The Use of Performance Indicators in Higher Education: The Challenge of the Quality Movement Third Edition(Higher Education Policy)

Over the last few years, the use of performance indicators has become widespread in public services. The first edition of this book, with its thorough review of the key issues in the development of performance indicators, made an immediate impact on the expanding field of performance measurement in higher education. It is widely quoted and used by higher education administrators and scholars in the field and has already become a source book for many workshops and conferences. The book has been thoroughly revised to take account of the most recent developments in the practice, literature and potential use of performance indicators. Particular attention is paid to recent developments in the polytechnics and colleges. It includes a survey of the literature developed in the USA, the United Kingdom and other OECD countries.

Table of Contents:
Prefatory Note. KEY ISSUES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERFORMANCE INDICATORS. The policy background, central control and institutional autonomy, defining performance indicators and the measurement of inputs and outputs in education, plan of the book. AN OVERVIEW OF RECENT EXPERIENCE AND CURRENT PERSPECTIVES. Great Britain, the United States of America, other countries, some comparative comments. SURVEYS OF PERFORMANCE INDICATORS OF TEACHING. Assessing teaching performance. Measuring output: value added. Using cost measures as performance indicators. Waste rates and completion. Employment and first destinations. Student and peer review. SURVEYS OF PERFORMANCE INDICATORS OF RESEARCH. Assessing research performance. Output measures: publications, licences and patents. Measuring quality. Research income. Peer review of research. TYPES AND MODELS AND MODES OF APPLICATION. Review of our selection of performance indicators. Use of performance indicators by funding bodies. Use of performance indicators within institutions and departments. All those responsible for the management of colleges and universities, and organisations concerned with research in education and quality management.

About the Author :
Martin Cave is Professor of Economics at Brunel University; Stephen Hanney is a Research Fellow in the Faculty of Social Sciences, Brunel University, Mary Henkel is Reader in the Department of Government at Brunel University and Maurice Kogan is Director of the Centre for the Evaluation of Public Policy and Practice and Professor Emeritus of Government at Brunel University.

Review :
Reviews of the first edition 'Excellent. Aimed at the [large] number of academic administrators for whom PI (as we have to learn to call them) are a new and slightly baffling game... analytical and critical in the true sense of the word... we must all learn to make intelligent use of performance indicators and this little book is an invaluable critical introduction both to basic concepts and to practical applications.' An excellent critical review of the development of and use of PI's over the last decade. This book has quickly established itself internationally as the standard work on the use of PI's and should be read by management of FE institutions. This book will be essential reading for anyone interested, as potential evaluator, or evaluatee, in the management of higher education. The most comprehensive analysis of the subject to date. Should be read by anyone who is interested in the management of institutions of higher education, particularly universities. The authors are all outstanding staff members at Brunel University. Their joint know-how in the field provides readers with a survey that is an introduction both to basic concepts and to practical applications... the present study, including an impressive updated bibliography, establishes itself internationally as a reference work on the use of PI's, the reading of which is a must. Reviews of the second edition 'This book provides a thorough revision of the previous edition to take into account recent developments in the practice, literature, and potential use of performance indicators in higher education.' ...offers a useful summary and review of the fast growing literature on this subject, and the book will prove invaluable to anybody doing research or interested in this subject area. In this informative, refreshingly well-reasoned book, a multidisciplinary team of authors provides an account of the present status and use of performance measures in higher education. PI's are likely to become more important in the allocation of funding process. That being so, this book, as a review of those managerial and administrative aspects, is to be highly regarded. A thoughtful text which deserves to be read by most academics and university administrators.