By comparing actual with expected results, it enables the staff to evaluate progress towards goals and objectives. Good performance measures have the following characteristics. There are many reasons to use performance measures. Performance measures inform the staff of customer needs and levels of satisfaction. They make it possible to identify actions to improve quality and reduce costs.
Performance measures create an unbiased way to rate performance.
Once measures are agreed upon, teams and individual staff can be freed to manage their own activities to achieve the desired result. This motivates employees, reduces the tendency to micro-manage, and makes everyone more accountable. Performance measures provide the basis to assess whether a project is working. They provide quantitative fact-based information for policy and project decision making. Performance measures may be reviewed by the Auditor General when conducting performance audits.