To connect mission to decision-making, organisations need to develop Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that align with their mission. Here’s content to guide leaders on how to use KPIs and ensure they stay on mission:
KPIs are measurable values that indicate how effectively an organisation is achieving its objectives. KPIs are essential for tracking progress toward the mission, as they provide concrete data to inform decision-making.
Mission-aligned KPIs: Every KPI should reflect a part of the organisation’s mission. If your mission is to improve literacy, for example, a key KPI might be the number of people who complete your reading programs.
Informed Decision-Making: KPIs give leaders insights into how well their methods are working and whether adjustments are needed. For example, if a literacy program is not increasing reading comprehension rates as expected, the organisation may need to change its methods.
Educational Non-profit (Mission: Improve literacy in low-income communities):
KPI 1: Number of children enrolled in reading programs per year.
KPI 2: Improvement in reading comprehension scores after six months in the program.
KPI 3: Number of books distributed to children annually.
Healthcare Social Enterprise (Mission: Provide affordable healthcare in underserved areas):
KPI 1: Number of patients treated in mobile clinics monthly.
KPI 2: Percentage reduction in preventable diseases in target areas.
KPI 3: Patient satisfaction scores from mobile clinic services.
Environmental Organisation (Mission: Reduce plastic waste in oceans):
KPI 1: Tons of plastic collected through recycling programs annually.
KPI 2: Number of community members participating in sustainability workshops.
KPI 3: Percentage reduction in plastic waste in partnered communities.
- Identify core mission areas: Look at your mission statement and break it down into key areas you want to measure (e.g., impact, participation, growth).
- Set specific and measurable KPIs: KPIs should be quantifiable and directly linked to activities that drive your mission.
- Review regularly: KPIs should be reviewed periodically to ensure that they remain relevant to the evolving mission and external factors.
- Adjust based on insights: Use the data from KPIs to make informed decisions—whether it’s scaling successful programs or adjusting areas that are underperforming.
Exercise: Write down 3-5 KPIs that directly reflect your organisation’s mission. For each KPI, then describe why it is important and how it will guide their decision-making.
Example: If the mission is to improve public health in rural areas, one KPI might be “Percentage of rural population receiving annual health checkups.” You can then evaluate whether this percentage is increasing and if not, what actions to take.