Training in Advanced Performance Measurement Techniques

Michael Crow delivers innovative training courses that help state and federal regulators understand how to develop meaningful performance measures and implement robust data collection and analysis approaches.  Mr. Crow's training courses are designed not only to help novices come up to speed quickly but also present challenges for participants who are more experienced with measurement issues.  A key goal of the measurement course is to help participants think critically about how to balance policy and measurement goals, because they sometimes conflict.  Course participants leave with an understanding that there is never usually just one "right" answer, but that they have to design measurement strategies that match the nature and importance of their decision-making. 

For instance, Mr. Crow delivered a training course for state and EPA participants in the Common Measures Project.  The Common Measures Project is a collaborative among several states and EPA to develop common performance indicators and acceptable data collection approaches for comparing sector performance across state boundaries.  The project is being led by Massachusetts DEP and funded by EPA's National Center for Environmental Innovation, under a State Innovation Grant.  

The day-long training course helped participants understand the breadth of quality issues to consider in choosing indicators and a measurement approach.  Hands-on exercises with user-friendly spreadsheet tools improved their understanding of the advantages (and limitations) of statistical sampling approaches, and a lengthy collaborative exercise at the end of the day participants grapple with difficult trade-offs, such as between ideal measures and available resources.

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Last modified: March 30, 2008