view

Investment Indicators

Measures spending levels or % of budget spent on each activity E.g., per event, per issue, per staff member, etc.,

IMPORTANT: Justification to school that your journal needs more money.

Five Steps to Effective Performance Metrics*

Objective: Develop at least two (2) metrics that can be used starting when you return to school on Tuesday.

*From Capilano University’s Open CourseWare’s Course on Introduction to Strategic Management found here.

1. Define Desired Outcome

Outcome should be a non-quantified goal.

Desired outcomes should be established for both journal-level inputs and outputs.

Example: Input: VPR wants to increase the number of submissions. Output: VPR wants to publish a journal that is read by

more people.

Alignment is important

Outcome

2. Develop Output Measure

For each goal, develop a metric to measure the output of that goal. Establish a target benchmark of success.

The metric does not have to be quantified.

Example: Quantitative: VPR will increase submissions by 10%. Qualitative: VPR will be rated better or higher using the

following system: Poor – Fair – Good – Better – Best

Alignment is important

Output Outcome

3. Develop Input

Regardless of whether a goal is an input or output goal, there is generally a step before that that can be measured. Set a benchmark to measure your success.

IMPORTANT: Establishes a chain of data that identifies where breakdowns occur.

Example: Each VPR editor will email 25 people in their personal call for

submissions. Each VPR editor will post and tweet the link to the new article

on Facebook and Twitter, respectively.

Alignment is important

Input Output Outcome

4. Measure and Test

Use Measurement to Initiative Change Establish a formal system of tracking data. Regularly review the data. Construct a process for using data. Celebrate successes. Isolate areas that cause failure.

If you have existing data, try to use it to evaluate whether your metrics will measure your desired goals.

Performance Metric Dashboard

5. Build Organizational Culture

Good organizations use data, but improvement does not happen on paper.

Strategies: positive performance incentives, all-staff data entry/analysis sessions, data presentations to faculty, State-of-the-journal address, etc.

Improvement can occur when people enjoy what they’re doing, know it’s important, and general morale is high.

Work Time

Objective: Develop at least two (2) metrics that can be used

starting when you return to school on Tuesday. IF you already have effective metrics, plan strategies to

build a culture that will continue to use performance metrics after you leave your editorial staff.

Time: 10-15 minutes

After, we’ll reconvene for group sharing and questions.

Developing Metrics Template

Categories

Input Output Outcome

Range Key

Submissions Increase outreach on Facebook. Specifically, 10 posts a week.

Number of submissions

20 (5 more than the number of submissions for the last issue)

- 17- 20+: No action- 13-16: Monitor - 12 or below: Immediate Action

Strategies to use data:

Questions