The performance measurement is normally used after a program has been up and running. It is used to help monitor the overall program effectiveness. Did the program achieve the intended goals, deliver the desired outcome, or other accomplishments? The performance measurement is also useful for reporting outcome results, back to the stake holders, the target population, and those persons involved in implementing the program, (Argosy University, 2016). It can also be used to measure policy, (McDavid, 2012).
A Program evaluation uses a holistic and systematic approach to developing a study to determine how the program is working and for finding ways of improving the program, (Argosy University, 2016). The program evaluation can be done in the initial planning stages, it can be done while the program is operating and after it has been operating for some time, (Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, 2016, p. 3)
One key benefit of performance measurement is it has become useful to both state and federal government for measuring “service- related” performance, which also allows them to attach a cost to the services. (McDavid 2012 p. 311). It is not just beneficial for measuring Budget performance. According to McDavid, (2012 p. 311), local government performance measurements is what drives the efforts to measure the private sector performances of services today.
Whether to perform a program evaluation or performance measurements based on limited funding would depend on who is the original funding source and what reports must be distributed to stakeholders and target population, during the upcoming year. If the funding is coming from local or federal government and they are looking to measure the program effectiveness, policies effectiveness, services and cost effectiveness I would complete a performance measurement. If the funders are giving the agency a couple years to really demonstrate measures, yet looking for systematic view of how effective the program is running, if it achieved the attended goals, and outcome then I would perform a program evaluation. This will demonstrate whether the program reached the desired outcome at a lower cost. It can also help identify steps for improving on the program, (Argosy University, 2016; McDavid, 2012).
Performance Measurement
Performance measurement describes how well the agency’s program has succeeded, how it has advanced by conducting activities, delivering service and providing results. There are three levels of activities that are used to gather this information. Performance measurement is used for reporting and monitoring program effectiveness, accomplishments, and/or goal progress. To be measured, a program must have well-defined objectives or a discernible purpose (Argosy University, 2016).
Program evaluations determined on how to make the program better by improving the quality of the service, which can be measured by understanding the motivation of the evaluation and generating numerical data. Program evaluations are holistic and systematic studies that are conducted on a regular basis to determine on a whole how a program is working and to discover ways in which the program can be improved upon (Argosy University, 2016).
Key benefits of using performance measurements, could be the monitoring portion of the evaluation because it can track what has been done, provided, and results provided at the end of the evaluation. Although it is an ongoing process, it helps with the performance measures.
I would utilize the money and the man power to ensure the evaluation is properly conducted. I would use the program evaluation oppose to performance measurement. When using the measurement performance evaluation, it would help improve the program. The measurement performance can finalize how well the program did throughout the year.
