Performance Management: Resource Guide
Lindsey Baker, Lead Health Librarian, Herefordshire
Clinical Library Service
Regardless of what sector we work in, we all need to
evaluate our services. Performance management is just one of the
terms used to describe this process. Other terms include:
-
Performance measurement
-
Impact assessment
-
Best Practice
-
Benchmarking
-
Best value
-
Quality assurance
This guide looks in detail at resources to support the
library manager in assessing how well their service is doing.
BOOKS…
Abbott, C. (1994) Performance Measurement in Library
and Information Services: An ASLIB Know How Guide, London: ASLIB.
http://www.aslib.co.uk/pubs/2001/12/05.html
This practical guide covers the types of indicators to
use, and the role of performance measurement in library and
information services management. It is ideal for all who wish to
measure the performance of their service and are unsure where to
start.
Banwell, L. (2000) ‘Evaluating Information Services’
in Andrew Booth & Graham Walton (ed.) Managing Knowledge in Health
Services, pp. 173-182, London: Library Association Publishing.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=34572
This chapter describes evaluation in such a way as to
support its practical use in healthcare libraries.
CURRENT LITERATURE…
O’Connor, P. (2002)
‘Determining the Impact of Health Library Services on Patient Care: a
Review of the Literature’, Health Information and Libraries Journal 19
(1): 1-14
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12075845&dopt=Abstract
This review examines both the methods employed and the
outcomes reported in a series of impact studies conducted in four
countries since the late 1980’s.
Cram, J. (1996)
‘Performance Management: Measurements and Reporting in a Time of
Information-Centred Change’, Australian Library Journal 45 (3):
225-38.
This article
proposes the implementation of an integrated hierarchical performance
management model noting the benefits of moving reporting practices
from an efficiency and usage focus to value focus. (The author may be
contacted by email:
jcram@qednsl.gov.au)
PRESENTATIONS…
“Value your Service”
is a project for health librarians in the West Midlands. It will
facilitate the development of impact measures for health libraries and
act as a forum for the exchange of ideas both within the project group
and with the wider health libraries network. http://www.wish-uk.org/library/value/
The following presentations were given at a variety of
training sessions for this regional project:
Butler, L.
Performance Management in Practice: Learning from ‘Best Value’. Slides
from a presentation 09.09.02.
http://www.wish-uk.org/library/value/linkfiles/LindaButler.ppt
[accessed 01.12.03]
Dixon, P. Value Your Service: A Guide to Performance
Management. Slides from a presentation 09.09.02.
http://www.wish-uk.org/library/value/linkfiles/PatDixon.ppt
[accessed 01.12.03]
Doherty, T. Evaluation of Library Skills Training.
Slides from a presentation 09.09.02.
http://www.wish-uk.org/library/value/linkfiles/TheresaDoherty.ppt
[accessed 01.12.03]
Trinder, V. Making a Difference Where it Matters: Developing Health
Libraries. Slides from a presentation 09.09.02.
http://www.wish-uk.org/library/value/linkfiles/ValTrinder.ppt
[accessed 01.12.03]
ACCREDITATION OF LIBRARY SERVICES…
The following extract is taken from the HeLicon scheme,
“Accreditation of Library and Information
Services in the Health Sector”
The success of all service organisations depends on the
extent to which they continually assess and meet their clients’ needs
and thus their commitment to the principles and processes of quality
improvement. Part of the quality improvement process in libraries, is
the development of standards that can be used to assess and support
library and information services in providing cost-effective,
client-centred services.
The Checklist is designed to be
used in assessing a wide range of health library and information
services including NHS libraries, academic health libraries, consumer
health information services and information services serving the
pharmaceutical industry, voluntary organisations, local authorities,
professional and regulatory bodies, think tanks and research units.
The Checklist is a generic document that focuses on the components
that every library and information service should have to support
their clients in the health sector, particularly in evidence-based
decision making and life-long learning.
Documentation for the HeLicon scheme can be found at
http://www.nelh.nhs.uk/librarian/accreditation.asp
[accessed 01.12.03]
TOOLKITS…
Urquhart, C. & Hepworth, J. (1995) The Value Toolkit: The Value of
Information Services to Clinicians, Aberystwyth: University of Wales,
Department of Information and Library Studies.
This toolkit is designed to enable information services
to:
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Assess the impact the information service is having
on clinical decision-making
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Secure evidence of this impact in order to support
information service development
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Identify ways in which the effect of the information
service on clinical decisions may be enhanced
REPORTS…
Library Performance Measurement and Quality Management
System: Performance Indicators for Electronic Library Services.
EQUINOX.
http://equinox.dcu.ie/reports/pilist.html
[accessed 01.12.03]
This report presents the finalised set of electronic
library performance indicators (PIs) devised during the EQUINOX
project, after consultation with the professional community.
WANT TO KNOW MORE?
“Beyond
Performance Indicators in Education Libraries”
24 March 2004
This one day course will benefit not just HE
librarians, but also Health Sector librarians who are interest in
moving beyond performance assessment to evaluating the impact of their
work on teaching, learning and research.
www.cilip.org.uk/training_events/cilip_courses/c40624.html
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