The service must publish metrics over time to identify what is going well and what can be done better.
Why is it important?
It is important to have a sense of (shared) purpose about where each service is going. We want our users to get the most value out of our efforts. We want to create a basis on which we can have solid discussion and reflect on how a service is doing or how we can improve. And by publishing metrics, we can be honest and open about the direction the service is heading. Metrics by themselves should not be used to criticize a service, but to help provide direction.
What to do?
- Refer back to the clear, distinct purpose from Standard 2
- Define your idea of success and convert that to a fixed number of goals (eg., action-oriented, inspirational) and the related key performance indicators results for the service. Choose a timespan, e.g. over a 1, 3 or 5 year period.
- Evaluate key results on a regular basis (what is going well and what can be done better). Define “regular basis” in this standard.
- In connection with Standard 10, publish and communicate results so the library and others can learn how to improve our services. Use internal evaluation, for sensitive results and reflection
Guidelines:
- John Doerr, Why the secret to success is setting the right goals (YouTube)