A framework and method for assessing progress is in development. It will provide multiple empirical measures, including specific themes—called key performance indicators (KPIs)—and other analytics, and where appropriate qualitative assessments for mapping progress.
KPIs will monitor progress for the following:
- Students (undergraduate, graduate and professional students)
- Academic staff (research and teaching)
- Administrative and support staff (performance, career opportunities)
- Research and innovation (research performance and strategic partnerships)
- Resources (financial and budget integration as they relate to strategic objectives)
- International profile and activities (international opportunities)
- Service (outreach, alumni relations, development)
Under each of these themes, we've developed indicators that we can measure (e.g. how many new support positions have been filled, how many world-class professors have been recruited, the overall quality of faculty supervision and advising etc.), which will help us periodically assess the plan's achievements and challenges.
To be useful, most KPIs will require local action and thus are needed for each Faculty or administrative unit. Benchmarking against peer universities and programs will be important for both academic and support functions. A process of routine reporting will be established for academic and administrative units with timeframes based on available resources.