BENCHMARKING AS A BEST PRACTICE IN ASSESSMENTStudent Affairs Assessment Council

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

WHAT IS BENCHMARKING?Benchmarking is the “continuous systematic process for evaluating products, services, and work processes of organizations that are recognized as representing

best practices for the purposes of organizational improvement.”

-Spendolini, 1992

WHAT CAN BENCHMARKING DO? Justify programs/services within student affairs

Improve quality

Demonstrate affordability

Develop strategic plans

Formulate policy

Aid in making decisions

TYPES OF BENCHMARKING Internal: making comparisons within an organization

Competitive: examines performance against peer or competitor organizations

Functional: looking at high performing processes across the industry

Generic: looks at organizations outside of one’s field/industry

WHAT ARE “BEST PRACTICES”??

Best practices are typically the finest examples of process, program delivery, or methods in a given area that produce the highest known

quality outcomes.-Palomba & Banta, 1999

VARIOUS TYPES OF BEST PRACTICES Usually determined by those meeting and exceeding a list of criteria

Can also be referred to as performance indicators

Can also be referred to as benchmarks

Can also be referred to as standards

Whatever you choose for the benchmarking project you undertake—define your term and be transparent.

A NOTE ABOUT PERFORMANCE INDICATORS An indicator is “a relevant, easily calculable statistic that reflects the

overall condition of an enterprise.” –Ewell, 1997

Easily calculable = easily calculable across institutions Note that learning/developmental outcomes generally cannot be evaluated by

performance indicators such as retention rates, graduation rates, and faculty-to-student ratio.

Indicators do not inform anyone as to the cause of the value found in the program—nor do they indicate how to improve.

USE indicators as measures, but we must incorporate student learning/development outcomes

BENCHMARKING IS…. Comparative

Data intended to be public (for better or worse)

Intended to learn about what you can improve

CONSIDERATIONS TO BE MADE PRIOR TO BENCHMARKING Are you going to share the information publicly? If so, with whom?

Are you benchmarking services and processes or student learning and development?

Is there national data that can help benchmarking data be more legitimate? Examples include: NSSE College & University Counseling Center Directors Data Bank EBI surveys American College Health Association Survey National Association of Colleges & Employers Career Services surveys

Which institutions allow you to compare yourself in a meaningful manner?

UC PEER INSTITUTIONS University of Connecticut

University of Pittsburgh

Syracuse University

Temple University

University of Illinois @ Chicago

George Mason University

University of Alabama @ Birmingham

University of South Florida

University of Houston

STEPS IN THE BENCHMARKING PROCESSADAPTED FROM UPCRAFT & SCHUH, 1996 Define the problem

Make sure benchmarking is appropriate

Determine what to benchmark

Choose who should be involved in the benchmarking project

Select comparable organizations

Determine what information will be collected

Determine how the information will be collected

Analyze the data

Take action

Assess the action taken

1. DEFINE THE PROBLEM In student affairs, problems can be identified through:

Student use studies Student satisfaction studies Student needs studies Reviews Change in resources Realignments/reorganizations Change in law, policy, procedure Crisis or emergency situations Feedback from various constituents

2. MAKE SURE BENCHMARKING IS APPROPRIATE Ask yourself:

Can information from other organizations help my organization and help me achieve my outcome?

Must do preliminary investigation; you’ll need to find out if other organizations have been successful in whatever you are researching.

3. DETERMINE WHAT TO BENCHMARKRemember:

Product, service or process Product = educational program

4. CHOOSE BENCHMARKING TEAM People directly affected by process should be involved from the very beginning

Process should involve staff (or students) who deal directly with the problem

If staff (or students) are involved from the beginning, there will be greater ownership of the results and a greater likelihood that solutions will be implemented.

5. SELECT COMPARABLE INSTITUTIONS In general, use peer institutions

Can also use: Programs, services, processes which are similar to your own Reputations for quality programs, services, or products Valid information to offer

Hearsay v. Evidence Reliable information to offer

Can’t always just look at websites; need to ask for data/assessment results Leadership which values benchmarking

Don’t forget…help other institutions out! You may be calling them in a year for info.

It is important to note that despite comparable characteristics (institution size, academic functions) student affairs divisions may be VERY different. Try, as much as possible, to compare oranges to oranges.

6. DETERMINE WHAT INFO WILL BE GATHERED

Determine what information is needed to improve the program, service or process

Develop a format/protocol which provides a framework within which information can be gathered

7. DETERMINE HOW INFORMATION WILL BE COLLECTED

Telephone interviews

Personal meetings/site visits

Surveys

Document/publication review

Archival information

8. ANALYZE THE DATA Code = look for themes

Be sure to ask yourself.... “what didn’t they tell us…and why?”

Be sure to address the problem identified initially

Include specific recommendations AND solutions

9. TAKE ACTION Easiest action = those that save resources, or require little to no additional

resources

More difficult action = when significant resources are required to solve the problem Discuss this with leadership PRIOR to benchmarking process. If no resources are

available, then what?

10. ASSESS THE ACTION TAKEN

Did the action taken actually solve the problem?

KEYS TO SUCCESSFUL BENCHMARKING Needs to be done correctly, or not at all

Process should involve those who are directly affected

Process should have support and commitment of the leadership of the organization

Use organizations that are comparable, willing to participate, and can offer reliable/valid information

EXAMPLES http://

www.case.org/Samples_Research_and_Tools/Benchmarking_and_Research/Benchmarking_Resources/CASE_Benchmarking_Toolkit/Alumni_Relations_Benchmarking_Template.html

http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/docs/case-studies/uk-and-international-case-studies-of-practice-in-student-support.pdf?sfvrsn=18

http://www.planning.salford.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/20657/Examples-of-Benchmarking-Reports-in-Higher-Education-Membership.pdf

REFERENCES Alstete, J. W. (1995). Benchmarking in higher education: Adapting best practices to improve

quality. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Ewell, P. T. (1997b). Identifying indicators of curricular quality. In G. J. Gaff, L. J. Ratfcliff and Associates, Handbook of the undergraduate curriculum: A comprehensive guide to purposes, structures, practices, and change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Palomba, C. A., and Banta, T. W. (1999). Assessment essentials: Planning, implementing, and improving assessment in higher education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Spendolini, M. J. (1992). The benchmarking book. New York: Amacom.

Upcraft, M. L., & Schuh, J. H. (1996). Assessment in student affairs: A guide for practitioners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.