 Performance Metrics in Modern Journals Benjamin Lynch Co-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.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 OutputOutcome

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 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 InputOutputOutcome

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

Developing Metrics Template CategoriesInputOutputOutcomeRange Key SubmissionsIncrease outreach on Facebook. Specifically, 10 posts a week. Number of submissions 20 (5 more than the number of submissions for the last issue) : No action : Monitor - 12 or below: Immediate Action Strategies to use data:

Questions