Dashboards as a Data Management Tool Dr. David C. Oehler Director of Assessment, Information and Analysis Northwest Missouri State University

06/21/20062 Presentation Overview  Facilitating decision-making and driving improvement  Measurement impact on focus of institutional activities and processes  How we developed our system and integrated it into information systems

Building a House of Quality MANAGEMENT BY FACT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT CUSTOMER FOCUS HIGH EXPECTATIONS INVOLVEMENT ASSESSMENT & FEEDBACK TRUST SHARED VALUES AND VISION

06/21/20064 Facilitating Decision-making and Driving Improvement  Importance of institutional culture  Importance of internal communication  Alignment with mission and vision  Alignment with strategic planning

06/21/20065 “All work is process.” “Every process is perfectly designed to create the outcomes it produces.” “If you can’t define it, you can’t measure it; if you don’t measure it, you won’t improve it.” Institutional Culture CQI Philosophy

06/21/20066 Communication – Northwest’s Planning Model  Since 1993, all units at Northwest use a Seven-Step Planning Process (the Hubbard Cycle) to focus and define their work.  This process is based on five underlying questions:

06/21/20067 CQI Underlying Questions 1. Who are your customers/clients? 2. What are their expectations? 3. How do you “deliver” quality? 4. How do you know how well you are doing? 5. What performance improvement targets are reasonable?

06/21/20068 Key Quality Indicators  “Key” - identifying a few very important things to watch.  “Quality” - a perception held by students, stakeholders, and each other.  “Indicators” - evaluative tools that indirectly measure aspects of quality; multiple indicators are needed where direct measures are not available.

06/21/ What are your key decision areas? (as defined in your job description) 2. What kinds of decisions do you make? 3. What information do you need to make good decisions? 4. What data do you need to create good information? 5. What is the best way to obtain that data? Focusing on Peoples’ Information Needs

06/21/ Communication and Systems Alignment  Annual Report Format  Five-year Academic Department Review (Coordinating Board for Higher Education)  Annual departmental visits (Deans’ executive summaries)

Phase 1: STRATEGIC CONTEXT Phase 2: STRATEGY IDENTIFICATION & REFINEMENT Phase 3: 7-STEP TACTICAL PLAN DEVELOPMENT & DEPLOYMENT Phase 4: BALDRIGE SELF- ASSESSMENT MISSION/ VISION/ VALUES DECISION DRIVERS ENVIRON- MENTAL SCAN INTERNAL ANALYSIS STRATEGIC KQIs TACTICAL KQIs OBJECTIVES ASSESSMENT ACTION PLANS RESULTS PROCESS MANAGEMENT FACULTY/ STAFF FOCUS PLANNING STUDENT FOCUS INFORMATION & ANALYSIS LEADERSHIP NORTHWEST QUALITY SYSTEMS MODEL TRENDS IMPROVEMENTS STRETCH GOALS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES SI CHAMPIONS DEPLOYMENT PLAN MEASUREMENT PLAN COMMUNI- CATIONS PLAN

06/21/ Presentation Overview  Facilitating decision-making and driving improvement  Measurement impact on focus of institutional activities and processes  How we developed our system and integrated it into information systems

What is measured gets noticed What is noticed gets acted on What is acted on gets improved This and the following slide were adapted from a Dee W. Hook presentation. Phenomenon of Measurement

06/21/ What is a Dashboard?  Definition/use:  Both a process and a tool  Looking for unfavorable trends or patterns and focusing energy on improving priority areas  A (diagnostic) means for monitoring performance to ascertain what is working well and where additional attention is needed  A few (4-6) sets of indicators, representing the most central areas related to high performance

06/21/ How Does a Dashboard Focus Activities and Processes?  Requires clear definition of outcomes  Focuses on a manageable (small) set of key outcomes (results)  Encourages cross-functional communication  Requires fact-based decision processes  Data reporting structures  Process improvement orientation  Layering of detail (summative vs. formative)

06/21/  Dashboards help you know what’s important  Dashboards focus on actions that make a difference  Collect data to create information you can use, then use it Time is Increasingly a Precious Resource

06/21/  Assessment needs to answer questions  Systems to collect, analyze, and report information need to be developed to support the specific information requirements Data for Decision-making

06/21/ Assessment System Design 1. Data Collection  Centralized measures  Decentralized measures 3. Reporting Systems  Summative Information  Formative Information 2. Data Processing  Disaggregation system  Aggregation system  No transformation 4. Analysis/Decision-making  Cabinet, Deans, Directors, Department Chairs  Department Chairs, Faculty

Data Collection Reporting Systems Analysis and Decision-making Centralized Decentralized Disaggregation System Aggregation System Summative Information (Dashboards, Profiles) Formative Information (Operational) Cabinet, Governing Board, External Audiences Directors, Department Chairs, Faculty, Staff No Transformation Deans, Directors, Department Chairs No Transformation Directors, Department Chairs Much Little Detail Data Processing

06/21/ What Metrics are in a Dashboard?  The Dashboard includes a balanced view of an organization  Learning and Growth (student academic progress; faculty and staff development, scholarship and research productivity)  Customer Relations (students, faculty, staff, alumni, parent satisfaction and involvement)  Internal Processes (functional area performance – accuracy, timeliness, friendliness)  Financial Measures (fiscal health and viability)

06/21/ Northwest’s Dashboard Model  Our model includes several types of information/report presentations  Dashboards – single screen current status  Trend charts – key data element trends over time  Data tables –key data detail trends over time  Majors, minors, advisees, degrees, SCH, financials  Special interest charts/tables

06/21/ Features of the Northwest Balanced Scorecard System  Dashboard “lights” to indicate current status  Hyperlinks to navigate through workbooks  Hyperlinks to “drill down” to detail  Comparative data links for setting targets  Real-time data updates  Accommodates various data sources  Modular design to facilitate upgrading  Automated updating of modules

President’s Dashboard

Provost’s Dashboard

VP Student Affairs’ Dashboard

Additional Detail

06/21/ Comparative Data  In order to judge how good your performance is, results should be put into some context  Trends over time  Comparisons to other internal units  Comparisons with peer groups  Comparisons outside of the education sector

06/21/ Interpreting Dashboard Indicators  To follow up on indicators of interest, use hyperlinks to access increasing levels of detail  Student satisfaction as an example  President’s dashboard to  Provost’s dashboard to  Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory data trends

Praxis and C-BASE results module Major Field test results module Academic Profile results module Undergrad majors and minors, Graduate majors, Degrees, Advisees module Student opinionnaires of teaching module General Education local module Program SCH generation module Financial data module Placement data module EMSAS module (freshman success) Alumni satisfaction module Major field local/senior capstone module Department ‘A’ Profile and Dashboard College ‘A’ Profile and Dashboard Department ‘etc.’ Profile and Dashboard College ‘etc.’ Profile and Dashboard Provost’s Profile and Dashboard Service unit ‘A’ Profile and Dashboard Service unit ‘B’ Profile and Dashboard Service unit ‘C’ Profile and Dashboard Service unit ‘etc.’ Profile and Dashboard President’s Dashboard Provost’s Dashboard Metrics Architecture July 28, 2002 Comparative data for targets Student satisfaction module

06/21/ Presentation Overview  Facilitating decision-making and driving improvement  Measurement impact on focus of institutional activities and processes  How we developed our system and integrated it into information systems

06/21/ Northwest Dashboard Information and Sharing Days  Contact information:  Dave Oehler  Northwest Missouri State University  800 University Drive  (voice) 