Using performance measurement to assess research: Lessons learned from the international agricultural research centres

Abstract

In the past few decades performance measurement systems have been employed in the public sector to enforce accountability and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of operations. Performance measurement systems as part of research evaluation are a special case. In this article, the suitability of performance measurement for the evaluation of research is analysed, drawing on experiences from a group of 15 international agricultural research centres that conduct research with a development mission. The performance measurement system initiated by donors was intended to become part of a streamlined monitoring and evaluation system and to enhance transparency, accountability, learning, and decision making, including decisions about future funding. The experiences showed that: (i) there were large year-to-year fluctuations that were probably related to the selected indicators rather than actual performance, therefore undermining annual conclusions about performance; (ii) using the indicator information for resource allocation influenced performance reporting and emphasized comparison between centres; and (iii) performance measurement information was not used efficiently in other evaluations. The article examines lessons drawn from the objectives, expectations and results of the performance measurement exercise for planning monitoring systems for research in multi-partner settings.